Register your pet

If you’re an owner or breeder

• Create an online profile with the NSW pet registry. As well as registering your pet, you can use the profile to update your details, notify if your dog or cat is missing, register ownership changes and pay registration fees online.
• Breeders are issued with a breeder identification number to record owner and animal information to help track litters over time.

If you’re a vet

Vets are required to update the register when they desex cats and dogs. Vets are also able to update the register if they believe a pet should not be desexed for medical reasons.

Here are the steps to register your pet directly with us

1. Check that you live within the City of Sydney’s boundaries. If not, you must contact your local council.
2. If you don't have a NSW companion animal certificate of identification, you must complete the permanent identification form and send it to us. 
3. If you already have a  NSW companion animal certificate of identification, you must complete the lifetime registration form and send it to us. Include a photocopy of the identification certificate with the lifetime registration form, so we can contact you to complete your registration.

Details on how to submit your documents can be found in the payment and lodging documents section on this page. We do not accept certificate of identifications from the Australasian Animal Registry or Central Animal Records.

If you’re moving with your pet to our area from another state or country, and the previous owner can’t be found, you’ll need to identify and register your pet in NSW. You’ll need to provide us with:

• a copy of the bill of sale. If you don’t have a bill of sale, you must provide a statutory declaration including the name and address of the person who sold the pet to you.
• a statutory declaration outlining the circumstances of sale or proof of ownership.
• a completed permanent identification form (PDF 506 KB).
• a completed verification of existing microchip form (PDF 257 KB) signed by an authorised identifier, such as a vet from NSW.
• a completed lifetime registration form (PDF 495 KB).
• payment of the applicable fees.
• optionally, a desexing certificate. If you have proof of desexing, you can get a discount when you register your pet with us.

City of Sydney subsidised pensioner concession:

• must live in our local area

The following card holders are eligible for the City’s subsidised registration fee: aged, disability, widow, carers, supporting parent, service repatriation.

Registration is cheaper if your pet has been desexed.

Dogs need be desexed under 6 months and cats under 4 months of age.

Owners of cats desexed after 4 months of age will be required to pay an annual permit of $92 in addition to their one-off lifetime pet registration fee. If you need to do this, complete the annual permit form.

What to bring

• lifetime registration form
• microchip identification (must be NSW Companion Animal – certificate)
• proof of desexing – must include microchip number and date of desexing.

Some breeds are restricted under NSW law and these breeds can no longer be sold or given away in NSW. It is illegal to accept ownership of such a dog.

From 1 July 2020 owners of dogs of a restricted breed or formally declared to be dangerous will be required to pay a $221 annual permit in addition to their one-off lifetime pet registration fee.

If you need to do this, complete the annual permit form.

Read more.

Assistance animals must be either accredited:

• under a State or Territory law for the accreditation of animals trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of that disability.
• by an animal training organisation prescribed by the Commonwealth or trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of that disability.

Assistance animals must be trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of that disability. In addition, they must meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for an animal in a public place.

Reasonable proof

Registration agents are entitled to request reasonable proof that:

• the person has a disability
• the animal is/has been trained to alleviate the effect of the disability
• the animal is/has been trained to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for an animal in a public place.

To prove that you are a recognised breeder, you must provide:

• proof of current membership as a member of a recognised breeder body – only those with breeders prefix/kennel name are eligible.
• documentation verifying that the cat or dog is of a breed accepted by the recognised breeder body, and
• a signed statement by the member that the cat or dog is to be kept for breeding purposes.
• breeder’s card from either Dogs NSW, Waratah Cat Alliance, NSW Cat Fanciers Association.

Legislated fees

• Desexed dog: $75
• Desexed dog after 6 months: $252
• Desexed cat: $65
• Desexed cat after 4 months: $65 plus annual permit
• Pensioner fee (includes JobSeeker): $32

City of Sydney subsidised pensioner concession:

• must be City of Sydney resident
• first pet is free (desexed)
• each additional pet $10 (desexed).

The following card holders are eligible for the City’s subsidised registration fee: aged, disability, widow, carers, supporting parent, service repatriation.

What to bring

• lifetime registration form
• microchip identification
• proof of desexing
• pensioner concession card (if applicable)

Legislated fees

• Desexed dog: free
• Desexed cat: free

What to bring

• lifetime registration form
• microchip identification
• proof of desexing
• a receipt showing that your desexed animal was adopted from an eligible pound/shelter or eligible rehoming organisation.

Eligible pounds/shelters and rehoming organisations include:

• Animal Welfare League NSW
• Council pound
• RSPCA NSW 
• The Cat Protection Society
• rehoming organisation approved by the Office of Local Government.

Please see list of approved homing organisations. The following documents must be supplied:

• Either a receipt of sale or a letter on the organisation’s letterhead, and must include the adopted animal’s microchip number, and rehoming organisation’s number.

Legislated fees

• Non desexed dog: $252
• Non desexed cat: $65 (+ $92 annual permit fee if not exempt) = $157

Not recommended to be desexed for veterinary reasons:

• Dog: $75
• Cat: $65

What to bring

• lifetime registration form
• microchip identification
• pensioner concession card (if applicable)
• written statement from Veterinarian – should be submitted prior to recommended legislative desexing age and include medical reason, microchip number, Veterinarian’s Authorised Identifier number to access the NSW pet register.

Legislated fees

• Desexed dog: $75
• Desexed cat: $65

What to bring

Proof of breeder status:

• proof of current membership as a member of a recognised breeder body – only those with breeders prefix/kennel name are eligible
• documentation verifying the cat or dog is of a breed accepted by the recognised breeder body
• a signed statement by the member that the cat or dog is to be kept for breeding purposes.

Legislated fees

Free

What to bring

• lifetime registration form
• microchip identification
• proof of assistance animal status