Register your pet

Information about the cost of the registration fee is available by visiting our Fees & Charges page under the Companion Animals Act section. 

Animals exempt from microchipping and lifetime registration requirements are:

• cats born before 1 July 1999 that remain with their original owner,
• assistance dogs - owners must show proof that the animal is a genuine assistance animal. This includes a signed statement or documentation from a recognised training body that the animal is (or is being) trained as an assistance animal, and a signed statement from the training body or the owner that the animal is being used for that purpose.
• working dogs used for tending stock on rural properties - a working dog is defined in the Act as a dog used primarily for the purpose of droving, tending, working or protecting stock (or a dog being trained as a working dog), however, if the dog is declared dangerous, it ceases to be a working dog while the declaration is in force
• greyhounds registered under the Greyhound Racing Act
• an animal that is ordinarily kept outside New South Wales, but not if the animal has been in New South Wales for a continuous period of at least 3 months
• an animal in the custody of a council (including in a council pound), the Animal Welfare League NSW, The Cat Protection Society of NSW Inc. or RSPCA,
• an animal in the custody of an organisation approved by the Director-General, for the purposes of this clause, by order published in the Gazette
• an animal kept at a pet shop for the purposes of sale
• an animal kept for the purposes of sale in the course of a business conducted at a booth or stall in a market or at a fair
• a dog that is ordinarily used by a police officer on official duty
• a dog that is ordinarily used on official duty by a correctional officer (within the meaning of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999)
• a dog used by a Commonwealth officer on official duty
• an animal in the custody of an accredited research establishment within the meaning of the Animal Research Act 1985, or the holder of an animal research authority or an animal supplier's licence within the meaning of that Act, for purposes in connection with animal research, as authorised under that Act
• an animal kept at a licensed animal display establishment within the meaning of the Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986 and lawfully exhibited in accordance with that Act

If you are selling or giving away your cat or dog, you must notify your local council within 14 days using a Change of Owner/Details (C3A) Form. Both you and the new owner must sign the form.

You must then submit the form, with the animal’s Certificate of Identification or Registration, or copy of the Permanent Identification (P1A) form to your local council so that the information on the NSW Companion Animals Register can be updated. Change of Owner/Details (C3A) forms are available from your local council.

Under the Companion Animals Act 1998, you cannot advertise for sale, sell or give your dog away if it is a restricted dog or a declared dangerous dog. If you advertise for sale, sell or give your dog away and it is a restricted dog or a declared dangerous dog, you may be fined for each offence.

If your cat or dog has died, you must notify us at council within 28 days (or 24 hours in the case of a restricted dog, dangerous or menacing dog) of its death.  You can notify us by calling, mailing or emailing us. You are also able to do this on your Pet Registry account. In the case of a restricted or declared dangerous dog you are required to provide documentary evidence from a veterinary practitioner that your dog has died.

Owners who are pensioners are entitled to a discount in the registration fee and can provide evidence of this with their pensioner card.