# The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, Regulation 3: Obligation to microchip


(1) This regulation is subject to regulation 4.
(2) A keeper of—
(a) a cat which is older than 20 weeks;
(b) a dog which is—
(i) older than 8 weeks; and
(ii) not a certified working dog for the purposes of section 6(3) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006,
must ensure that it is microchipped.
(3) Where a keeper imports a cat or a dog, the keeper must ensure that it is microchipped within thirty days of its entry into England, whether or not it is a cat or a dog of a description in paragraph (2)(a) or (b).
(4) A cat or a dog is microchipped where—
(a) a microchip which complies with regulation 5 has been implanted in the cat or the dog; and
(b) the details set out in regulation 6 are recorded on a database by a database operator meeting the conditions in regulation 7.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780348246063/regulation/3 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-microchipping-of-cats-and-dogs-england-regulations-2023/regulation-3
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.