Rabies Vaccine Requirements in Maryland: What Pet Owners Need to Know
June 29, 2026
Maryland takes rabies control seriously, and the law reflects that. If you own a dog, cat, or ferret in the state, you are not just encouraged to vaccinate — you are legally required to do so. Failing to comply carries real consequences, from misdemeanor charges to mandatory quarantine at your own expense.
This guide walks through every layer of Maryland’s rabies vaccine requirements: which animals are covered, when vaccinations must happen, who can legally give them, how medical exemptions work, and what happens if your pet is ever exposed to a rabid animal. Whether you just brought home a new puppy or have owned pets for years, understanding these rules helps you stay on the right side of the law.
Are Rabies Vaccines Required by Law in Maryland?
Yes — rabies vaccination is a legal mandate in Maryland, not a recommendation. Maryland’s regulations require every owner or custodian of a dog, cat, or ferret to have the animal vaccinated against rabies by the time it reaches four months old, and this applies regardless of whether the animal goes outdoors regularly. The requirement is codified in COMAR 10.06.02.10, Maryland’s regulatory chapter on rabies control.
The underlying statutory authority comes from the Health-General Article, Section 18-313, which directs the Secretary of Health to maintain a statewide rabies control system and grants authority to the state’s Public Health Veterinarian and local health officers to manage animal bites and rabies exposure.
The mandate applies regardless of whether the animal goes outdoors regularly — indoor-only cats and apartment dogs are not exempt. If you own one of the covered species and live anywhere in Maryland, the requirement applies to you.
Pro Tip: Keep your pet’s rabies vaccination certificate somewhere easy to access. An owner or custodian may use the vaccination certificate as proof of vaccination and must provide it to police, the animal control authority, or health officials upon request.
Maryland’s rabies program is administered jointly at the state and local level. In partnership with Maryland’s 24 local health departments, the Center for Zoonotic and Vectorborne Diseases counts cases of rabies in animals, consults with health care providers on the need for treatment when a person is exposed, and provides education to the public about this deadly disease.
Which Animals Must Be Vaccinated Against Rabies in Maryland
Maryland law and regulation require all dogs, cats, and ferrets age 4 months and older to be adequately vaccinated against rabies. These are the only three domestic species explicitly named under COMAR 10.06.02.10, and the mandate covers owned animals statewide.
Livestock and other domestic animals are not subject to the same mandatory vaccination schedule, though they can be vaccinated. In Maryland, rabies is most frequently found in wildlife — most commonly raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats — and domestic animals including livestock are also at risk, with cats being the most frequently identified rabid domestic animal. That context explains why cats are treated as a priority species under state law.
Baltimore City adds one notable expansion to the state baseline. No person may own or keep a dog, cat, feral cat, or ferret that is older than 4 months unless it has a current rabies vaccination, unless this requirement is waived by the Public Health Veterinarian. The inclusion of feral cats in the city code goes beyond what the state regulation explicitly names.
If you own other animals — rabbits, horses, or exotic pets — vaccination is not legally required under the same chapter, but your veterinarian may still recommend it based on species-specific risk. For a focused look at how the law applies specifically to cats, see rabies vaccine requirements for cats in Maryland.
Rabies Vaccine Schedule and Booster Requirements in Maryland
An owner or custodian of a dog, cat, or ferret must have that animal adequately vaccinated against rabies by the time the dog, cat, or ferret is 4 months old. That first vaccine starts a continuing obligation — vaccination is not a one-time event.
| Vaccination Stage | Timing | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Initial vaccine | By 4 months of age | Valid for 1 year |
| First booster | 1 year after initial vaccine | 1 or 3 years depending on product |
| Subsequent boosters | Per vaccine label and vet guidance | 1 or 3 years depending on product |
The first rabies vaccination is good for one year. After that initial year, booster shots are valid for up to three years depending on which vaccine the veterinarian uses. Your vet will tell you whether the specific product administered carries a one-year or three-year duration, and the vaccination certificate will reflect the expiration date accordingly.
This is a continuing requirement — the certificate should state the date by which the next vaccination is due so that the animal is continuously protected against rabies. If your pet’s vaccination lapses, so does its legal compliance status.
