Walker County, GA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Walker County Code § 6-87(d) lists the requirements the Dog Control Officer must confirm before issuing a Certificate of Registration for a dog classified as vicious under Section 6-86. Item (5) is the microchip requirement: a microchip containing an identification number, capable of being scanned, must be injected under the skin between the dog's shoulder blades. That sits alongside the section's other vicious-dog conditions, including a secure enclosure locked when the owner is absent and at least 10 feet from all property lines, warning signs at every entrance to the property matching a design from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, muzzling with a six-foot leash or locked crate whenever the dog leaves the property, a 300-foot buffer from any school, and, under item (6), proof of liability insurance of at least $50,000.00 from an insurer authorized to transact business in Georgia.

A dog classified merely as dangerous, rather than vicious, is not subject to the microchip or insurance requirements under Section 6-87(c). Without a Certificate of Registration, Section 6-87(a) makes it unlawful to possess a classified dog in the county at all, and Section 6-87(g) requires annual renewal, with the Animal Control Officer verifying continued compliance, including the microchip, at each renewal. Failing to microchip a vicious dog as required blocks registration and can lead to confiscation of the dog under Section 6-88.