Summit County, OH Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered offenders
- Violent felons; ORC Ch. 959/2923/2925 felons
- Requirement
- Microchip for permanent identification
- Scope
- Any dog owned, possessed, or in custody
- Duration
- No stated end date; standing duty
- Exemption
- Person confined in ODRC institution
- Penalty
- Minor misdemeanor, Sec. 505.99(n)
- Adopted
- Ord. 2012-285, 8-27-12
Summary
Summit County Code Sec. 505.24(b) requires anyone covered by the county's felon dog-ownership restriction, a person convicted of a qualifying violent or drug felony, to microchip for permanent identification any dog they own, possess, or have in their custody. The mandate runs alongside the three-year spay/neuter bar in the same section.
(b) A person described in division (a) of this section shall microchip for permanent identification any dog owned, possessed by, or in the custody of the person.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 24(b) of the Summit County Codified Ordinances is a companion mandate to the spay/neuter restriction in division (a) of the same section. It applies to the identical population: a person convicted of, or who pleads guilty to, a felony offense of violence, or a felony violation of Ohio Revised Code Chapters 959, 2923 or 2925, committed on or after the section's effective date. Any such person must microchip for permanent identification any dog that person owns, possesses, or has in custody, not just a dog acquired after the conviction.
The county adopted the requirement by Ord. 27. Unlike the spay/neuter bar, division (b) does not specify a three-year window; the microchip requirement functions as a standing identification duty for as long as the person described in division (a) owns or has custody of a dog. Sec. 24(c) exempts a person while confined in an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction institution. Enforcement runs through the Summit County Animal Warden, and Sec. 24 a minor misdemeanor, the same classification that applies to the spay/neuter violation.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 505.24(b) is a minor misdemeanor under Sec. 505.99(n), Summit County's lowest criminal classification. The Animal Warden can cite a covered felon separately for failing to microchip a dog even if the dog is otherwise properly spayed or neutered, since divisions (a) and (b) impose two distinct duties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Summit County require all dog owners to microchip their pets?
What counts as a qualifying felony under the microchip rule?
What is the penalty for failing to microchip a covered dog?
Is there a time limit on the microchip requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Summit County
Compare Summit County to another location·View the Ohio animal ordinances overview
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