Summary:
This table provides links to states that require vaccination against rabies for cats. The table details the age at which vaccination is required and penalties for failure to vaccinate. The table only covers laws and regulations for cats residing within a state and does not deal with regulations concerning the importation of cats from outside a state. It also does not cover specific situations like exhibition or presence of a cat in a school or group home. Note that states without a law or regulation listed may still have local ordinances that require rabies vaccination for cats; it is imperative to check city/county laws to ensure compliance.
State | Citation and Link | Minimum Age for Vaccination | Proof Required/Certificate | Penalty for Violation | Vaccine Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | By three (3) months of age | Printed certificate signed by veterinarian | The owner of any dog or cat found not wearing the evidence of current immunization or cannot produce a certificate of current immunization is subject to a penalty not to exceed an amount equal to twice the state approved charge for immunization, in addition to the immunization fee. | The State Board of Health by rule may establish procedures and qualifications for an exemption from the requirement for a vaccination for an animal if a rabies vaccination would be injurious to the animal's health. However, an exempted animal shall be considered unvaccinated by the State Board of Health in the event of the animal's exposure to a confirmed or suspected rabid animal. | |
| Alaska | 7 AAC 27.022 (by regulation) | Not specified, but "rabies vaccination of dogs, cats, and ferrets is required in accordance with schedules in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2011 . . . " | The rabies vaccination certificate developed by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. is adopted as the only valid rabies vaccination certificate. It must be signed by a veterinarian licensed in this state or by a lay vaccinator approved by the department. | Any dog, cat, or ferret not vaccinated in compliance with this subsection may be confiscated and either vaccinated or euthanized; owners of confiscated animals are subject to payment of costs of confiscation, boarding, and vaccination, as well as any other penalties established by a municipality under AS 29.35. | N/A |
| Arizona | |||||
| Arkansas | Ark. Admin. Code 007.15.1-II. See also the Rabies Control Act (20-19-305) | Four (4) months of age or older | Not Listed | The penalty shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation. Each day of a continuing violation may be deemed a separate violation for purposes of penalty assessments. | N/A |
| California | |||||
| Colorado | C.R.S.A. § 25-4-607 | When it is deemed advisable in the interest of public health and safety, the board of health of an organized health department or a county board of health may order that all dogs, cats, other pet animals, or other mammals in the county or district be vaccinated against rabies. | Rabies vaccination certificate signed by a veterinarian who ensures that the person who administered the vaccine is identified on the certificate and has been appropriately trained in vaccine storage, handling, and administration and in the management of adverse events. | It is considered a petty offense to refuse to comply with or violate the provisions of these laws. | A veterinarian, with the written consent of an animal's owner, may issue a written waiver pursuant to the rules of the health department, exempting an animal from a rabies vaccination order if the veterinarian, in his or her professional opinion, determines that the rabies inoculation is contraindicated due to the animal's medical condition. |
| Connecticut | C.G.S.A. § 22-339b | Three (3) months of age or older | Proof of vaccination shall be a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. | Any violation of this section is an infraction. | The State Veterinarian or the Commissioner of Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee, may grant an exemption from vaccination against rabies for a dog or cat if a licensed veterinarian has examined such animal and determined that a rabies vaccination would endanger the animal's life due to disease or other medical considerations. |
| Delaware | 3 Del.C. § 8204 | Six (6) months of age or older | The owner of the cat will be responsible for keeping a valid rabies vaccination certificate in his or her possession. | Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined $25. No penalty imposed by this section shall be suspended. | Exemption from vaccination against rabies may be permitted if a licensed veterinarian has examined the animal and based on the veterinarian's professional judgment has certified in writing that at the time, vaccination would endanger the animal's health because of its infirmity, disability, illness, or other medical considerations and a titer test, in the case of these medical exemptions, may be administered to assist in determining the need for the vaccination. |
| D.C. | DC CODE § 8-1803 | Pursuant to rules issued by the Mayor, an owner of a cat over the age of four (4) months shall have that cat vaccinated against rabies. | Not listed | Each person who violates a provision of this chapter shall pay a fine not to exceed $25 for the first violation, $50 for the second violation occurring within a 24-month period, and $100 for each subsequent violation occurring within a 24-month period. | N/A |