Getting a puppy or kitten vaccinated at exactly four months is ideal, but pets under three months of age, as well as those that are pregnant, nursing, sick, or injured, should be evaluated by a veterinarian before vaccination.
After each vaccination, public antirabies clinics and veterinarians who provide rabies vaccination services to dogs, cats, and ferrets must promptly issue to the owner of each vaccinated animal a rabies certificate, tag, and S-shaped metal link for attaching the tag on the animal’s collar.
Key Insight: Vaccination is effectively a prerequisite for licensing, not a separate obligation. If your vaccination lapses, your license lapses with it. Staying current on boosters protects both your pet and your legal standing.
Who Can Legally Administer a Rabies Vaccine in Maryland
Maryland law restricts who may give a rabies vaccine to an animal. You cannot administer the vaccine yourself at home, regardless of where you purchase it. The vaccination certificate must be completed and signed by a Maryland-licensed veterinarian or, in the case of public antirabies clinics, may be issued under the authority of the Public Health Veterinarian.
A licensed veterinarian may select a rabies vaccine of the veterinarian’s choice and use procedures for administering it that are consistent with the recommendations of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV), the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control.
Vaccine supply is also tightly controlled. A vendor of rabies vaccine for animal use may supply vaccine only to a veterinary biologic supply firm, a Maryland-licensed veterinarian, or the Public Health Veterinarian. This means over-the-counter rabies vaccines are not a legal option in Maryland — the product itself is not accessible outside of licensed channels.
For owners who need a lower-cost option, public antirabies clinics are available throughout the state. In conjunction with the Department, each local health department must provide for low-cost, self-financing, antirabies clinics for animals in each county and Baltimore City. For example, Worcester County Health Department and Animal Control partner to provide semi-annual rabies clinics at a cost of only $5 per pet.
After administering a vaccine, a veterinarian administering rabies vaccine must maintain copies of vaccination certificates by tag number for a minimum of 5 years following the vaccination of an animal.
Medical Exemptions to Rabies Vaccination in Maryland
Maryland does not have a broad religious or philosophical exemption to rabies vaccination. The only recognized pathway to delaying or waiving the requirement is a medical one, and it runs through the state’s Public Health Veterinarian — not your personal veterinarian alone.
The Public Health Veterinarian may delay temporarily or indefinitely the rabies vaccination requirement for certain dogs, cats, or ferrets in the interest of public safety or for medical determinations or research. This authority is narrow and not routinely granted for standard health concerns.
Unless the Public Health Veterinarian has authorized a delay in vaccination, a local animal control authority may not license or register a dog, cat, or ferret without verifying the rabies vaccination status as documented by a current rabies vaccination certificate. In other words, no exemption means no license — the two are directly linked.
If your veterinarian believes your pet has a legitimate medical reason to defer vaccination — such as a documented immune-mediated condition or a reaction to a prior vaccine — the appropriate step is to consult with your vet about submitting a request through the proper state channels. There is no standardized exemption form published at the county level; the process is handled on a case-by-case basis by the Public Health Veterinarian’s office.
Important Note: A note from your private veterinarian alone does not constitute a legal exemption in Maryland. Only the Public Health Veterinarian has the authority to formally delay or waive the vaccination requirement under COMAR 10.06.02.10.
What Happens If Your Pet Is Exposed to Rabies in Maryland
Vaccination status determines almost everything about how an exposure incident is handled. Maryland’s regulations draw a clear line between pets with documentation and those without.
If the owner or custodian of a domestic animal that has been exposed to a rabid animal — or to an animal suspected of having rabies — is able to provide a current or expired rabies vaccination certificate, the owner must have the animal re-vaccinated against rabies immediately and keep the animal under the owner’s control and observed for 45 calendar days. That observation period typically happens at home, which is far less disruptive and expensive than a facility quarantine.
If the owner cannot provide a current or expired rabies vaccination certificate, the animal must be vaccinated immediately and held in strict quarantine for a minimum of 4 months for dogs and cats, or a minimum of 6 months for other animals, in a facility and manner approved by the Public Health Veterinarian.
