Walton County, GA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies at
- reclaim or adoption from county shelter
- Requirement
- EAID (microchip) implanted before release
- Who pays
- owner/adopter, unless chip already verified
- Separate mandate
- classified dangerous/vicious dogs (§ 10-57(b)(3))
- Governing section
- § 10-16(i)
Summary
Walton County Animal Control will not release or adopt out any animal from its shelter unless the animal carries an implanted EAID, an electronic microchip, under County Code § 10-16(i), with the owner or adopter paying the county's implantation cost unless a chip is already verified at intake.
(i)Microchipping. No animal shall be reclaimed or adopted unless the animal has been implanted with an EAID and the owner has paid the county for the implantation of such EAID, unless an EAID has been verified upon impound.
Full Breakdown
The requirement sits inside Section 10-16, the shelter's adoption procedure. , a microchip or otherwise,' making clear the requirement is not limited to any single chip brand or format. This means an owner reclaiming a lost pet, not just a stranger adopting one, must also comply: if the animal did not already carry a verified chip when it was impounded, the county implants one and charges the cost before releasing the animal, in addition to any impoundment and daily boarding fees due under Section 10-7(c).
Adoption fees set by the Board of Commissioners under Section 10-16(h) may already bundle the microchip cost together with examination, inoculation and spay/neuter charges. The county's dangerous and vicious dog program layers a second, independent microchip mandate on top of this one: Section 10-57(b)(3) and (c)(3) require any dog classified as dangerous or vicious to have a microchip capable of being scanned injected between the shoulder blades before a certificate of registration can be issued, regardless of whether the dog ever passed through the shelter.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate citation for failing to microchip a pet that has never been impounded; the mechanism is a release condition, not a standalone offense. An owner cannot reclaim an impounded animal, and an adopter cannot take one home, until the EAID has been implanted and paid for under Section 10-16(i); refusal simply keeps the animal in county custody, and after the mandatory holding period in Section 10-7(b) expires it may be placed for adoption by the shelter instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my lost dog back from Walton County Animal Control without a microchip?
Does adopting a pet from the Walton County shelter include the microchip fee?
Do dangerous dogs in Walton County need a microchip even if never impounded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walton County
Compare Walton County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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