San Antonio, TX Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Sec. 5-100 requires the owner or keeper of any dog, cat, or equine to have the animal microchipped with a registered chip before it reaches four months of age. An animal a licensed veterinarian determines in writing to be medically unsuitable for microchipping is exempt, but the owner must then have it permanently tattooed by a licensed veterinarian and give Animal Care Services (ACS) the tattoo number and the owner's name, address, and phone number within 30 days. Any later change of contact information or ownership for a tattooed animal must also be reported to the department within 30 days.

Sec. 5-100(b) allows a defense to prosecution for a nonresident keeping the animal in the city fewer than 60 days, a resident of fewer than 30 days, or a temporary owner of an abandoned or lost animal held fewer than 30 days. Once microchipped, Sec. 5-101 requires the owner to keep registration current with the microchip registration company, updating contact information within 30 days of any change and re-registering the chip to the new owner's name within 30 days of a change in ownership. Sec.

5-102 additionally requires a dog to wear a tag at all times while outdoors showing either the microchip number or the owner's current address or phone number; show or exhibition dogs are exempt from the tag if otherwise restrained, and cats and equines are not required to wear a tag at all. Sec. 5-103 makes it unlawful to use a registered microchip number for any animal other than the one it was issued to. Sec. 5-104 lets ACS review and potentially seize and impound the animals of an owner with four or more chapter 5 convictions within a year, after an administrative hearing on the public health and safety risk.