Responsible pet owners microchip and register their dog or cat and ensure that their contact details are up to date. You can now update your contact details on the new NSW Pet Registry. If your dog or cat is lost, up to date contact details are the best way to bring your pet home.
It is important that all pet owners ensure their yard is secure and their pet cannot escape. Secure yards and enclosures are the most effective measures to prevent wandering animals and dog attacks.
Please ensure that your cat or dog is, at all times, wearing a collar and tag with your contact details on it. When away from home, it is important that your dog is controlled by a leash that is held by a person who can control the dog if necessary. Cats should be leashed or contained. This will help ensure that your dog or cat does not threaten or harm a person or animal (see dog attacks) and that your dog or cat does not cause a nuisance (see nuisance dogs and cats).
MICROCHIPPING
A microchip is a subcutaneous full duplex electronic radio transponder. Modern microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted beneath the animal's skin between the shoulders. No personal information is stored on the microchip, only the unique identification number.
In NSW, all cats and dogs, other than exempt cats and dogs, must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age or before being sold or given away, whichever happens first.
REGISTRATION
All cats and dogs, other than exempt cats and dogs, must be registered by 12 weeks of age or before being sold or given away, whichever happens first. The registration fee is a once-only payment, which covers the cat or dog for its lifetime in NSW, regardless of any changes in ownership.
- An additional fee is charged if your dog is not desexed by 6 months of age.
- An annual permit is required for cats not desexed by 4 months of age.
Having your cat or dog desexed helps to reduce straying, fighting and aggression and antisocial behaviour, such as spraying to mark territory. It also helps to reduce the number of unwanted pets born each year.
Councils for providing animal management related services to the community use registration fees. These may include ranger services, pound facilities, dog refuse bins, educational and other companion animal-related activities.
What should you do if your dog or cat's microchip number is not listed on the NSW Companion Animal Register?
If you have had your cat or dog microchipped in NSW, the Authorised Identifier must either enter the information onto the NSW Companion Animals Register and issue you a Certificate of Identification, or send the information to your local council for data entry within three days of implanting the microchip.
The local council must enter the information onto the NSW Companion Animal Register within seven days of receipt of the information and issue you a Certificate of Identification. If you have not received your certificate or you have concerns about the accuracy of the information on the NSW Companion Animals Register, you should take any documentation you have to your local council.
How do you register your dog or cat?
You must register your cat or dog with your local council. You will need to present:
- the fee
- a signed Lifetime Registration (R2) Form
- a copy of your cat or dog's Permanent Identification (P1A) Form or Verification of Existing Microchip (M1) Form completed by an Authorised Identifier, or Certificate of Identification.
- proof of desexing, if applicable. This may take the form of a Certificate of Sterilisation or receipt containing microchip number from a Vet or a statutory declaration from a previous owner stating that the cat or dog has been desexed and is permanently incapable of reproduction.
- any other document entitling you to a discount, for example, a pensioner concession card or recognised breeder identification.
Your local council will issue a Certificate of Registration to you after your cat or dog is registered. The Certificate will include the registration information recorded on the NSW Companion Animals Register. If your contact details change you must notify a local council within 14 days of the change as penalties may apply. Keeping your contact details up to date will assist in the return of your cat or dog should it become lost or stray.
Registration fees
Current lifetime registration fees (valid for the cat or dog's lifetime) are as follows:
July 1st CPI increases
Dogs
- Dog Registration (by 12 weeks or when sold if earlier than 12 weeks) - $78
- Additional Fee - Dog not desexed by 6 months - $184
- Combined Fee (Registration plus not desexed by 6 months) - $262
- Dog Registration (by eligible pensioner) - $34
- Dog - Desexed and sold/transferred from shelter - $0
- Dog Registration - Recognised Breeder - $78
- Working Dog - $0
- Service Dog - $0
- Late Fee - $22
Cats
- Cat Registration (by 12 weeks or when sold if earlier than 12 weeks) - $68
- Cat Registration (by eligible pensioner) - $34
- Cat Registration - Recognised Breeder) - $68
- Cat - Desexed and sold/transferred from shelter - $0
- Annual Permit - Cat not desexed by 4 months of age - $96
- Late Fee - $22
A list of registration categories, current fees and the new fees for 2024/25 is provided on the Office of Local Government’s (OLG) website at www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/dogscats/nsw-pet-registry/microchipping-and-registration
*An eligible pensioner is a person in receipt of the aged pension, war widow pension or disability pension. If you are unsure whether you are an eligible pensioner, please contact your local council.
Are there any refunds for lifetime registration fees?
No. In NSW, registration is required once only and is valid for the animal's lifetime. As a result, it is not possible to obtain a refund if, for example, you have your animal desexed or your animal dies after you register it.
