North Carolina Law on Rabies Shots

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department website reports all dogs and cats in North Carolina must be vaccinated against rabies by state law. Some counties and cities in North Carolina have local laws requiring other animals to be vaccinated against rabies.

Rabies

• The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention describes rabies as a potentially disease that affects the central nervous system of mammals. The majority of rabies cases are detected in wild animals and are passed through an animal bite.

Shots

• North Carolina state law requires all dogs and cats to be vaccinated with a rabies shot by the age of four months and a booster shot administered the following year. Following the first two shots state law requires rabies shots to be administered every three years, according to Nash County Health Department.

Moving

• People entering North Carolina with a dog or cat do not need a rabies shot for their pet if the animal received a rabies shot within the last year. Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department reports that under North Carolina law any shot given prior to one year previously is not valid.

Tags

• According to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, all animals who have received a rabies shot must wear a rabies tag at all times. Failure to do so can result in a $50 fine. An additional $50 fine applies if a pet has not received a valid rabies shot.

Veterinarian

• North Carolina state law requires all rabies shots to be given by a qualified veterinarian. Nash County Health Department explains rabies is a problem in North Carolina partly because the majority of the state’s bat population is infected with the disease.