Baltimore County, MD Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Microchip requirement
- None; offered free with rabies shot
- Redemption microchipping
- Division may chip at its own expense
- Administering agency
- Animal Services Division
- Related license penalty
- $100 for unlicensed dog/cat
- Stray ID check window
- 72 hours to turn animal over
Summary
Baltimore County does not require microchipping, but the Animal Services Division may implant a chip free of charge when it vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies, and can microchip an impounded animal at redemption at the Division's own expense.
(d)Licensing and microchipping through Animal Services Division.(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the owner of a dog or cat has had the dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by the Animal Services Division, the Animal Services Division may issue the owner a license free of charge.(2)The Animal Services Division may offer to place a microchip in the dog or cat free of charge. (1988 Code, § 6-113) (Bill No. 3-00, § 4, 7-1-2004; Bill No. 63-01, § 1, 8-10-2001; Bill No. 72-03, § 26, 7-1-2004; Bill No. 122-10, §§ 5, 30, 1-16-2011; Bill No. 43-16, § 2, 7-18-2016)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
There is no mandatory microchip law in Baltimore County: ownership of a chip is never a condition of the dog/cat license required at four months old under § 12-2-201. " Microchipping shows up a second time in the impoundment process: under § 12-3-203(a), an owner redeeming an impounded animal from the Animal Services Division can be required to prove ownership, comply with licensing, pay redemption and boarding fees, and must "allow the Division to microchip the animal at the Division's expense," along with allowing the Division to spay or neuter the animal at its own cost.
A microchip also matters for stray animals: § 12-3-201(a)(2) requires anyone who picks up a stray to check it for "a tag, tattoo, microchip, or other identification" before turning it over to the Division within 72 hours.
Violations & Fines
Because microchipping itself is voluntary, there is no direct fine for going without one. The exposure instead attaches to the underlying license and at-large rules: an owner who keeps an unlicensed dog or cat over four months old is subject to a $100 civil penalty under § 12-1-110(f)(1)(iii), and an animal picked up as a stray without any identification is held under the standard 72-hour redemption process in § 12-3-201 before the county may place it for adoption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is microchipping mandatory in Baltimore County?
Will the county chip my dog for free?
Does the county chip animals it impounds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
Compare Baltimore County to another location·View the Maryland animal ordinances overview
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