San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code Ch. 9.07 Licensing

(a) All dogs, including dog hybrids, over the age of four months and being kept or maintained in the county of San Luis Obispo for more than thirty days in any one year period shall be licensed through the division.

(b) The owner, or the owner's agent, of any properties upon which a tenant keeps, harbors, or maintains a dog subject to the licensing requirements established by this section may, along with the animal owner, be jointly and severally liable for penalties related to violations of subsection (a).

(c) It shall be the responsibility of the division to administer those processes related to the issuance of such license, including, but not limited to, the:

(1) Receipt and processing of applications for licensure;

(2) Distribution of license tags; and

(3) Maintenance of all records related thereto.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

The provisions of this title requiring the licensing of dogs shall not apply to:

(a) Dogs on sale in a duly licensed and permitted pet shop or commercial animal operation.

(b) Dogs owned by a duly licensed and permitted commercial animal operation, provided that the animal is housed or maintained at the permitted facility.

(c) Every dog that is exempt from licensing requirements shall still be vaccinated against rabies infection with a vaccine approved by the California Department of Public Health for use in dogs, unless such animal would otherwise be exempt from the vaccination requirement as provided in Section 9.08.003.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

The division shall not license any dog which has not been vaccinated against rabies infection with a vaccine approved by the California Department of Public Health for use in dogs or which has not been issued an exemption to the requirement for rabies vaccination as provided for in Section 9.08.003.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

Each dog license shall be valid for a period of up to three years from the date of issuance, provided that the term of validity may not extend beyond the expiration date of the animal's rabies vaccination. In the event that a dog has been exempted from rabies vaccination as provided for in Section 9.08.003, the term of the license shall be for one year.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

Any person procuring a dog license without a valid rabies vaccination for reason of redeeming an impounded animal or clearing a citation will pay a rabies deposit fee which shall be established by resolution or ordinance by the board of supervisors. This deposit is refundable upon proof of current vaccination through normal county refund procedures. Proof of rabies vaccination shall be made to the division within thirty days or the license will be void and the deposit forfeit.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

Upon exhibition of the proper evidence of vaccination and payment of the license fee, the division shall deliver to the person making such payment a metal tag with a unique identification number and the words "San Luis Obispo County, CA" stamped thereon. This tag shall be worn at all times by the dog for which it was issued. If the dog is exempted from vaccination as established by Section 9.08.003, the dog tag shall have a distinguishing mark as evidence of such fact.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

Any assistance animal identification tag issued by the division in compliance with California Food and Agriculture Code Section 30850 shall also serve as the license tag for the dog to which it was issued.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

(a) The division shall assess a fee for each license issued. Such fee shall be established by resolution or ordinance by the board of supervisors.

(b) A late penalty may be assessed in addition to the standard licensing fee for any license renewal which is more than thirty days delinquent or for any new license application which is submitted more than thirty days after the requirements established in Section 9.07.001(a). Such fee shall be established by resolution or ordinance by the board of supervisors.

(c) A reduced fee shall be assessed to senior citizens providing proof of age, provided that the licensed animal has been altered. For the purposes of this section, "senior citizen" shall be interpreted to mean any person over the age of sixty-five.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

The licensing fee shall be waived for:

(a) Dogs which have been issued an assistance animal identification tag as established by California Food and Agriculture Code Section 30850; and

(b) Dogs owned, appropriately trained and utilized by a public agency for the purpose of assisting in law enforcement, search and rescue, or military activities; dogs being trained for such purpose; dogs kept as breeding stock for such purpose; or dogs previously utilized and retired from such purpose.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

It is a misdemeanor for any person to counterfeit a license tag, to remove a valid tag from a dog with the intent of affixing that tag to another dog or transferring that tag to another person, or to knowingly possess or place on a dog any such tag.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)