Under the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998, all cat and dog owners must complete a 2-step process to register their pet.
STEP 1 | Microchip your pet
All cats and dogs should be microchipped when you are given or buy them or by 12 weeks of age.
The person selling or giving away the pet is responsible for getting the pet microchipped. The microchip contains a unique 15-digit number that helps identify the animal if it is lost or stolen. The vet/authorised implanter will microchip the pet and enter the details of your pet in the NSW Pet Registry database.
Pets must be microchipped before they can be registered.
STEP 2 | Lifetime Registration
All cats and dogs in NSW must be registered on the NSW Pet Registry either by 12 weeks of age or immediately upon 1st transfer/sale (whichever happens first).
Until payment is made, your pet is not registered. A late payment fee will also be applied if you do not pay registration within 28 days of when it was due.
You become the official owner of a pet once its profile is transferred to you on the NSW Pet Registry. Sign up to the NSW Pet Registry to pay your pet’s once-only registration fee online and complete the registration process.
You only need to pay the registration fee once when you first take ownership of a pet. It covers the cat or dog for its lifetime for any Council area in NSW, even if ownership changes. You can search the NSW Pet Registry database to check if an animal is already registered. If puppies or kittens are still in a breeder’s care after 12 weeks, the breeder must register them as their own pet and pay the registration fee.
Fees to register a cat or dog vary and additional fees apply if you don’t desex dogs by 6 months of age. You must pay an annual permit fee if you don’t desex cats by 4 months of age (cats born before 22 July 2020 are exempt). Pet registration fees | Office of Local Government (nsw.gov.au)
Register your pet
If you don't have a MyServiceNSW Account, you will need to create one before you can access the Pet Registry (nsw.gov.au)
Once registered, using the details on your NSW Pet Registry profile, you can confirm ownership of your pet or pay any relevant fees.
You can also update pet photos and other information, when necessary, like change of owner, new address or advise your pet is missing. Up-to-date details on the NSW Pet Registry can help reunite you with lost pets.
- If you require assistance with your Pet Registry account, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.
- If you have questions about NSW Pet registrations or fees, contact the Office of Local Government - 1300 134 460 or pets@olg.nsw.gov.au.
Register my pet now
Residents of Lake Macquarie can provide relevant companion animal pet ownership documents to council.
Documentation that can be provided includes:
| Change of owner C3A |
Use this form to transfer ownership of a pet. The person selling or giving away the pet must complete this form. If this doesn't happen, the new owner may complete this form.
|
| Non-desexed cat and dog fees form |
Use this form to pay an additional fee for non-desexed dogs over 6 months old, or an annual permit fee for non-desexed cats over 4 months old.
|
| Pet Registration R2 |
Use the form to register your pet and pay the registration fee. The pet owner must complete this form.
|
| Update your details C3C |
Use this form to change your contact information, home address or postal address. Only pet owners can complete this form.
|
| Verification of existing microchip M1 |
Use this form to verify existing microchip numbers. Only vets and authorised identifiers can complete this form.
|
| NSW statutory declaration – Eighth Schedule – DOC
|
This document must include:
- your name and address
- the pet's microchip number
- the details of how you came to own the pet, which you are declaring to be true
- Date and
- your signature and the signature of an authorised witness (this can be a Justice of the Peace (JP), a legal practitioner or a notary public)
- the date and location where the declaration was made.
|
|
Desexing (Sterilisation) certificate
|
Please provide a statutory declaration if not available including approximate date of sterilisation.
|
If your dog or cat is required to be registered, then fees will apply on approval of your documentation.
Provide your documents below
Click here to view form.
If your cat or dog has sadly passed away, you must notify the relevant authorities within 28 days.
To arrange this, either: Update your pet's status on the NSW Pet Registry to 'deceased' or complete the required details in the online application form below.
Note: There is no charge to update this information on NSW Companion Animals Register.