Clackamas County, OR Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Two separate hooks in the dog code can trigger a microchip requirement. First, Code 5.01.080(B)(1)(h) gives a Hearings Officer authority to order the owner obtain microchip identification for the animal as a condition attached to a finding on any violation of Chapter 5.01, not only a dangerous-dog case; this sits alongside other conditions the officer can impose, such as restitution, spay or neuter, surrendering the animal, or reducing the number of animals kept on the property. Second, Code 5.01.050(C)(3) makes microchipping mandatory the moment a dog is classified dangerous: the dog shall be microchip identified at Dog Services at the expense of the owner, as provided in ORS 609.168, alongside the secure-enclosure and muzzle-and-leash conditions. A dangerous-dog certificate of registration cannot be issued or renewed under 5.01.050(C)(4)(a) without proof of that microchip.

The microchip mandate outlasts the dangerous-dog classification itself. Under Code 5.01.050(C)(5)(a), an owner can ask the county to declassify a dog after two years with no further incidents and no violations of the imposed conditions, but that declassification terminates the regulations ordered at the time of classification, except for microchip identification and secure enclosure. In other words, once a dog has been chipped under this chapter, the chip and the enclosure requirement stay in place permanently, even if every other condition is lifted.