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.
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State | Citation and Link | Minimum Age for Vaccination | Proof Required/Certificate | Penalty for Violation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| California | ||||
| Colorado | ||||
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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). |
| Georgia | ||||
| Hawaii | ||||
| Idaho | ||||
| Illinois | ||||
| 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 |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Missouri | ||||
| Montana | ||||
| Nebraska | ||||
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| South Dakota | ||||
| Tennessee | T. C. A. § 68-8-103 | Six (6) months of age or older | 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. |
| 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. | |
| Utah | ||||
| Vermont | ||||
| 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. |
| Washington | ||||
| 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). | |
| 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 |