Gwinnett County, GA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Microchip placement
- Between the dog's shoulder blades
- Registered with
- Animal welfare division
- Dangerous-dog insurance minimum
- $100,000.00
- Vicious-dog insurance minimum
- $1,000,000.00
- Vicious dogs per owner
- No more than one
- Max fine per offense
- $1,000.00, each day separate
- Max jail term
- Six months
Summary
Gwinnett County will not issue the mandatory certificate of registration for a dog classified dangerous or vicious until it has been microchipped between the shoulder blades and the chip number is on file with the animal welfare division. Owners must keep that registration current and prove it at every inspection or annual recertification under Code § 10-106(b)(3).
(a)It shall be unlawful for an owner to have or possess within the county a classified dog without a certificate of registration issued in accordance with the provisions of this section... (b)Unless otherwise specified by this section, a certificate of registration for a dangerous dog shall be issued if the animal control officer determines that the following requirements have been met:...(3)A microchip containing an identification number and capable of being scanned has been injected under the skin between the shoulder blades of the dog and the owner provides the registration number to the animal welfare division. The owner shall keep the registration information updated, and be able to provide evidence upon inspection and recertification of such update; and
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
Once an animal control officer classifies a dog as dangerous or vicious, Code § 10-106(a) makes it unlawful to possess that dog in the county without a certificate of registration, and no more than one certificate is issued per domicile to a person 18 or older. Section 10-106(b) lists what the owner must show before the certificate issues: a proper enclosure that securely confines the dog, clearly visible warning signs posted at every entrance to the premises, and, at subsection (b)(3), a scannable microchip injected between the shoulder blades with the registration number reported to the animal welfare division, kept updated, and provable on inspection or recertification.
00, and no person may own more than one vicious dog under subsection (e). Certificates renew annually, and the animal control officer verifies continuing compliance, including the microchip registration, at renewal. No certificate is issued to anyone convicted of two or more violations of this division, or, under subsection (f), to anyone convicted of a serious violent felony, dogfighting, aggravated cruelty to animals, or drug trafficking offenses within the last two years. Failure to renew within ten days of the renewal or classification date is itself a violation.
Under subsection (i), the animal control officer or a designee may inspect a registered dangerous or vicious dog randomly and without notice, and the owner may not unreasonably withhold permission for that inspection, which is when a lapsed or missing microchip registration is typically caught.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 10's general penalty, Code § 10-2, applies: a conviction can bring a fine up to $1,000.00 and up to six months in the county jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. The court may also bar the owner from possessing any animal in the county for the sentence term, order the dog removed from the county, require payment of impound, housing, and veterinary costs to the animal welfare division, and order restitution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every dog in Gwinnett County need a microchip?
What happens if I stop updating my dangerous dog's microchip record?
Can I be denied a certificate even after microchipping the dog?
Who can inspect my dog's microchip and enclosure?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gwinnett County
Compare Gwinnett County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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