29 Required statewide10 Required for dogs only, or with gaps3 Left to counties and cities9 No statewide requirement
| State | Status | What the law says |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required statewide | Yes. Alabama requires dogs, cats and ferrets 3 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Alaska | Required statewide | Yes. Alaska requires dogs, cats and ferrets, on the national compendium schedule, to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Arizona | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Arizona requires dogs to be vaccinated against rabies (proof is needed for the county dog licence); state law does not set a separate requirement for cats. |
| Arkansas | Required statewide | Yes. Arkansas requires dogs and cats 4 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| California | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | California requires dogs over 4 months to be vaccinated against rabies; cats are left to cities and counties. |
| Colorado | Left to counties and cities | Colorado has no statewide rabies vaccination requirement for pets; state law lets county and district boards of health require it, and most do — check with your county or city. |
| Connecticut | Required statewide | Yes. Connecticut requires dogs and cats 3 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Delaware | Required statewide | Yes. Delaware requires dogs, cats and ferrets 6 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| District of Columbia | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | The District requires dogs over 4 months to be vaccinated against rabies (and distemper); cats over 4 months are covered by the Mayor’s rules. |
| Florida | Required statewide | Yes. Florida requires dogs, cats and ferrets 4 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Georgia | Required statewide | Yes. Georgia law requires every county board of health to make rabies vaccination of dogs and cats compulsory; the county sets the schedule. |
| Hawaii | No statewide requirement | Hawaii is the only rabies-free state, so it has no vaccination requirement for resident pets. Dogs and cats arriving from elsewhere must meet its strict rabies import and quarantine rules. |
| Idaho | No statewide requirement | Idaho has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Illinois | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Illinois requires dogs 4 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies, with a booster within a year; cats are covered by county rules. |
| Indiana | Required statewide | Yes. Indiana requires dogs, cats and ferrets 3 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Iowa | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Iowa requires dogs 6 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies and to wear the rabies tag; there is no statewide rule for cats. |
| Kansas | No statewide requirement | Kansas has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Kentucky | Required statewide | Yes. Kentucky requires dogs, cats and ferrets by 4 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Louisiana | Required statewide | Yes. Louisiana requires dogs, cats and ferrets over 3 months to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Maine | Required statewide | Yes. Maine requires cats over 3 months, and dogs within 30 days of turning 3 months, to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Maryland | Required statewide | Yes. Maryland requires dogs, cats and ferrets 4 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Massachusetts | Required statewide | Yes. Massachusetts requires dogs, cats and ferrets 6 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Michigan | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Michigan requires a current rabies vaccination to license a dog (from about 4 months) and requires ferrets to be vaccinated; there is no statewide rule for cats. |
| Minnesota | No statewide requirement | Minnesota has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Mississippi | Required statewide | Yes. Mississippi requires dogs and cats from 3 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Missouri | No statewide requirement | Missouri has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Montana | No statewide requirement | Montana has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Nebraska | Required statewide | Yes. Nebraska requires dogs, cats and ferrets by 3 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Nevada | Required statewide | Yes. Nevada requires dogs, cats and ferrets, on the national compendium schedule, to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| New Hampshire | Required statewide | Yes. New Hampshire requires dogs, cats and ferrets 3 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| New Jersey | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | New Jersey requires proof of rabies vaccination before a dog can be licensed, which every dog 7 months or older must be; cats are covered by local rules. |
| New Mexico | Required statewide | Yes. New Mexico requires dogs and cats over 3 months to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| New York | Required statewide | Yes. New York requires dogs, cats and ferrets by 4 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| North Carolina | Required statewide | Yes. North Carolina requires dogs, cats and ferrets over 4 months to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| North Dakota | No statewide requirement | North Dakota has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Ohio | No statewide requirement | Ohio has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Oklahoma | Required statewide | Yes. Oklahoma requires dogs, cats and ferrets by 4 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Oregon | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Oregon requires dogs 6 months and older (or with permanent canine teeth) to be vaccinated against rabies; there is no statewide rule for cats. |
| Pennsylvania | Required statewide | Yes. Pennsylvania requires dogs and cats within four weeks of turning 12 weeks old, to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Rhode Island | Required statewide | Yes. Rhode Island requires dogs, cats and ferrets between 3 and 4 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| South Carolina | Required statewide | Yes. South Carolina requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| South Dakota | No statewide requirement | South Dakota has no statewide law requiring pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Many cities and counties require it, and vets strongly recommend it — check your local ordinance. |
| Tennessee | Required statewide | Yes. Tennessee requires dogs from 3 months and cats from 6 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Texas | Required statewide | Yes. Texas requires dogs and cats by 4 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Utah | Left to counties and cities | Utah has no statewide rabies vaccination requirement for pets; state law lets local governments require it, and most do — check with your county or city. |
| Vermont | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Vermont requires dogs and wolf-hybrids over 3 months to be vaccinated against rabies; there is no statewide rule for cats. |
| Virginia | Required statewide | Yes. Virginia requires dogs and cats 4 months and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Washington | Required statewide | Yes. Washington requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| West Virginia | Required statewide | Yes. West Virginia requires dogs and cats by 6 months of age to be vaccinated against rabies. Boosters follow the vaccine used (usually every 1 or 3 years). |
| Wisconsin | Required for dogs only, or with gaps | Wisconsin requires dogs to be vaccinated by 5 months, with a booster within a year; there is no statewide rule for cats. |
| Wyoming | Left to counties and cities | Wyoming has no statewide rabies vaccination requirement for pets; state law lets county commissioners require it, and most do — check with your county or city. |