Milpitas, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Section V-210-8.15, in Chapter 210's dog and cat licensing article, sets the default rule that every licensed dog or cat must wear its issued license tag at all times, except when being shown at a dog or cat show, exhibition or event. The Section then carves out microchipping: a dog or cat that has a microchip implant, or other permanent identification the Administrator finds acceptable, is not required to wear the tag at all. That exception does not remove the underlying license requirement itself, only the tag-wearing duty; every dog or cat over four months old must still be licensed under Section V-210-8.01, vaccinated for rabies under Section V-210-6.04 as a condition of that license, and, once classified as potentially dangerous, permanently ear-tattooed under Section V-210-5.12 regardless of any microchip.

If a physical tag is lost or stolen, Section V-210-8.15 requires the owner to buy a replacement by paying the applicable fee, and Section V-210-8.16 makes it unlawful to move a tag from the animal it was issued for onto another animal. The License Section's other identification duties, such as the annual license certificate under Section V-210-8.13 recording the animal's description and license number, and the Administrator's license recordkeeping under Section V-210-8.19, apply the same way whether or not the animal is microchipped.