Rapid City, SD Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Impoundment and return to owner
- Applies to
- Dogs and cats only
- Who implants
- City's Designated Animal Control Authority
- Cost
- Borne by the owner
- Also cited at
- § 6.08.240 (at-large impoundment)
Summary
Rapid City does not require every pet to carry a microchip, but § 6.08.230(C) makes it mandatory for any dog or cat that is impounded and then returned to its owner: the city's Designated Animal Control Authority must implant a microchip before release, and the owner pays for the implant.
B. If impoundment by the city’s Designated Animal Control Authority is allowed pursuant to any provision of this code, the owner of the animal is responsible for any fees associated with the impoundment of the animal including, but not limited to, microchipping, vaccination, care and treatment, boarding, licensing, and animal services. These fees may be set by the city’s Designated Animal Control Authority. However, the Council may set maximum fee amounts by resolution. These fees shall be paid by the owner to the city’s Designated Animal Control Authority regardless of whether or not the animal is reclaimed. C. Any dog or cat impounded and subsequently returned to its owner shall be implanted with a microchip prior to its release from the custody of animal control, with the cost of implantation to be borne by the owner.
Full Breakdown
Rapid City's microchip mandate is tied specifically to impoundment, not to ownership generally. 240 for animals impounded specifically for running at large. The owner bears the cost of the implantation in either case. 230 folds microchipping into the broader list of impoundment-related charges the owner must pay before, or regardless of, reclaiming the animal: vaccination, care and treatment, boarding, licensing and animal services fees, all of which the city's Designated Animal Control Authority may set, subject to maximum amounts the Common Council can fix by resolution.
Because the microchip requirement attaches at the point of release rather than at initial ownership, a Rapid City resident whose dog or cat has never been picked up by an Animal Control Officer faces no citywide microchip mandate; the obligation is triggered the first time the animal is impounded and the owner wants it back. 12 that a dog or cat must also satisfy to be lawfully released.
Violations & Fines
Section 6.08.230 does not spell out a separate fine for declining the microchip step; it is a release condition, not a standalone offense, so an owner who declines simply cannot reclaim the dog or cat from the city's Designated Animal Control Authority. Unpaid impoundment fees, including the microchipping cost, remain owed to the city regardless of whether the animal is ultimately reclaimed, and continued unlicensed or unvaccinated possession of the animal after release can independently trigger the general penalty of § 1.12.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rapid City require all dogs and cats to be microchipped?
Who pays for the microchip if my dog is impounded in Rapid City?
What other fees come with getting an impounded pet back in Rapid City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rapid City
Compare Rapid City to another location·View the South Dakota animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.