Arcata Municipal Code Art. 2 Licenses

No person shall be issued a license under this Article unless he has first complied with the provisions of Article 4 of this Chapter which provides for vaccination against rabies.

It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog over six (6) months of age within the City for more than fifteen (15) days, unless they first procure a license therefor. (Ord. 1303, eff. 4/19/2000; Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

A. The owner of every dog within the incorporated area of the City shall pay annually a license fee thereon at such rate as may be established by resolution of the City Council, except that any such license fee amount shall be reduced as specified in said resolution for a dog if a certificate is presented from a licensed veterinarian that the dog has been spayed or neutered.

B. Exemptions from the license fee include the following:

1. Service animals, while so owned and used. Service animals are not exempt from the license requirement, or from obtaining any required vaccination or identification tag or device.

(a) Whenever a person applies for a service dog identification tag, the person must sign an affidavit stating as follows:

By affixing my signature to this affidavit, I hereby declare I fully understand that Section 365.7 of the Penal Code prohibits any person to knowingly and fraudulently represent themselves, through verbal or written notice, to be the Owner or trainer of any canine licensed as, to be qualified as, or identified as, a guide dog, signal dog or service dog, as defined in subdivisions (d), (e), and (f) respectively, of Section 365.5 of the Penal Code and paragraph (6) of subdivision (b) of Section 54.1 of the Civil Code, and that a violation of Section 365.7 of the Penal Code is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by both that imprisonment and fine.

(b) Upon the death or retirement of a service dog, the owner or person in possession of the service dog identification tag must immediately return the identification tag to the department that issued the tag.

2. A license fee will not be levied for any dog license issued to a licensed service-animal training organization or dog owner when such dog is currently enrolled in a service-animal training program with a licensed training organization.

3. Dogs that are certified in writing by a licensed veterinarian as not being suitable subjects for sterilizing due to health or age reasons will be assessed the reduced altered license fee for as long as the licensed veterinarian deems the dog not suitable for sterilization. If the dog, at a later date, is determined by the veterinarian to be suitable for sterilization but the dog remains unsterilized, then the license fee will increase to the current standard license fee amount.

4. A license fee will not be collected or received for any dog license issued for a dog used in active duty status with a governmental law enforcement agency.

Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the access of any person in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. (Ord. 972, eff. 6/17/1981; Ord. 1361, eff. 7/06/2007; Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

Each license fee imposed by this Article shall be paid annually after the dog is first licensed within the City, and shall be paid to the Finance Department and shall be due and payable in advance on the day and month of the then current rabies vaccination date of each year. A grace period of thirty (30) days shall be allowed in the payment of this fee. (Ord. 1361, eff. 7/06/2007; Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

For failure to pay a license fee when due, the Finance Department shall add on a one hundred percent (100%) penalty in addition to the regular license fee amount, beginning on the thirty-first (31st) day after the day and month of the then current rabies vaccination date of each year, or on the thirty-first (31st) day after the dog is brought into the City. (Ord. 913, eff. 12/20/1978; Ord. 1361, eff. 7/06/2007; Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

It shall be the duty of the Finance Department to collect the license fees provided for in this Article. (Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

No license fee paid by virtue of the provisions of this Article shall be returned or refunded without the approval of the Finance Director. (Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

It shall be the duty of the Finance Department to issue the licenses provided for in this Article. (Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

Each license issued under this Article shall state the name and residence address of the person to whom such license is issued, the amount paid therefor, the date when issued, the date on which such license shall expire, and, shall contain a description of the dog for which such license is issued, and the number of the metallic tag accompanying such license.

All dog licenses shall expire on the day and month of the then current rabies vaccination date of each year following their issuance.

With each license issued under this Section, there shall be issued by the City and delivered to the person securing the license, a metal tag. Said tag shall have imprinted on its face the words: "City of Arcata" and "Dog License," and shall also contain the serial number of the license.

A duplicate of a lost dog license tag may be procured upon exhibition of the original license document and payment of such rate as may be established by resolution of the City Council. (Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)

It shall be unlawful for an owner of any dog to fail or neglect to keep fastened to such dog the tag provided for in this Article, except while such dog remains indoors or in an enclosed yard or pen.

It shall be unlawful for any person to attach any current license tag to any dog other than the dog for which such license tag was originally issued.

It shall be unlawful for any person other than the owner to remove from any dog any tag that has been attached to such dog pursuant to the provisions of this Article.

It shall be unlawful for any person to counterfeit or imitate any license tag provided for by this Article or attach a counterfeit or imitation tag to any dog or to possess any such counterfeit tag.

It shall be the duty of the Finance Department to keep a record of each license issued pursuant to this Article. (Ord. 1582, eff. 10/9/2025)