Stockton, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

The requirement sits inside the same chapter as licensing: an applicant cannot get a dog or cat license without delivering a certificate from a duly-licensed veterinarian, registered veterinary technician, or other qualified staff confirming both the rabies vaccination and the chip insertion, per §§ 6.04.100(A) and 6.04.020's definition of "chipping." The ordinance built in a one-time transition grace period: dogs or cats already currently licensed when the ordinance was adopted are exempt from the chipping step for up to one year, or through the end of the next licensing period, whichever comes first, per § 6.04.100(B). The chip pays off elsewhere in the chapter too: § 6.04.110 lets a microchipped cat skip the collar-and-tag requirement altogether, and § 6.04.210(B)(5) requires litter-permit holders to have puppies and kittens they sell microchipped (or otherwise identified) and registered with the City before transfer. Keeping a dog or cat that is neither licensed, chipped, nor otherwise exempt violates § 6.04.110.