The owner or custodian of a domestic animal being held in strict quarantine is responsible for all costs related to that quarantine. Those costs — boarding, veterinary monitoring, and related fees — can far exceed what any vaccination would have cost.
- Vaccinated pet (certificate available): Re-vaccinate immediately + 45-day home observation
- Unvaccinated pet (no certificate): Vaccinate immediately + minimum 4-month strict quarantine at owner’s expense, or humane euthanasia
- Bite incidents: Any animal that bites a person must be quarantined for at least 10 days regardless of vaccination status
If you or your pet has direct contact with a wild animal, the Anne Arundel County Health Department recommends washing the wound immediately with soap and water, then contacting animal control. In Maryland, rabies is most frequently found in wildlife, most commonly raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats — all species your pet could realistically encounter outdoors.
Local and Municipal Rabies Requirements in Maryland
State law sets the floor, but counties and municipalities can add requirements on top of it. While state regulations provide the baseline for rabies control, local counties and cities play a major role in day-to-day enforcement, with local animal control agencies responsible for checking vaccination records, issuing licenses, and responding to reports of unvaccinated pets.
Licensing requirements and fees vary by county. Some jurisdictions charge different rates for altered and unaltered animals, and some offer reduced-cost rabies clinics to encourage compliance. You should check with your county’s animal control office for local fee schedules and licensing deadlines.
A few county-level examples illustrate the variation:
- Baltimore City: No person may own or keep a dog, cat, feral cat, or ferret older than 4 months without a current rabies vaccination, and the city code explicitly includes feral cats — an addition beyond the state baseline.
- Cecil County: An owner of an animal without a valid rabies vaccination must be given up to 48 hours to provide a current, valid rabies certificate for that animal.
- Montgomery County: All dogs and cats must have a Montgomery County Pet License beginning at four months of age, and a license can only be obtained with proof of a current rabies vaccination.
- Worcester County: Licenses are only valid while the pet’s rabies vaccination is valid.
If you are moving to Maryland from another state, bring your pet’s vaccination records with you. Persons bringing any animal that is required by state law to have a rabies vaccination into the county must have readily available, as proof of vaccination, a valid rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian or issued by an approved government agency.
For comparison, you can also review how neighboring states handle these requirements: Pennsylvania rabies vaccine requirements, New Jersey rabies vaccine requirements, and New York rabies vaccine requirements each follow their own regulatory frameworks.
Penalties for Non-Compliance in Maryland
Not vaccinating your pet is not a minor oversight under Maryland law — it is a criminal offense. Failing to comply with any provision of Maryland’s rabies chapter, or failing to follow an order from the local health officer, State Epidemiologist, or Public Health Veterinarian, is a misdemeanor. Upon conviction, the fine can reach $500 for each offense.
“Each offense” means each unvaccinated animal counts separately, so an owner with multiple unvaccinated pets faces stacked fines. Counties may also impose separate fines for licensing violations — failing to license your pet is a distinct offense from failing to vaccinate it — which can add to the total cost of non-compliance.
The criminal misdemeanor classification also means a conviction goes on your record, which is a heavier consequence than most pet owners expect for a vaccination lapse.
Beyond the fine, the practical consequences of non-compliance can be far more serious:
- Impoundment: Animals without valid rabies vaccination certificates may be impounded and vaccinated by a licensed Maryland veterinarian at the owner’s expense.
- Quarantine costs: An unvaccinated animal involved in a bite or exposed to rabies triggers quarantine requirements that can cost far more than $500 in boarding, veterinary fees, and lost time.
- Euthanasia: In extreme cases, the animal may be euthanized.
Important Note: Local jurisdictions may add their own fine structures on top of the state penalty. Cecil County, for example, charges $50 per animal for no proof of current rabies vaccination, and $500 per animal — in addition to the usual rabies and licensing fees — when an unvaccinated animal bites a human or domestic animal.
Staying current on your pet’s rabies vaccination is the simplest way to avoid all of these outcomes. If you are unsure whether your pet’s records are current, contact your veterinarian or your local county animal control office. You can also explore how other states handle similar rules through guides like rabies vaccine requirements in Virginia, Ohio, or Georgia for a broader picture of how state-level rabies law works across the country.