Mountain View, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog license age
- Required at four months of age or older
- Cat microchip
- Optional; substitutes for the metal tag
- Dangerous dog microchip
- Mandatory under Sec. 5.64(a)(4)
- License term
- 12-36 months for dogs; 60 for cats
- Duplicate tag fee
- Set by city council resolution
Summary
Mountain View lets a microchip substitute for the metal license tag, but only for cats. Dogs must still wear the metal "DOG/CAT LICENSE" tag issued with every license, per City Code Sec. 5.56. Every dog four months or older must be licensed, and the administrator records the microchip or tag number on the license.
With each dog or cat license, the administrator shall issue a metal tag bearing an identifying number and the words and letters "DOG/CAT LICENSE." Each dog shall wear the metal tag issued for it at all times except when being shown at a dog show, exhibition or event. In the event it is necessary to issue a duplicate tag, a fee, established by city council resolution or approved by the service provider's board of directors, as applicable, shall be charged to the owner. A valid and registered passive integrated transponder or other implanted radio frequency identification device ("microchip") may be used in place of the metal tag for licensed or registered cats. It shall be unlawful for any person to attach a metal tag issued pursuant to this section to any dog or cat other than the dog or cat for which it was issued.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 53, every dog four months of age or older must be licensed by the city's animal services division; cats are not required to be licensed, though owners may register one voluntarily. Sec. " Sec. 56 makes the metal "DOG/CAT LICENSE" tag mandatory wear for dogs at all times except at a dog show, exhibition or event, and a duplicate costs a council-set fee. For cats, the microchip is optional but functions as a full substitute: a valid and registered microchip may be used in place of the metal tag for a licensed or registered cat.
It is a separate violation under Sec. 56(b) to attach a tag issued for one animal to a different dog or cat. Microchipping becomes mandatory, not optional, once a dog is formally declared "dangerous" after a Sec. 63 hearing: Sec. 64(a)(4) requires that dog to carry a valid, registered microchip in addition to spay/neuter, an escape-proof harness and a locked, six-foot-fenced enclosure. Veterinarians who vaccinate dogs against rabies must use the administrator's certification form and post a sign telling owners their animals must be licensed under Sec.
60. Any authorized animal control employee or peace officer can demand to see the license on request under Sec. 59, and licenses run 12, 24 or 36 months for dogs depending on the rabies vaccination's expiration date, or 60 months for a voluntary cat license under Sec. 57.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unlicensed dog past four months, letting a dog go without its metal tag, or transferring a tag to another animal violates Chapter 5 and is enforceable by citation from animal control officers or peace officers under Sec. 5.85, using the authority granted by Penal Code Sec. 836.5. A dog later declared dangerous that lacks the microchip, insurance and confinement Sec. 5.64 and 5.65 require can be seized, and the owner barred from keeping dogs for up to three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mountain View require cats to be microchipped?
Can a microchip replace my dog's metal tag?
When does a dog have to be microchipped in Mountain View?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
California rules heatmap·Compare Mountain View to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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