Tippecanoe County, IN Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Universal chip mandate
- None; triggered only by a violation
- County-performed chip fee
- $25 (§ 90.10(A))
- Fine for not chipping
- $250 (§ 90.99)
- Impounded animals
- Must be chipped before release (§ 90.08(I))
- Vet exemption
- Available if chipping harms animal's health
Summary
Tippecanoe County does not require every pet to carry a microchip. But any owner cited for an at-large, inoculation, restraint, humane-treatment or habitual-offender violation must have that animal microchipped under § 90.10(A), and any animal the county impounds must be chipped before release unless a veterinarian objects.
§ 90.10 MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING AND STERILIZATION. (A) Owners who commit a violation of §§ 90.03 (Prohibited Acts), 90.04 (Inoculation), 90.05 (Restraint), 90.06 (Humane Treatment), or 90.07 (Habitual Offender), must, in addition to paying the fines imposed for those violations, have the subject animal microchipped. The Animal Control Officer may, at his or her discretion and subject to his or her ability to do so, offer to provide the microchipping service for which he or she will charge a fee in the amount of $25. The Animal Control Officer or animal shelter may microchip an animal which has been impounded for a violation of this chapter provided that the person performing the microchipping procedure has been properly trained to do so. This division (A) does not apply to an animal that has already been microchipped.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-17: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2025-25-CM, passed 8-1-25; and State legislation current through 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
07 (Habitual Offender), unless the animal is already chipped. The Animal Control Officer may perform the chip at a $25 fee, or an ACO or shelter may chip an impounded animal directly if the person doing the procedure is properly trained. 09(E) lets the shelter withhold release of a reclaimed animal until it has proof the animal is chipped, or the shelter can chip it and bill the owner, subject to the same veterinary exception. 11(C), an Animal Control Officer issuing a warning instead of a citation for a Chapter 90 violation may condition that leniency on the owner microchipping the animal within a set time, with a notice of ordinance violation to follow if the owner does not comply.
Violations & Fines
Failing to microchip under § 90.10(A) after a qualifying violation carries a $250 fine of its own under the § 90.99 penalty schedule, on top of the fine for the underlying offense. Because a microchipping failure can count as a separate citation, repeated noncompliance moves an owner toward habitual-offender status under § 90.07 (three or more citations or warnings), which exposes the owner to fines up to $2,500 and possible injunctive limits on keeping animals under § 90.11(F).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every dog or cat in Tippecanoe County need a microchip?
What does it cost to have the county microchip my pet?
What happens if I refuse to microchip an animal after a violation?
Can my vet's advice get me out of the microchipping requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tippecanoe County
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