Exemptions from the microchipping and lifetime-registration requirement for cats and dogs in NSW
If you own a cat born before 1 July 1999 and ownership has not changed, a working dog used for tending stock on a rural property or a greyhound currently registered under the Greyhound Racing Act 2009, you do not need to have it microchipped or registered with your local council. However, it is recommended that you have your cat or dog microchipped for its protection.
Assistance animals must be microchipped and lifetime-registered but there is no registration fee payable.
If action has been taken against you regarding the behaviour of your cat or dog under the Companion Animals Act 1998, any applicable exemption is lost and your cat or dog must be microchipped and registered.
A nuisance cat or dog, a restricted dog and a declared dangerous or menacing dog, including a working dog that has been declared a dangerous dog, must be microchipped and registered.
Any cat or dog not otherwise required to be microchipped or registered that is taken into the custody of a council pound or animal welfare organisation must be microchipped and registered before being returned to its owner (even if it is less than six months old).
Do you need to microchip and register your dog or cat if you are moving from another state/territory to NSW?
If you are moving to NSW and are going to be here for three months or more, you must have your cat or dog microchipped (if this has not already been done), entered on the NSW Companion Animals Register and lifetime registered with your local council. This must occur within three months of moving to NSW.
If your cat or dog was microchipped outside NSW or before 1 July 1999 (when the Companion Animals Act 1998 came into effect), you will need to provide proof of microchipping to your NSW local council. You will need to present a Verification of Existing Microchip (M1) Form completed and signed by a Vet or other Authorised Identifier and a completed Permanent Identification (P1A) Form.
Registration in another state or territory cannot be transferred to NSW.
You may also have listed your cat or dog on a privately operated national microchip database. These databases are not linked to the NSW Companion Animals Register. The NSW Companion Animals Register is a NSW Government database used to record registration information for cats and dogs that reside in NSW.
You should contact the operators of any databases on which your cat or dog is listed to update your contact details on your cat or dog's microchip record:
Australasian Animal Registry
www.australiananimalregistry.com.au
Central Animal Records
www.car.com.au
Global Micro Animal Registry
www.globalmicro.com.au
HomesafeID
www.homesafeid.com
National Pet Register
www.petregister.com.au
Petsafe
www.petsafe.com.au
Do you need to microchip and register you dog or cat if you are moving to Australia?
If you are going to live in NSW, you must identify and register your cat or dog with your local council within three months of your arrival.
Cats and dogs being imported to Australia must meet Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) import conditions, including the requirement for microchipping before import to Australia. This is to minimise the risk of exotic diseases being introduced into Australia.
Australia is free from many animal-related diseases found in other parts of the world.
For further information on microchipping and registration requirements in NSW, contact your local council on your arrival in NSW.
The NSW Pet Registry is a database of microchipped and registered cats and dogs that live in NSW. This is the official NSW Government database for registering your animal in accordance with the Companion Animals Act 1998.
Dog and cat owners can easily create an online profile to help ensure they are reunited with their pet if it becomes lost.
The Registry allows you to update your contact details, report your pet missing, change the ownership of pets, and pay the lifetime registration fee.
Breeders are also encouraged to have an online profile. A Breeder ID number will be generated which can be used to easily register litters and transfer the animals to their new owners.
The Registry is managed by the Office of Local Government and is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to strengthen animal welfare standards and promote responsible pet ownership across the State.
Selling or giving away a dog or cat
From 1 July 2019, people selling or giving away kittens, cats, puppies or dogs, will need to include an identification number in any advertisements.
The changes will help people looking to buy a cat or dog to know what the current owner has recorded as the breed, sex and age of the cat or dog, whether it is microchipped, desexed, and whether or not it is already registered.
This will enable prospective owners to do further research and make informed purchasing decisions. This helps to promote responsible cat and dog breeding and selling. Animal welfare enforcement agencies will also be able to use this information to identify ‘problem’ breeders and to enforce animal welfare laws.
The identification number can be either
- a microchip number
- a breeder identification number, OR
- a rehoming organisation number
The new rule applies regardless of:
- the age of the animal
- the place you plan to advertise
- whether you are a hobby or professional breeder; or your cat or dog has had an accidental or one-off litter
- whether or not you bred the animal
- whether or not the animal you are selling, or rehoming has been born yet
The rules will apply to all advertisements, including those in newspapers, local posters, community notice boards and all forms of online advertising, including public advertisements on websites such as the Trading Post, Gumtree and social media sites.
The changes help people looking to buy a cat or dog search the NSW Pet Registry to see the animal’s:
- breed
- sex
- age
- whether it is desexed
- whether or not it is already registered
Buying or adopting a dog or cat
Use the identification number to check the NSW Pet Registry to confirm the number is valid.
A microchip number search will provide you with information about what the owner has recorded as the breed, sex and age of the cat or dog, whether or not if it is desexed and already registered.
