St. Peters, MO Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Section 205.151 puts the chipping duty on the City, not the owner: any animal apprehended running at large, or that has bitten a human being or another animal, must be photographed and microchipped by the Manager, an impounding official, or a designee, as soon as reasonably practicable after the incident, or, if the animal is impounded, before it is released. The owner still bears the cost, since Subsection (B) charges the microchip as a fee against the owner under the fee schedule in Section 205.185.

If the animal changes hands afterward, Subsection (C) gives the previous owner ten days from the transfer to notify the Manager in writing of the new owner's name, address and telephone number, and requires the previous owner to give the new owner written details of the animal's record and any maintenance conditions. This dovetails with Section 205.165, which bars releasing an animal apprehended running at large back to its owner-claimant unless there is proof both that it has been vaccinated against rabies and that it carries the microchip Section 205.151 requires; an owner missing the rabies proof can instead present a paid veterinarian's receipt or have the animal vaccinated before pickup.

St. Peters has no separate ordinance forcing owners to chip a pet that has never run loose, bitten anyone, or been impounded; the mandate is triggered by one of those specific events, not by ownership alone.