A bill for an act relating to county and city regulation of pet licenses and fees.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Puts a $40 annual cap on pet license fees in counties and cities and requires all such revenues go to animal control and welfare, while limiting vet record disclosures.

Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.

#animals #citygovernment #countygovernment #fees #immunizations #ordinances #pets #resolutions #veterinarymedicine

Purpose and intent

SF 496 aims to cap pet license fees imposed by counties and cities and to ensure that revenue from those fees funds animal control and animal welfare services.

The bill also restricts the disclosure of pet records by veterinarians in relation to licensing, while allowing pet owners to provide proof of vaccination.

Key provisions

Section 1 — County regulation (added to Section 331.301)

Prohibits a county from adopting or enforcing any ordinance, motion, resolution, or amendment that imposes a fee exceeding $40 annually to obtain a pet license.

Requires all revenues from county pet license fees to be allocated to animal control and animal welfare services.

Prohibits requiring veterinarians to disclose pet records, including vaccination status, as a condition of implementing, maintaining, or enforcing a pet licensing program.

Allows, however, that a pet owner applying for a license may be required to provide proof of vaccination.

Section 2 — City regulation (added to Section 364.3)

Mirrors the county provisions for cities:

Prohibits a city from adopting or enforcing any ordinance, motion, resolution, or amendment imposing a fee exceeding $40 annually to obtain a pet license.
Requires all revenues from city pet license fees to be allocated to animal control and animal welfare services.
Prohibits requiring veterinarians to disclose pet records, including vaccination status, as a condition of licensing.
Allows proof of vaccination to be provided by the pet owner when applying for a license.

Affected parties

Counties and cities: subject to the fee cap and revenue allocation requirements.

Animal control and animal welfare services: recipients of license fee revenues.

Pet owners: required to provide proof of vaccination if requested; protected from mandatory vet record disclosures.

Veterinarians: not required to disclose pet records for licensing purposes (except as may be required to show proof of vaccination).

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced: March 4, 2025.

Status: Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.

Legislative actions:

Referred to Ways and Means (3/6/2025).
Subcommittee membership: Green, Bousselot, Townsend (3/11/2025).
Subcommittee meeting scheduled; action recommended on 3/19/2025.
Subcommittee vote on amendment and passage recorded as 3/19/2025.

The bill includes an explanatory section outlining its intent and key provisions.

Potential impact

Fiscal: Local jurisdictions would limit license revenues to $40/year, which could affect budget planning for animal control and welfare services; however, revenues must be dedicated to those services.

Privacy: Veterinarian disclosure of vaccination records is limited; owners may need to provide vaccination proof instead.

Policy alignment: Creates uniform caps for pet licensing fees across counties and cities within the scope of the bill, potentially reducing disparities in licensing costs.

If you’d like, I can provide a comparison to existing law or draft a one-page briefing for constituents.

Bill