A dog licence is required in some jurisdictions to be the keeper of a dog. Usually a dog-licence identifying number is issued to the owner, along with a dog tag bearing the identifier and a contact number for the registering organization. If a stray pet is found with the tag, a rescuer can call the registering organization to get current contact information for the dog's owner. Licensing a dog might require additional actions on the owner's part, such as ensuring that the dog has a current rabiesvaccination. In many jurisdictions a fee, which is usually small, must be paid. Licences typically must be renewed annually or after some small number of years.
Licensing information worldwide
Australia
Dog licences are mandated by state and territory legislation but are issued by local governments. Hence the cost of a licence and the format of the licence tag vary across the country. Some areas, such as Victoria, require cat registration and microchipping also.
Dog licences are required. There are three types of licences
Italy
Since 2008 an identification microchip is mandatory for each dog over 2 months, and a small fee is associated with it, but it does not need to be renewed.
Netherlands
Dogs must be registered and a yearly tax is paid to the municipality based on the number of dogs. The amount differs between municipalities; for example in The Hague it is €112.80 for the first dog, €176.76 for the second one, and €224.16 for the third one. Other municipalities, such as Amsterdam, no longer observe this law.
Under the all dogs over 3 months old are required to be registered with the city or district council the dog usually resides in. As a prerequisite, all dogs classified as dangerous or menacing, and all dogs first registered in New Zealand after 1 July 2006 must be microchipped before they can be registered.
United Kingdom
In England, Wales and Scotland, dog licensing was abolished in 1987. Prior to this dog licences were mandatory, but the requirement was widely ignored, with only about half of owners having one. The final rate for a dog licence was 37 pence, reduced from 37½p when the halfpenny was withdrawn in 1984. This figure was an exact conversion from 7/6 on decimalisation in 1971. The revenue went to local authorities. In 2016 it became a requirement that all dogs in England and Wales have a microchip; Scottish legislation was also changed to make microchipping of dogs compulsory from 2016. In Northern Ireland, dog licences are required under the Dogs Order 1983. dog licences cost £12.50 a year, with reductions for pensioners and owners of neutered dogs.
Crown dependencies
;Bailiwick of Guernsey Dog owners in Guernsey are required to obtain a licence for each dog owned and a dog tax is payable each year. ;Isle of Man Dog licences are required.
United States
At least some states, municipalities, and other jurisdictions require a dog license and rabies vaccination, and a license expires before the vaccine does. To prevent animal overpopulation, some jurisdictions charge a lower licensing fee if the owner presents veterinary proof that the dog has been spayed or neutered. Some parts of California and Maryland require cat licenses.
