Lynnwood, WA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Microchip trigger
- 3rd+ impound in 12 months
- Chip standard
- AVID or equivalent scanner-readable
- Who pays
- Owner covers shelter's chip cost
- Also required for
- Registered dangerous animals
- Removing a chip
- Misdemeanor, up to 90 days/$1,000
Summary
Lynnwood requires a mandatory AVID-compatible microchip before release if a domestic animal is impounded and taken to the contract shelter more than twice in a 12-month period, with the owner paying the shelter's implant cost.
If a domestic animal is impounded and taken to the contract shelter more than twice during a 12-month period it will be mandatory that a microchip capable of being scanned by an “AVID” or other equivalent brand microchip scanner be implanted in the animal before it is released to the owner. The owner of said animal shall incur all expenses incidental to the microchip process that are charged by the contract shelter.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
090(C), the redemption provision within the impound procedures chapter, states that an owner may redeem an impounded animal only after paying all legal charges and expenses incidental to impoundment and boarding. It then adds the microchip trigger: if a domestic animal is impounded and taken to the contract shelter more than twice during a 12-month period, implantation of a microchip capable of being scanned by an AVID or other equivalent brand microchip scanner becomes mandatory before the animal is released to the owner, and the owner bears all expenses the contract shelter charges for the microchip process.
025(A)(4) requires proof of placement and current registration of an AVID-compatible microchip as one of the conditions for obtaining a certificate of registration to keep a declared dangerous animal at all. 180(A)(5) makes it unlawful to willfully remove a microchip implanted in an animal by the city or other authority for identification purposes, treating chip removal as a form of interference with enforcement rather than a simple licensing lapse.
Violations & Fines
Removing a required microchip is a misdemeanor interference violation under LMC 6.02.180, punishable by confinement not to exceed 90 days and/or a fine not to exceed $1,000. Failing to pay for the mandated microchip implant blocks release of the animal from the contract shelter under LMC 6.02.090(C) until the owner covers the shelter's charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Lynnwood require a pet to be microchipped?
Who pays for the mandatory microchip in Lynnwood?
Is it illegal to remove my pet's microchip in Lynnwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
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