Canine Rabies Vaccine Exemption

The dog must be confined to the premises indicated on the Certificate of Exemption, or else on a six‐foot (6’) leash and under the direct physical control of an adult. Additionally, the dog cannot have contact with any animal that is not currently vaccinated against rabies.

The Certificate of Exemption must be printed, completed, signed by both the dog owner and the veterinarian, and mailed to:

• Contra Costa Public Health, Communicable Disease Programs, 2500 Bates Avenue, Suite B, Concord, CA 94520. 

The relevant medical records MUST be mailed DIRECTLY by the treating veterinarian to:

• Contra Costa Public Health, Communicable Disease Programs, 2500 Bates Avenue, Suite B, Concord, CA 94520. 

Both items must be received within 30 days to be considered as complete submission. There are no staff available to receive hand-delivered requests or answer dog owner questions about the exemption. 

Ask your veterinarian about the status of your request. Ask them if medical records and exemption form were sent to Communicable Disease. If a completed application is not submitted to Communicable Disease it will not be reviewed. Contra Costa County Public Health Communicable Disease Department is unable to answer questions about the status of a submitted application. 

It is not always clear from the completed Certificate of Exemption whether the dog has an exemptible condition or not. Because it can be difficult to reach veterinarians to discuss case details, we are requesting the medical record for first-time exemptions so that relevant clinical details are readily available for consideration. Our goal is to efficiently provide exemptions to qualified dogs, while prioritizing public health.  However, the pet owner is responsible to follow up with their veterinarian about the status of their application. 

Only conditions that are life-threatening, and that have been demonstrated (according to the mainstream veterinary literature) to be worsened or reactivated by revaccination for rabies, are exemptible under the law. Examples of potentially fatal medical conditions that may warrant exemption include, but are not limited to: 

• Certain immune‐mediated diseases (e.g., IMHA, ITP)
• Anaphylactic shock/collapse following prior rabies vaccination
• Dogs on short-term (less than six months) immunosuppressive therapy may be allowed to defer vaccination until the completion of therapy—when vaccination is more likely to be effective. In these cases, the veterinarian should be sure to include the anticipated treatment end date.  

• Old age
• General debilitation
• Minor/moderate reaction to rabies vaccinations
• Reactions to non‐rabies vaccinations
• Positive rabies titers
• Not all immune-mediated diseases are exemptible. Long-term immunosuppressive therapy may diminish vaccine efficacy, but is not, by itself, an exemptible condition 

Exemptions are valid for a maximum of one (1) year. If the animal’s condition persistently precludes rabies immunization, a new Certificate of Exemption (with the Renewal box checked) must be submitted annually.

A rabies vaccination exemption may be used only for the purposes of obtaining a license for the indicated dog. The exempted dog is subject to the same disposition as other unvaccinated pets outlined in the California Code of Regulations. For example, vaccinated pets exposed to rabid or potentially rabid animals are quarantined for 30 days, while unvaccinated pets would be subject to six (6) months quarantine and/or euthanasia.