| Florida | West's F. S. A. 828.30 | Four (4) months of age or older | Upon vaccination against rabies, the licensed veterinarian shall provide the animal's owner and the animal control authority with a rabies vaccination certificate. | Violation of this section is a civil infraction, punishable as provided in s. 828.27(2). | A cat is exempt from vaccination against rabies if a licensed veterinarian has examined the animal and has certified in writing that at the time vaccination would endanger the animal's health because of its age, infirmity, disability, illness, or other medical considerations. |
| Georgia | |||||
| Hawaii | |||||
| Idaho | |||||
| Illinois | 510 ILCS 5/8 | Four (4) months of age or older. Feral cats presented for sterilization must also be vaccinated unless there is an inoculation certificate showing it has been vaccinated. | Evidence of rabies inoculation shall be entered on a certificate the form of which shall be approved by the Board and which shall contain the microchip number of the cat if it has one and which shall be signed by the licensed veterinarian administering the vaccine. Only one cat shall be included on each certificate. | The first violation is a Class C misdemeanor and any subsequent offense is a Class B misdemeanor. | If a licensed veterinarian determines in writing that a rabies inoculation would compromise an animal's health, then the animal shall be exempt from the rabies inoculation requirement, however, the owner is still responsible for the tag fees. |
| Indiana | 345 IAC 1-5-2 (by regulation) | Three (3) months of age and older | A veterinarian performing a rabies vaccination must complete a vaccination certificate or computerized record, in triplicate. | Not listed | N/A |
| Iowa | |||||
| Kansas | |||||
| Kentucky | Must be vaccinated against rabies by the age of four (4) months. Any person with feral cats on his premises shall make a reasonable effort to capture or vaccinate the cats. | The veterinarian who vaccinates a dog, cat, or ferret shall issue to the owner a vaccination certificate. | Any person who violates KRS 258.015 shall be fined not less than ten dollars ($10) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100). Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense. | N/A | |
| Louisiana | La. Admin Code. tit. 51, pt. III, § 103 (by regulation) | Three months of age | Not listed | Fined not more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both, for each offense under LSA-R.S. 40:1278. | |
| Maine | 7 M. R. S. A. § 3916 | An owner or keeper of a cat over three (3) months of age must have that cat vaccinated against rabies. | A licensed veterinarian shall issue to the owner or keeper a certificate of rabies vaccination. | A person who violates this chapter commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not more than $100 may be adjudged. | An animal shelter operated by a nonprofit organization is not required to vaccinate an abandoned or stray cat received by the shelter. In addition, an owner of a cat may exempt it from vaccination if they obtain a written statement signed by a licensed veterinarian that includes a description of the cat and the medical reason that precludes the vaccination. |
| Maryland | MD HEALTH GEN § 18-318 | Four (4) months old or older | A licensed veterinarian who vaccinates a dog, cat, or ferret against rabies shall issue to the owner of the dog, cat, or ferret a vaccination certificate, on the form that the Department approves. | Not listed | N/A |
| Massachusetts | M.G.L.A. 140 § 145B | Six (6) months of age or older | It shall be the duty of each veterinarian, at the time of vaccinating any dog or cat, to complete a certificate of rabies vaccination. | Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred ($100) dollars. | A licensing authority may grant an exemption from this section for a cat that the local board of health has declared exempt from the rabies vaccination requirement upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity, other physical condition or regimen of therapy, such inoculation is considered inadvisable for a specified period of time for such reasons; (ii) is in transit; or (iii) was brought into the commonwealth temporarily for the sole purpose of display in a show or for exhibition. |
| Michigan | |||||
| Minnesota | |||||
| Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 41-53-1 | Three (3) months | All persons administering virus (vaccine) in accordance with this chapter shall furnish the owner of each dog or cat inoculated (vaccinated) a certificate of inoculation. | Failure or refusal of any person to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a misdemeanor, and the offender shall, on conviction thereof, be fined for the first offense in a sum not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) and for the second offense in a sum not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) and for the third offense a sum not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00), together with all costs. | N/A |
| Missouri | |||||
| Montana | |||||
