I was really surprised the when I called the Vets office, one which was no help at all, said they do not check for chips unless they are asked. Even strays or "found" animals. However, they do offer to sell the chip to you.
The second took down all my information, and offer to post on their board. She said that it is not normal to check for chips unless the people admit they found the dog. If the pet looks familar, and the person does not, they would check. Nice to know some people go the extra mile for the money we spend to keep our pets safe.