Do your research
When considering buying or adopting a cat or dog, you should always do your research first:
- Make sure you can meet the animal's needs. You need to understand the breed, the animal's characteristics, expected lifespan, and how much time and money is needed to look after the cat or dog
- Consider introducing a new cat or dog to any existing pets and get advice if you're unsure whether the animals will be compatible.
- Make sure your children know how to safely interact with your cat or dog
- Contact the breeder or seller if you have any questions about the origin of a cat or dog
- Research the breeder or seller and, if possible, visit the facility where the animal has been bred or is being housed in order to assess the animal’s living conditions and welfare
- Check if the cat or dog is up to date with vaccinations, flea and worm treatments
- Check if the animal is microchipped and registered
https://www.petregistry.nsw.gov.au/#/faq
https://www.petregistry.nsw.gov.au/#/forms
NEW PERMITS FOR CAT & DOG OWNERS
DOG AND CAT ANNUAL PERMITS
From 1 July 2023 owners of cats not de-sexed by four months of age will be required to pay an annual permit in addition to the one-off lifetime pet registration fee.
This will create a stronger incentive to de-sex cats, improve health and wellbeing of pets, lower demand on pounds, reduce euthanasia rates, and help to address concerns about feral, stray and roaming cats.
Exemptions will be in place for cats that are registered by 1 July 2020 and for cats kept for breeding purposes by members of recognised breeding bodies.
Also from 1 July 2023 owners of dogs of a restricted breed or declared to be dangerous will be required to pay an annual permit in addition to their one-off lifetime pet registration fee.
This will serve as a further disincentive to owning these dogs and encourage owners to better manage the behaviour of their animal.
In the case of cats, it will also provide time for owners to ensure their pets are desexed, not only delivering health and lifestyle benefits to their animal but enabling them to avoid having to pay the annual permit. This includes the many people who will welcome a new kitten into their homes during the forthcoming spring breeding season.
A declared dangerous dog is a dog that an authorised council officer or a local court has declared as dangerous because it:
- has, without provocation, attacked or killed a person or animal (not including vermin), or
- has, without provocation, repeatedly threatened to attack or repeatedly chased a person or animal (not including vermin), or
- is kept or used for hunting (not including a dog used for locating, flushing, pointing or retrieving birds or vermin), or
- has been declared a dangerous dog under a law of another State or a Territory that corresponds with the Act.
A declared menacing dog is a dog that an authorised council officer or a local court has declared as menacing because it:
- has displayed unreasonable aggression towards a person or animal (other than vermin), or
- has, without provocation, attacked a person or animal (other than vermin) but without causing serious injury or death, or
- has been declared a menacing dog under a law of another State or a Territory that corresponds with the Act.
Many people keep a dog to deter trespassers and burglars. There is no problem with this, providing that it does not become a danger to other people or animals, other than vermin (including displaying unreasonable aggression).
If you have evidence that a dog is dangerous or menacing, you should notify your local council.
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998 a dog is a nuisance dog if it:
- consistently roams; or
- makes persistent, excessive noise; or
- repeatedly defecates on private property other than the property on which it is ordinarily kept; or
- repeatedly runs at or chases a person, animal (other than vermin or in the course of droving, tending, working or protecting livestock) or vehicle; or
- endangers the health of a person or animal (other than vermin or in the course of droving, tending, working or protecting livestock); or
- repeatedly causes substantial damage to anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept.
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998 a cat is a nuisance cat if it:
- makes persistent, excessive noise that reasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person in any other premises; or
- repeatedly damages anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept.
If you have a complaint about a nuisance animal, you should talk to the owner and try to find a mutually acceptable solution. If this proves unsuccessful or you are not comfortable with this approach, contact your local council.
My cat or dog is missing - what do I need to do?
If your cat or dog has been missing for more than 72 hours, you must notify your local council within 24 hours. If your dog is a restricted dog or a declared dangerous or menacing dog and it is missing, you must notify your local council within 24 hours of your first noticing that your dog has gone missing.
Your local council will change the status of your cat or dog on the NSW Companion Animals Register to 'missing', which will lock the microchip record until your cat or dog is found or has returned home. This will prevent a person who is claiming to be your cat or dog's owner, for example, where it has been stolen, from transferring ownership.
It is important to confirm with your local council that your contact details are correct when you report your cat or dog as missing, so that you can be contacted when your cat or dog is found.
You should consider contacting local vets and approved animal welfare organisations, such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare League and the Cat Protection Society, to check if a cat or dog with your cat or dog's microchip number or matching your cat or dog's description has been found.
My cat or dog has been found - what do I need to do?
You must notify your local council within 72 hours of your cat or dog being found or returning home after being reported as missing. This enables your local council to unlock the microchip record and update the NSW Companion Animals Register.
I have found a stray dog - what should I do?
