Licensing Your Dog

• Benefits of Licensing
• Fees: How much will it cost?
• How long will it take?
• Replacement License Tag & Certificates
• Changing address between renewals
• Service Dogs
• Guard Dogs

Benefits of Licensing

Licensing contributes to animal control and the protection of the public health:

• Information about licensed dogs assists in the medical follow-up of individuals potentially exposed to infected dogs, especially important during rabies outbreaks.
• Licensing helps reunite lost dogs with their owners.
• Licensing is key to family emergency preparedness planning to ensure a dog and owner is reunited in case of separation during a citywide emergency.
• Licensing helps enforce the New York State spay/neuter law, which mandates a surcharge on the license fee for unaltered dogs. Spaying or neutering is in the best interest of your pet because it helps reduce the stray animal population and may help reduce unwanted behaviors as well.

Fees: How much will it cost?

• New Licenceses

  The fee to license your dog in New York City is $8.50 if your dog is spayed/neutered or $34 if you do not provide proof that your dog is spayed or neutered. A check or money order should be made payable to NYC DOHMH.

  In order to prove that your dog is spayed/neutered, you must submit a copy of the certificate of spay/neuter from your veterinarian with the application or complete and notarize the affidavit on the application.

• Renewing Licences

  You only need to submit an application once. After your dog is licensed a renewal notice will be mailed to you annually. If a renewal form was not received, it can be requested by calling 311.

  The fee to renew a dog license is $8.50 for a spayed or neutered dog and $34 for a dog that is not spayed or neutered. A check or money order should be made payable to NYC DOHMH.

  If you are renewing by mail, please return your renewal form and check or money order, made payable to the NYC DOHMH along with any changes to the address below. The envelope should be postmarked no later than the license's expiration date so that the renewal is received within 10 days of license expiration date.

  If the license expiration date has passed, including the 10 day grace period, you should add an additional $2 late fee to the cost of the license. An owner is liable for each year a license is not renewed and will be assessed late fees for each year as well. Applications should be mailed to:

  NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  Veterinary Public Health Services
  P.O. Box 4768, Church Street Station
  New York, NY 10261-4768

How long will it take?

The license should be received approximately 2 to 4 weeks after the owner's check is cashed or credit card is debited (when purchasing online). Status of applications will only be available 3 weeks after owner's check is cashed or credit card is debited by calling the Dog Licensing Unit at 311.

Change of address between renewals

Change of address information must be provided in-between renewals. Owners may register online and update their information any time by accessing the Dog License Registration System and selecting "Edit Profile". By mail, owners should send a letter with their name, dog license number, and current and changed address information to:

Veterinary Public Health Services, Dog Licensing Unit
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street, CN 61
New York, NY 10013

Service Dogs

All dogs, including service dogs are required to purchase a standard NYC Dog License and to renew annually. Owners of service dogs may request, free of charge, a separate Service Dog Tag. An applicant will be required to submit a written statement from a trainer, whose education, experience and training are acceptable to the Department, stating that such dog has been specifically trained to perform a task or tasks for the person applying for the tag. All documentation submitted for a Service Dog Tag must be verified and approved by the Dog Licensing Unit.

The Americans With Disabilities Act defines service animals as such; "Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities – such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets."

Guard Dogs

Owners of guard dogs are required to purchase a standard NYC Dog License and to renew annually for the life of the dog and may do so online.

Pursuant to Health Code §161.09, all trained guard dogs must be licensed and registered with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and wear at all times, the Guard Dog Tag issued by the Department. In addition, owners are required to have their trained guard dog implanted with a microchip as a permanent form of identification and must supply the identification number to the Department. The fee to register a trained guard dog is $10.00. Please call 311 for instructions and a special application.

Owners and or other persons in control of the premises where a trained guard dog is kept are required to post clear, legible and durable signs warning the public of the presence of such trained guard dog. Such sign must include the name and other contact information for the owner of the trained guard dog. Additionally, all persons who train, sell or rent guard dogs shall post a durable sign or notice, clearly and legibly printed, warning all users that they must comply with the licensing, tagging, micro-chipping, and signage requirements of the Health Code.