Rockdale County, GA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Code § 18-23(b) sets escalating consequences each time a dog is impounded and redeemed for running at large within a 12-month window. The first violation carries only the impound fee set in the Rockdale County Animal Services Fee Schedule. The second violation within 12 months of the first adds a mandatory microchipping duty: the owner "shall be responsible for having the dog implanted with a microchip identifier within 30 days of violation, or ensure an existing microchip is updated with the owner's current information," alongside the second-violation impound fee.

A third violation within the same 12-month window escalates further, requiring the dog be spayed or neutered within 30 days of reclaim, unless two licensed veterinarians each certify in writing that the procedure would be medically unsafe. This microchip requirement is distinct from the classified dangerous/vicious dog microchipping duty at § 18-46, which applies once a dog has been formally classified as dangerous or vicious after a bite or attack; § 18-23(b)'s chip requirement is triggered purely by a second at-large impoundment, regardless of any bite history.

Rockdale County Animal Services administers redemption, and an owner has 72 hours under § 18-23(b) to reclaim an impounded dog by paying the applicable fee and any rabies inoculation cost.