If you have found a dog that you believe to be a stray, you should first check to see it is wearing a collar and tag. If it is, use the contact details on the tag to contact the owner.
If it is not wearing a collar and tag, you must by law, take the dog to a council pound, an approved animal welfare organisation or an approved premises (usually a veterinary practice). The dog can then be scanned for a microchip, the owner's contact details obtained from the NSW Companion Animals Register and the owner contacted and re-united with their dog.
While councils are not obliged to collect stray animals, council offer this as a complimentary service for ratepayers if the animal is restrained and/or secured in a yard. Councils are obliged to accept animals that are seized by members of the public and are taken to the council’s holding facility/pound.
I have found a stray cat - what should I do?
Any person can lawfully seize a cat, owned or un-owned, whether in a private or public place, if that action is reasonable and necessary for the protection of any person or animal (other than vermin) from injury or death, providing that action meets the animal welfare requirements of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.
Council are obliged to accept animals that are seized by members of the public and are taken to the council’s holding facility/pound.
Dogs benefit greatly from the chance to run freely. Under the Companion Animals Act 1998, each council must provide at least one off-leash area where dogs can be exercised off-leash during certain hours. Broken Hill has two off-leash areas, Queen Elizabeth Dog Park and Patton Park.
You, or the person looking after your dog/s, should not be in control of more than 4 dogs at the same time and you, or the person looking after your dog/s, should be capable of controlling the dog/s at all times when in the off-leash area.
Your dog must, unless it is exempt from this requirement, be under the effective control of a competent person at all times when out in public. This means that it must be on a leash and under the control of someone capable of restraining it. A small child, for example, may not be able to control a large dog. Under these circumstances, an adult capable of restraining the dog, should walk the dog.
A dog is not considered to be under the effective control of a competent person if the person has more than 4 dogs under his or her control.
If you fail to comply with this requirement, you, or if you are not present, the person in control of your dog, if s/he is aged 16 or over, may be liable for a maximum penalty of $1,100 or $11,000 in the case of a restricted dog, dangerous or menacing dog.
This requirement does not apply to a dog:
- in an off-leash area (but only if the total number of dogs of which its owner has control does not exceed 4) or
- a dog engaged in droving, tending or working of stock or
- a dog being exhibited for show purposes or
- a dog participating in an obedience class, trial or exhibition or
- a police dog or
- a corrective services dog or
- a dog secured in a cage or vehicle or tethered to a fixed object or structure.
Dogs
All dogs, apart from police and corrective service dogs and genuine assistance dogs, are banned from:
- within 10 metres of a children's play area
- within 10 metres of food preparation or consumption areas, except cafes or restaurants whose owners permit dogs (not restricted dogs or declared dangerous dogs) in their outdoor dining areas
- recreation areas where dogs are prohibited
- public bathing areas where dogs are prohibited
- school grounds
- child care centres
- shopping centres where dogs are prohibited
- wildlife protection areas.
Cats
Cats are banned from public areas where food is produced or consumed and from wildlife protection areas. There is considerable concern in the community about cats injuring or killing native wildlife.
Although the Companion Animals Act 1998 does not require you to contain your cat on your premises, you should consider doing so for your cat's own safety and for the protection of native wildlife.
You can contain your cat on your premises by keeping it indoors or by building a cat enclosure on your premises.
What is a restricted dog?
In NSW, a restricted dog is one of the following:
- American pitbull terrier or Pitbull terrier
- Japanese tosa
- Dogo Argentino (Argentinean fighting dog)
- Fila Brasiliero (Brazilian fighting dog)
- any other dog of a breed, kind or description, whose importation into Australia is prohibited by, or under, the Customs Act 1901 of the Commonwealth (Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario)
- any dog declared by an authorised officer of a council, under division 6 of the Companion Animals Act 1998, to be a restricted dog.
If you own a restricted dog and it attacks or injures a person or an animal (other than vermin) without being provoked, you must report it to your local council within 24 hours of the attack or injury.
A new service has been created for NSW cat and dog owners. You can update your pet’s details on the Registry (www.petregistry.nsw.gov.au) or over the counter at your local council. The NSW Pet Registry enables lost pets to be reunited with their owners and is now available for cat and dog owners to:
- create an owner profile,
- update their contact details,
- transfer ownership of pets
- report their pet missing, and,
- pay most lifetime registration fees online.
The Pet Registry will also be used by pet breeders, vets and authorised identifiers. Pet breeders, who create a profile on the Pet Register, will be able to have their new litters added straight to their profile. Veterinarians and authorised identifiers are able to enter a pet’s details directly onto the Pet Registry as part of their microchipping service, reducing errors and making data entry more efficient.
For the time being, paper forms are still available for those who cannot use the Pet Registry. People with assistance and working dogs will also need to register their dog in person at council.