| Nebraska | Neb.Rev.St. § 71-4402 | At the age specified by rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the department of health and human services. | At the time of vaccination each veterinarian must complete a certificate of rabies vaccination that includes: the owner's name and address, an adequate description of the animal, the date of vaccination, the rabies vaccination tag number, the type of vaccine, the serial number of the vaccine, and the date that the next vaccination is due. | The owner of an animal who violates these provisions shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor. | Domestic animals owned by a person temporarily in the state for less than 30 days or assigned to a research facility or similar institution are exempt. |
| Nevada | NAC 441A.435 (by regulation) | An owner of a cat shall maintain the dog, cat or ferret currently vaccinated against rabies in accordance with the provisions of this section and the recommendations set forth in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2008 edition, published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. | A veterinarian who vaccinates an animal against rabies shall complete three copies of a certificate of vaccination against rabies for the animal vaccinated. | If the owner of a cat violates any provision of this section, the rabies control authority may impound the dog, cat or ferret. | A licensed veterinarian may exempt a cat from vaccination for health reasons. The veterinarian shall record the reasons for the exemption and a specific description of the cat, including the name, age, sex, breed and color on a rabies vaccination certificate which must bear the owner's name and address. The veterinarian shall record whether the reason for the exemption is permanent and, if it is not, the date the exemption expires. |
| New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 436:100 | Three (3) months of age and older | It shall be the duty of each veterinarian, at the time of vaccinating any dog, cat, or ferret, to complete a certificate of rabies vaccination in triplicate. | Any person who violates the provisions of this subdivision or rule adopted under it shall be guilty of a violation. | A rabies immunization exemption may be issued, where illness or a veterinary medical condition warrants, by the local rabies control authority upon the written recommendation of a veterinarian licensed under RSA 332-B. The recommendation shall also be signed by an American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine diplomate and the state veterinarian. The exemption shall be valid for one year, after it expires the exemption must be recertified by a veterinarian. |
| New Jersey | |||||
| New Mexico | Over the age of three (3) months | A licensed veterinarian shall issue a serially numbered certificate and tag. | Violation shall be a misdemeanor. | ||
| New York | McKinney's Public Health Law § 2141 | No later than four months (4) after birth | The veterinarian immunizing or supervising any person authorized by law to immunize such animal shall provide the owner with a certificate of immunization | The owning of a dog, cat or domesticated ferret by any person in violation of subdivision one of this section shall constitute a violation, and shall be subject to a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200) for each offense. | Exceptions for any cat that a) is transported through the state and remains in the state fifteen days or fewer, b) is confined to the premises of an incorporated society devoted to the care of lost, stray or homeless animals, c) vaccination against rabies would adversely affect the animal's health, as determined by a licensed veterinarian, or d) is confined for the purposes of research to the premises of a college or other educational or research institution. |
| North Carolina | N.C.G.S.A. § 130A-185 | Over four (4) months of age | A person who administers a rabies vaccine shall complete a rabies vaccination certificate. | Not listed | Exceptions for a cat that is a) brought into the state for exhibition purposes if the animal is confined and not permitted to run at large, or b) the animal is brought to the state with a certificate issued from a licensed veterinarian showing that the animal is free from rabies, has not been exposed to rabies, and is currently vaccinated against rabies. |
| North Dakota | |||||
| Ohio | |||||
| Oklahoma | Okla. Admin. Code 310:599-3-9.1 (by regulation) | Four (4) months of age | A veterinarian who administers or supervises the rabies vaccination of a dog, cat, or ferret shall issue to the animal's owner/custodian a vaccination certificate that meets the minimum standards set forth in OAC 310:599-3-7. | Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by a fine of not more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. 63 Okl.St.Ann. § 1-508(C) | N/A |
| Oregon | |||||
| Pennsylvania | Within four (4) weeks after the animal attains twelve (12) weeks of age | Every licensed veterinarian who vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies shall issue a vaccination certificate and a tag to the owner. | A person who violates any provision of this act commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding $300 for each violation. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense. | An exemption may be granted if a licensed veterinarian examines the cat and determines that it would be medically contraindicated to vaccinate. The veterinarian must complete an exemption statement, which is valid for one year, then the animal must be reexamined to be issued another exemption. | |
