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San Mateo County Animal Laws

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San Mateo County Animal Laws

Failing to provide an animal with the necessities of life is illegal. Anyone having charge or custody of an animal must provide the animal with proper food, water, shelter, and veterinary care. Some laws vary from city to city within the County. An animal control officer is authorized to issue a citation (the court sets the price which varies greatly) for violations of any of the following laws: (These are only summaries of some of the County laws. For complete and exact wording of specific laws, contact your city.)

Leash Law

All dogs are to be on leash and under control whenever they are off the owner's property. The leash must be no more than six (6) feet in length.

Dog and Cat Licenses

All dogs must be licensed each year. Cats in the unincorporated areas of the county and in the cities of Belmont, San Mateo and East Palo Alto must also be licensed. Dogs and cats must be licensed by the age of four months or within 60 days of adoption. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in a penalty fee. Download animal license application

License Fees unaltered dog altered dog unaltered cat altered cat Breeding Permit

General $30 $12 $11 $6 $50

Senior Citizen $11 $6 $6 $4 NA

Rabies Vaccination

At the age of four months, all dogs in San Mateo County and all cats living in the unincorporated areas of the county and in the cities of Belmont, San Mateo and East Palo Alto must receive an antirabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian. The veterinarian is required to submit a copy of the vaccination form to the county Licensing Office. The vaccination must be repeated at intervals specified by the State Department of Health Services.

Public Protection from Dogs

Guardians are required to prevent canine companions from: (a) biting or physically harassing other people and (b) causing substantial injury to another domestic animal. In addition, dog guardians may not order or provoke their dog to attack, sic or threaten another person.

Pet Overpopulation Ordinance

In order to halt the tragedy of pet overpopulation in San Mateo County, PHS/SPCA introduced groundbreaking legislation to control the breeding of dogs and cats. The PHS/SPCA ordinance has provided a model for other animal welfare organizations throughout the county. The ordinance has been in effect as of October, 1996, in San Mateo, Belmont and the unincorporated areas of the county. Any dog or cat over six months of age must be spayed or neutered, unless the guardian holds an unaltered license. If an owner intends to breed his or her dog or cat, or if the animal is bred accidentally, the owner must obtain a breeder's permit in addition to the unaltered license. All dogs and cats over four months of age must be licensed and vaccinated against rabies. Dogs and cats are required to wear a collar that displays an ID tag unless the animal has a county-approved microchip identification.

Prohibited Conduct

Dogs on any public street, sidewalk, park, schoolground, public property or unenclosed premises must be leashed and under their guardian's control. Guardians must ensure that their animals do not trespass on private property. Guardians may not allow their animals to habitually bark, meow or otherwise continuously disturb the peace or be a public nuisance. Guardians must provide their companion animals with proper food, water, shelter, medical care and attention.

Animals in Vehicles

Animals may not be kept in an unattended motor vehicle without adequate ventilation and sanitary conditions, or in a manner that subjects them to extreme temperatures that adversely effect their health or safety. On a warm day, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 102 degrees in just 10 minutes. Animals in the open back of a pickup or any other vehicle must either be caged or cross-tethered to the vehicle, unless the sides of the vehicle are at least 46 inches high. This law is intended to prevent the animal from falling, or being thrown or jumping from the vehicle.

Habitual Barking

Animals must not be allowed to habitually bark or make noise in any manner that continuously disturbs the peace of any citizen or creates a public nuisance. If a complaint is filed and/or warnings issued, an animal caretaker must make every attempt to resolve the problem. To report barking problems, call your local police department, not PHS/SPCA.