🐈⚖️ California New Cat Laws 2026: Declawing Banned (AB 867), Puppy Mill Crackdown & What LA and SF Cat Owners Must Know Now
Several major California pet protection laws took effect January 1, 2026. The most significant for cat owners: AB 867, signed by Governor Newsom in October 2025, bans cat declawing when not medically necessary — making California the first state to enact a comprehensive statewide declawing ban. The law imposes civil penalties on veterinarians who perform non-medical declawing. Simultaneously, a crackdown on puppy and kitten mill sales took effect: California now prohibits the sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits in “transient or outdoor public spaces” — meaning parking lots, swap meets, and roadside sales are now illegal. This guide explains every new California cat law for 2026, what the fines are, and what LA and SF cat owners need to know.
📊 California 2026 Cat Laws: What Changed January 1
AB 867 (Declawing Ban): Bans cat declawing when not medically necessary; civil penalties on vets who violate; effective January 1, 2026. California joins New York (2022) as only U.S. states with statewide bans. Dozens of California cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, Berkeley) had already passed local bans.
Outdoor/transient sale ban: Selling dogs, cats, or domestic rabbits at roadsides, swap meets, or outdoor public spaces is now illegal statewide. Rehoming must occur at home, licensed shelters, or vet offices.
Microchip registry update (AB 2723, 2022): California requires that the owner (not the shelter) be registered as the primary owner with the microchip registry company upon adoption. Shelters must provide all microchip information to new owners to facilitate transfer of primary registration.
California pet insurance (existing, 2014): California has the longest-standing pet insurance regulations in the U.S. (since 2014). Spot Pet Insurance confirms: “California has the longest-standing pet insurance regulations (since 2014)” — pre-existing condition disclosures, waiting period limits, free-look period, and standardized policy language have been required in CA since before any other state.
📜 AB 867: California’s Cat Declawing Ban Explained
AB 867, signed by Governor Newsom in October 2025, makes California the most recent and most populous state to ban cat declawing (onychectomy). The law prohibits declawing (and other procedures that remove or disable claws, such as tendonectomy) when not medically necessary. Joybound People & Pets confirms: “Several new California laws that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, are aimed at protecting pets, including banning cat declawing and cracking down on puppy mills. In early October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 867, which bans the practice of declawing cats when not medically necessary.” FindLaw (Jan 9, 2026) confirms the law is “fully in force for 2026.”
| Aspect | What AB 867 Says |
|---|---|
| What is banned | Onychectomy (declawing), tendonectomy, and other procedures that remove or disable a cat’s claws when not medically necessary |
| What is permitted | Declawing when medically necessary (tumor removal, severe infection, other documented clinical necessity) |
| Who is penalized | Veterinarians who perform non-medical declawing face civil penalties under the law |
| Who is protected | All domestic cats in California regardless of indoor/outdoor status |
| Effective date | January 1, 2026 |
| California cities already banned it | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, Berkeley, and many others had local bans before the statewide law |
| Other U.S. states with statewide bans | New York (2022); Maryland (2022) |
💡 For Los Angeles and San Francisco cat owners: If you previously couldn’t declaw your cat due to a local city ban, the statewide AB 867 now makes the prohibition uniform across all of California. If you were considering declawing for scratch prevention, California law now prohibits this unless your veterinarian determines it is medically necessary for your cat’s health. Alternatives to declawing: regular nail trimming (professional grooming or at-home), Soft Paws nail caps (vinyl nail covers), scratching post redirection training, and Feliway pheromone diffusers to reduce stress-scratching.
🏪 Outdoor/Transient Pet Sale Ban: The Puppy Mill Crackdown
California’s 2026 laws also prohibit selling, buying, or transferring dogs, cats, or domestic rabbits in “transient or outdoor public spaces.” FindLaw (Jan 9, 2026): “It is now against the law to sell, buy, or transfer dogs, cats, or domestic rabbits in ‘transient or outdoor public spaces.’ Rehoming should be done at home or licensed shelters or vet offices.” This directly targets common puppy and kitten mill sales methods: swap meet sales, parking lot sales, and roadside sales from vehicles. For LA and SF residents: if someone tries to sell you a kitten from the back of a car, a swap meet table, or any outdoor public location — this transaction is illegal under California’s 2026 law.
🧬 California Microchip Registry Law (AB 2723): Owner Registration Required
California AB 2723, chaptered September 26, 2022, added an important requirement that affects all California cat adoptions: upon adoption, sale, or transfer, the shelter or rescue group must provide all microchip information to the new owner and must register the new owner (not the shelter) as the primary owner in the microchip registry company. The bill text states: “require the owner or new owner of the dog or cat to be registered with the microchip registry company as the primary owner.” If you adopted a cat in California after this law took effect and the shelter is still listed as the primary microchip registrant, contact the shelter to complete the ownership transfer in the registry database.
💰 California Pet Insurance: Already the Most Regulated State
California has regulated pet insurance since 2014 — a full decade before most states began considering such regulations. California’s pet insurance regulations include: required disclosures of exclusions and limitations, free-look period, standardized definitions, and protections against misleading policy marketing. Spot Pet Insurance (March 2026): “California has the longest-standing pet insurance regulations (since 2014).” For 2026, Pennsylvania and Florida’s new laws are catching up to California’s standard — but California cat owners in LA and SF already have the full NAIC model act protections that other states are only now adopting.
⚠️ LA and SF cat owners with H5N1 concern: California has the highest number of confirmed H5N1 domestic cat cases in the U.S. — 20 confirmed as of early 2025 per USDA APHIS NVSL data. FDA has been tracking H5N1 cases in California cats specifically. The AVMA and California Department of Food and Agriculture both recommend: no raw pet food for cats; keep cats indoors during migratory bird seasons; do not feed raw or unpasteurized dairy. If you are in LA or SF and still feeding raw food to your cat, this is the highest-risk decision you can make for your California cat in 2026.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
❓ My LA vet offered to declaw my cat for behavioral reasons. Is this still allowed under AB 867?
No. AB 867, effective January 1, 2026, prohibits declawing when not medically necessary. Behavioral reasons (scratching furniture, scratching people) are not medical necessity under the law. Veterinarians who perform non-medical declawing in California face civil penalties. If your vet offered this, discuss alternatives: regular professional nail trimming ($10–$25/visit), Soft Paws vinyl nail caps ($20–$30/set, lasts 4–6 weeks), scratching post placement and behavioral training. These alternatives address destructive scratching behavior without surgery and without violating California law.
❓ I was offered a kitten at a San Francisco farmers market. Is that legal in 2026?
No. California’s 2026 outdoor/transient sale ban prohibits selling cats at farmers markets, swap meets, parking lots, roadsides, or any outdoor public space. Rehoming must occur at home, licensed shelters, or veterinary offices. A kitten being sold at an outdoor market in San Francisco is an illegal transaction under California law. Legitimate rescues and shelters conduct adoptions at licensed facilities, not outdoor public spaces.
❓ My SF cat was adopted from a shelter in 2023. The shelter is still listed as the primary microchip registrant. What do I do?
Contact the shelter and request that they provide you with the microchip company information and assist with transferring the primary registrant status to you. California AB 2723 (effective 2022) required shelters to do this at the time of adoption, but compliance varied. Contact the microchip registry company directly (PetLink, HomeAgain, Found Animals, AVID, etc.) and provide proof of adoption. Most registries have an online transfer process. This is important: if your cat is lost, the microchip contact information goes to the shelter, not to you.
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