Saint Paul, MN Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

15 requires that 'the owner of a dangerous dog is required to have a microchip installed or injected on the animal,' performed by a licensed veterinarian and designed so an electronic reader can identify the dog's owner when scanned. The owner pays 'an appropriate fee' to the veterinarian covering both the microchip and the dangerous-dog registration, and the department of safety and inspections keeps the owner's and residence's identification on file. The requirement reaches further up the chain: Sec. 11(a) states that once an animal is determined to be Potentially Dangerous it must be microchipped, before any additional conditions like an obedience class or restraint requirements are imposed, and Sec.

121(a)(6) lists microchip proof among the mandatory conditions a declared-dangerous dog's owner must show before the animal can be reclaimed from impoundment. Because the requirement attaches to the dangerous or potentially dangerous designation rather than to dog or cat ownership generally, an ordinary licensed pet in Saint Paul carries no microchip mandate, only its dog license under Sec. 02, rabies tag under Chapter 199, and, if applicable, collar/leash equipment under Sec. 16. Owners of regulated exotic animals face a related but separate microchip-reporting duty for animals that already carry one, or that are later sedated, under Sec. 055(d).