Jersey City does not require microchipping under Ch. 56 but strongly recommends it alongside annual licensing. Liberty Humane Society scans every found animal, and microchipped pets are reunited with owners far faster than those with tags alone.
While Jersey City Code Ch. 56 mandates an annual dog license tag, microchipping itself is not required by ordinance or by NJ statute. The city instead relies on the rabies tag plus license number to identify dogs picked up by Animal Control. Liberty Humane Society, the contracted shelter, scans every intake animal for an ISO 15-digit microchip and contacts the registered owner before placing the pet for adoption. Residents often microchip during the spay/neuter visit, and Hudson County low-cost clinics include chipping in their bundled services. Owners should keep microchip registry contact information current to avoid stray surrender.
No direct fine for not microchipping; however, failure to license a dog under Ch. 56 incurs penalties, and unchipped strays may be transferred to adoption after the NJ seven-day hold under §4:19-15.16.
Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ
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See how Jersey City's microchipping rules stack up against other locations.
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