Rohnert Park, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- General license rule
- tag and rabies shot only, no chip, § 6.12.010
- Mandatory chip trigger
- 2nd impoundment under same owner, § 6.08.150
- Deadline
- chipped and altered within 15 days of release
- Who pays
- owner, added to redemption fee
- Exemption hearing
- request within 7 days, § 6.08.190(B)
- Notice method
- mailed to address on license or microchip file, § 6.08.110(A)
Summary
Rohnert Park does not require every pet to be microchipped, but Municipal Code § 6.08.150 makes it mandatory the second time the same animal is impounded under the same owner. The animal must be chipped and altered within fifteen days of release, at the owner's expense, with the cost added to the redemption fee.
No dog or other animal shall be released by the animal control officer or her or his deputies until all charges, costs of redemption, and costs of current year's license charge, if any, have been paid by the owner. ... Upon a second impoundment of the same animal while under the same ownership, such animal shall be microchipped and altered within fifteen days of being released to the owner (at the owner's expense and at the veterinarian of the owner's choosing) and the cost of the microchipping shall be added to the redemption fee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
010), not a microchip. Microchips instead surface as an impoundment safeguard and, eventually, a mandate. 110(A), if an impounded animal turns out to be licensed and/or microchipped, the animal control officer must mail notice of the impoundment to the registered owner at the address on file with the license or microchip registry. 150 requires it to be microchipped and altered within fifteen days of being released back to the owner, at a veterinarian of the owner's choosing and at the owner's expense, with the microchipping cost added onto the redemption fee already owed.
190, which lets an owner request a hearing within seven calendar days to show good cause, such as an act of God or a veterinarian-documented health condition, for an exemption from the second-impound sterilization and microchipping requirement. No dog or other animal is released from the shelter until all redemption charges, current-year license fees, and any microchipping cost are paid in full.
Violations & Fines
An animal cannot be released from the shelter until the owner pays the redemption fee, current license charges, and the microchipping cost triggered by a second impoundment (§ 6.08.150). An owner who misses the fifteen-day deadline to chip and alter a twice-impounded animal, without an approved hearing exemption under § 6.08.190, remains subject to the shelter's redemption conditions and to a general Title 6 infraction penalty under § 6.02.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rohnert Park require me to microchip my dog or cat?
What happens if my pet is impounded a second time?
Can I get out of the mandatory microchip and sterilization rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rohnert Park
California rules heatmap·Compare Rohnert Park to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Microchipping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle microchipping.