| Rhode Island | Gen. Laws, 1956, § 4-13-31 | Except as otherwise amended by board regulation, the owner or keeper of a dog, cat, or ferret shall have the animal vaccinated not earlier than three (3) months of age nor later than four (4) months of age. | Any veterinarian or any person directed by a veterinarian who vaccinates a dog, cat, or ferret against rabies must issue a rabies vaccination certificate to the animal's owner. | A person who fails to have or refuses to have each dog, cat, and/or ferret owned or kept by the person vaccinated against rabies violates the provisions of this chapter. Any person violating the provisions of §§ 4-13-29 and 4-13-31 shall be charged with a misdemeanor and fined not less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each offense or be imprisoned for not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days and/or be subject to confiscation of the animal(s) which is/are the basis of the violation. | This requirement does not apply to any cat imported into this state strictly for exhibition or breeding purposes, and which does not remain in this state for more than fifteen (15) days and which is accompanied by a valid health certificate or certificate of veterinary inspection. |
| South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 47-5-60 | Not listed | Evidence of rabies inoculation is a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian. | A person refusing to comply with the provisions of this chapter or violating any of the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished up to the maximum penalties that may be imposed in magistrate's court. | N/A |
| South Dakota | |||||
| Tennessee | T. C. A. § 68-8-103 | As early as three (3) months of age or an age specified by the vaccine's USDA license, but will be considered noncompliant over six (6) months of age. | Evidence of such vaccination shall consist of a certificate. | It is an offense for any person to hide, conceal, aid, or assist in hiding or concealing any animal owned, kept or harbored in violation of § 68-8-103 or § 68-8-109. An offense under this section (Chapter 8 on Rabies) is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor. Any person failing to meet any requirements or violating any of the provisions of this chapter commits a Class C misdemeanor with each violation being a separate offense. | N/A |
| Texas | By the time the animal is four (4) months of age | A veterinarian who vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies shall issue to the animal's owner a vaccination certificate. | A person commits an offense if the person fails or refuses to have each dog or cat owned by the person vaccinated against rabies and the animal is required to be vaccinated. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. If on the trial of an offense under this section the court finds that the person has been previously convicted of an offense under this section, the offense is a Class B misdemeanor. | Except as otherwise provided by department rule. | |
| Utah | |||||
| Vermont | 20 V.S.A. § 3581a | By four (4) months of age or older | Veterinarians shall provide an owner of a domestic pet with a completed rabies vaccination form and tag for each animal that has been inoculated against rabies. | Not listed | N/A |
| Virginia | Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-6521 | Four (4) months of age and older | The supervising veterinarian on the premises shall provide the owner or custodian of the dog or the cat with a rabies vaccination certificate. | Not specified; however, penalties may be provided for the violation of a municipality's rabies ordinance. | The Board of Health shall, by regulation, provide an exemption to the vaccination requirements if an animal suffers from an underlying medical condition that is likely to result in a life-threatening condition in response to vaccination and such exemption would not risk public health and safety. |
| Washington | WAC 246-100-197 (by regulation) | Not listed | Rabies vaccinations require an appropriate rabies certificate containing information including the owner's name and contact information, the date of vaccination, and the vaccine serial or lot number. | Not listed | N/A |
| West Virginia | At three (3) months and before six (6) months | Each person vaccinating a dog or cat for rabies shall provide a "certificate of rabies vaccination." | Whoever owns, keeps or harbors a dog or cat and fails to have such dog or cat vaccinated or revaccinated against rabies, and whoever vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies and fails or refuses to keep and report the required record of such vaccination, or fails or refuses to provide the required tag, or whoever obstructs or interferes in any way with the enforcement of any section of this article shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than ten dollars ($10) nor more than fifty dollars ($50), or be confined in the county jail not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days, or both. (19-20A-6). | N/A | |
| Wisconsin | |||||
| Wyoming | W.S. 1977 § 11-31-213 | Three (3) months of age or older | A valid rabies vaccination certificate showing the dog or cat has been vaccinated for immunization against rabies by a licensed veterinarian as a condition for registration. | Not listed | N/A |