Oxnard, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Oxnard Code § 5-52(A)
- Applies to
- Licensed cats only, not dogs
- Effect
- Skips physical tag, not licensing
- Underlying license rule
- § 5-55, cats over 4 months
- Reader requirement
- Poundmaster must be able to read it
Summary
Oxnard does not mandate microchipping citywide, but Code § 5-52(A) lets a licensed cat skip wearing its physical license tag if it carries an implanted microchip the poundmaster can read. Dogs get no equivalent microchip exemption under the parallel Section 5-51.
SEC. 5-52. CAT EXEMPTION FROM WEARING LICENSE TAG. The license tag need not be worn when the cat is: (A) Identified by a microchip implanted under the skin which is acceptable to and readable by the poundmaster; (B) Securely confined in a cage or vehicle; (C) Confined in a veterinary facility, licensed kennel, cattery, grooming facility or State chartered benevolent organization for the care of animals; or (D) Being shown or exhibited in any cat or pet show.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Contains Supplement current through 1-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The other three exemptions in the same section cover cats securely confined in a cage or vehicle, cats confined in a veterinary facility, licensed kennel, cattery, grooming facility, or state-chartered benevolent organization, and cats being shown or exhibited in a cat or pet show. Reading Section 5-52 against Section 5-51, the parallel exemption list for dogs, shows the microchip option is cat-specific: Section 5-51 exempts dogs from tag-wearing only when confined in a cage or vehicle, confined in a licensed facility, or participating in sporting events, training, or herding, with no microchip provision at all.
Both sections sit in Division 2 (Licensing) of Article II, so the microchip exemption operates strictly as an alternative identification method within the existing dog-and-cat licensing scheme under Section 5-55, not as a standalone microchipping mandate; a cat owner still must obtain the underlying license required by Section 5-55 for any cat over four months old kept for 30 days or longer, and the microchip only substitutes for physically wearing the metal tag day to day.
Violations & Fines
Relying on a microchip to skip the physical tag does not excuse an owner from the underlying licensing requirement in Section 5-55; a cat still must be currently licensed. Because Chapter 5 does not set a specific fine for a licensing lapse outside the sections listed in Section 5-46, an unlicensed cat falls under the citywide default in Code § 1-10, up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail as a misdemeanor, or escalating infraction fines of $100 to $500 if prosecuted that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oxnard require microchipping pets?
Can I microchip my dog instead of using a tag?
If my cat is microchipped, do I still need to license it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oxnard
California rules heatmap·Compare Oxnard to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Microchipping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle microchipping.