Microchip identification
HRS §143-2.2
in effect143-2.2. Microchip identification
(a) An owner shall have a microchip implanted in the owner's dog or cat, and the owner shall register the microchip number and the owner's contact information with a microchip registration company.
(b) When the contact information of the owner
of a dog or cat changes, the owner shall provide the new contact information to
the applicable microchip registration company no later than thirty days after
the change in contact information occurs.
(c) When the owner of a dog or cat transfers
ownership to another owner:
(1) The former owner shall inform the new owner of
the microchip registration company with which the dog's or cat's microchip is
registered; and
(2) The new owner shall provide the microchip
registration company with the new owner's contact information no later than
thirty days after the transfer of ownership occurs.
(d) Each animal control contractor or
nonprofit animal rescue organization shall implant a microchip in all stray
dogs and cats in its custody that do not have a microchip.
(e) All animal control contractors shall
activate the microchip registration company's found pet alerts to notify owners
whose pets' microchips are
registered with that company if the pet is found and the owner is not present.
(f) Veterinary clinics, animal shelters, and
other animal rescue organizations that scan found pets for microchips shall
release only the chip identification number to the finder upon request.
(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed
to apply to animals being cared for as part of a designated population
management program.
(h) As used in this section, "owner"
means any person owning, harboring, or keeping a dog or cat; providing care or
sustenance for a dog or cat; or having custody of a dog or cat, whether
temporarily or permanently. "Owner" does not include the animal
quarantine branch or plant quarantine branch of the department of agriculture.
[L Sp 2021, c 5, §2]
Source: Hawaii State Legislature (capitol.hawaii.gov), via Internet Archive capturesURL: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol03_Ch0121-0200D/HRS0143/HRS_0143-0002_0002.htmFetched: 11/10/2026
