Metro Nashville encourages microchipping for dogs and cats and offers low-cost chip clinics through MACC. While microchipping is not strictly mandated, registration tags and rabies tags are required for dogs in Davidson County.
Metro Title 5 requires that all dogs in Davidson County wear a current rabies tag and a Metro registration tag. Microchipping is strongly encouraged but is not a separate legal requirement for owners. MACC frequently sponsors free or low-cost microchip clinics in partnership with Nashville Humane Association and Pet Community Center. When a stray is impounded, MACC scans for a microchip first to attempt owner reunification. Adopted animals from MACC are microchipped before release as a condition of adoption. Owners should keep their microchip registry contact information up to date with the manufacturer because the chip itself is useless if the database is stale.
No specific microchip fines, but unregistered dogs can incur a Title 5 civil penalty around $50, plus daily impound fees if the animal cannot be matched to an owner quickly.
Nashville, TN
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See how Nashville's microchipping rules stack up against other locations.
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