Vallejo, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Who's covered
- All impounded dogs and cats
- When required
- Before release to owner
- Who implants it
- Animal services department, if no chip exists
- Cost
- Owner pays department's fee-schedule charge
- Related section
- §7.16.095 notifies owner via chip within 24 hrs
Summary
No impounded dog or cat leaves Vallejo's animal shelter without a microchip. Section 7.16.047 requires every impounded dog or cat to be implanted with microchip identification before release to its owner, and if the animal doesn't already have one, animal services performs the procedure on the spot, billing the owner the fee listed in the department's fee schedule.
A.All dogs and cats impounded under Section 7.16.010 must be implanted with microchip identification before being released from impoundment to their owners.B.The animal services department will perform the microchip implantation procedure, at the owner's expense, on any dog or cat that does not already have microchip identification before the dog or cat is released from impoundment to its owner.C.The fee for a microchip implantation procedure performed under subsection (B) will be the microchip fee amount listed in the animal services department's fee schedule.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Update 12 - 25).
Full Breakdown
010 must be implanted with microchip identification before being released from impoundment to their owners, with no exemption written into the section for age, breed, or prior objection. Subsection B puts the burden of compliance on the animal services department itself rather than the owner: if a dog or cat comes in without an existing microchip, the department performs the implantation procedure before handing the animal back, at the owner's expense. Subsection C ties that cost to the department's own fee schedule rather than a fixed dollar figure in the ordinance, so the charge for a microchip implant is whatever the animal services department's published fee schedule lists at the time, a figure the city council can adjust without amending the code itself.
095, which lets the department notify an owner within twenty-four hours of impoundment if the animal already carries a registered microchip, meaning a chip implanted under this section during an earlier impoundment can speed up reunification the next time the same animal is picked up. 16, it applies only to animals that actually go through the shelter, not to every dog or cat owned in the city.
Violations & Fines
There's no separate citation or fine for missing a microchip because the ordinance doesn't punish the owner directly; instead, Section 7.16.047 blocks release until the implantation happens, and the owner is billed the department's fee-schedule charge for the procedure as a condition of getting the animal back. An owner who already has a microchipped pet avoids the added fee and delay, since the department only implants a chip when the animal doesn't already carry one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my dog or cat get microchipped if animal control picks it up?
How much does the mandatory microchip cost in Vallejo?
Does my already-chipped pet need another microchip if it's impounded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vallejo
California rules heatmap·Compare Vallejo to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Microchipping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle microchipping.