Butte County, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Article VII of Chapter 4 governs animals the public health director has declared dangerous, and Section 4-51 lists the conditions an owner must meet to keep such an animal under permit. Subsection (i) requires the owner, at his or her own expense, to have a microchip assigned by the public health department implanted in the animal, on top of the separate dangerous-animal registration tag it must wear under Subsection (h). The same section layers on other mandatory conditions: the animal must be leashed with no more than a three-foot lead and under the direct control of a responsible adult whenever it leaves the property, kept in a secure fenced yard, kennel, run or enclosure approved by an animal control officer, and never tethered or staked in the open.

Every entrance to the property must carry a conspicuous warning sign describing the animal, and the owner must tell everyone living on the premises that a dangerous animal permit is in effect. Before the permit issues, Section 4-51(j) requires proof of financial responsibility, generally a certificate of liability insurance of at least $100,000 covering injury or death the animal might cause, with the insurer required to notify the public health director at least thirty days before any cancellation or lapse. Section 4-52 lets the animal control officer inspect the property at any reasonable hour as a condition of the permit.