Port Townsend, WA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Microchip status
- Optional tag alternative
- Governing section
- PTMC 8.04.050(D)
- Required record
- Chip number on file with licensing agent
- Base requirement
- Dog license still required
Summary
Port Townsend lets dog owners use a microchip instead of a metal license tag to prove licensing.
As an alternative to a license tag, an animal may be identified as licensed by having a microchip implanted, with the microchip number on file with the animal licensing agent.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under PTMC 8.04.050(D), a microchip is an alternative to the license tag, not an extra mandate: the city just needs the chip number on file with the animal licensing agent. Owners still must license the dog itself under PTMC 8.04.030; the microchip only substitutes for wearing the physical tag on the collar required by PTMC 8.04.050(C).
Violations & Fines
Dogs without a valid license (tag or microchip on file) are in violation of PTMC 8.04.090 and may be seized or impounded by animal control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Port Townsend require dogs to be microchipped?
What happens if my dog has a microchip but no tag?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
Compare Port Townsend to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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