Jacksonville, FL Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Effective date
- January 1, 2011
- Covered animals
- Dogs and cats 4+ months old
- Trigger
- Sale, transfer, adoption, or giveaway
- First offense fine
- $100 (rising to $500)
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS)
Summary
Jacksonville requires dogs and cats four months or older to be implanted with a registered RFID microchip whenever sold, transferred, adopted, or given away, under Ordinance Code § 462.1501.
Effective January 1, 2011, all dogs and cats four (4) months of age or older sold, transferred, exchanged, adopted, returned to their owner from a shelter, or given away shall be required to be implanted with a permanent identification device (RFID - microchip) that is registered to the legal owner of the animal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under Ordinance Code § 462.1501, any dog or cat four months of age or older that is sold, transferred, exchanged, adopted, returned to an owner from a shelter, or given away in Jacksonville must first be implanted with a registered RFID microchip identifying its legal owner. The rule took effect January 1, 2011. The City is required to maintain a low-cost implantation option priced at the actual cost of the device and procedure. Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) enforces the requirement; a currently registered microchip also lets owners skip the mandatory sterilization requirement on a pet's first impound and avoid citations for missing a visible license tag.
Violations & Fines
Violating the microchip requirement is a civil infraction: $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third, per the Chapter 462 fine schedule (§ 462.15).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every pet owner in Jacksonville need to microchip their pet?
Does Jacksonville offer cheap microchipping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.