Haw. Rev. Stat. § 143-2.2
This is the official text of Haw. Rev. Stat. § 143-2.2, part of Hawaii’s Rev. Stat — part of the compiled statutory law of Hawaii, published by the state as "Rev. Stat." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Microchip identification.
Official statutory text
(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 and biosecurity. [L Sp 2021, c 5, §2 ; am L 2025, c 236, §17]
(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 and biosecurity. [L Sp 2021, c 5, §2 ; am L 2025, c 236, §17]
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Hawaii?
Find a Hawaii lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.