Smithtown, NY Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Microchip at adoption
- Mandatory, § 135-9C
- Cost to adopter
- $0, included in adoption
- Resident chipping fee
- $25, § 135-17B(2)(a)
- Related requirement
- Spay/neuter also required, § 135-9B
Summary
Smithtown does not require pet owners generally to microchip their animals, but every animal adopted from the Town's Animal Shelter and Adoption Center must be implanted with a microchip at no extra cost before it goes home. Residents can also pay to have their own pets chipped.
All animals adopted from the Smithtown Animal Shelter and Adoption Center shall be implanted with a microchip and receive any age-appropriate vaccinations, as determined by the Smithtown Animal Shelter and Adoption Center veterinarian, at no additional cost to the adopter. [Amended 7-12-2022 by L.L. No. 1-2022]
Full Breakdown
L. No. 1-2022. It sits alongside § 135-9B, which separately requires spay or neuter surgery at the point of adoption for animals of spay or neuter age, unless a veterinarian certifies a medical reason not to. Outside the adoption context, the Town does not impose a general microchip mandate on dog or cat owners who did not get their animal from the shelter; there is no provision in Chapter 135 requiring a resident's existing pet to be chipped. However, the Town does offer chipping as a paid service: the current Animal Shelter Fee Schedule at § 135-17B(2)(a) lists a $25 fee for microchips for residents.
The Town Board retains authority under § 135-17A to modify any fee in the schedule by resolution, and the fee schedule itself was last amended 8-10-2021 by Res. No. 2021-710.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate penalty section for the microchip requirement itself; because it is a condition of adoption processed by shelter staff rather than a standalone offense, noncompliance is addressed administratively at the point of adoption rather than through the chapter's general penalty schedule (§ 135-14A: $75 first offense, $150 second, $300 third and subsequent).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to microchip my dog or cat in Smithtown?
Does the shelter charge for the microchip when I adopt?
Can I get my own pet microchipped through the Town?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Smithtown
New York rules heatmap·Compare Smithtown to another location·View the New York animal ordinances overview
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