Dog Legal Requirements and Procedures in the Town of Chevy Chase

As responsible dog owners, we assume everyone is familiar with the legal requirements and procedures in our town. We’ve listed these to share with new residents, dog sitters and walkers, along with a few safety tips and information for everyone’s convenience.

Maryland requires dogs over four months old to be vaccinated against rabies. Ensure your dog’s rabies vaccination is current.
Montgomery County requires all dogs four months or older to be licensed. A rabies certificate is required with the license application.
Keep your dog’s microchip number and associated chip registry convenient to verify or update your contact information so that your dog’s lifetime chip number links to you.
If you don’t know the microchip number, have the vet scan your dog to find it. The microchip contains a unique number associated with the chipmaker’s registry, one of about 40, since the US does not have a central microchip database. Use the dog’s chip number to find the registry using the Microchip Registry Look-up tool at the American Animal Hospital Association, AAHA.org. Next, search for your dog’s chip number at the registry’s website and verify or update your contact information so that your dog’s microchip can be used to find you.
Check that your dog’s tag information is current and legible
Keep a clear photo of your dog’s face and body in case your dog goes missing. The Lost Dogs guide on this website provides resources for reporting and publicizing lost and found dogs in the Town of Chevy Chase.
Add your dog to the TownDogs Directory of dogs living in the Town of Chevy Chase. The directory has been reformatted and is password-protected so that a loose dog can be identified and the owner’s contacted quickly.
Lost Dogs on this site gives guided steps on what to do if a dog is found, missing, or seen loose in the Town of Chevy Chase.
Keep an updated vaccination record and rabies vaccination certificate. These are often required for traveling, daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and some emergencies.

Sign up to receive the Town Crier, the official notification system for Town of Chevy Chase. The Town office will issue alerts for lost or found dogs if requested. Alerts are sent by text, email, or phone. Sign up on the Town website or visit the Town Office during business hours at 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.
Dogs are not allowed to defecate on private property other than their own. They can defecate on public property as long as their waste is properly disposed of.
Bags of dog poop should be placed in a larger, sealed trash bag when disposing of them in your own trash. Otherwise, trash collectors can refuse to pick them up.
Share the map of dog waste stations, which are conveniently located every two to three blocks throughout town.
Be visible to drivers after dark by wearing something reflective, such as a wristband, button pin, leash, or collar.
Help prevent well-meaning people from chasing a loose dog, which can push it farther from home and increase its risk of harm.
Be visible to drivers after dark by wearing something reflective, such as a wristband, button pin, leash, or collar.
The leash law in Montgomery County, in place since 2005, prohibits dogs from being off-leash or “at large” unless they are on private property, in a municipality’s designated off-leash area, or in any of the fenced dog parks owned and operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), also known as “Montgomery Parks.” Montgomery Parks dog parks have unified dog park rules and are listed below. Find more information at Montgomery Parks.org.
The District of Columbia’s leash law allows dogs without a leash on private property or in one of 18 dog parks managed and maintained by the DC Department of Parks & Recreation. DC dog parks are listed below.