Microchips & Registration

The Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Companion Animals Regulation 2018 provide for the identification and registration of dogs and cats, how they are managed and the duties and responsibilities of their owners in New South Wales.

Both Acts are NSW state law, and came into effect on 1st July 1999 and 31st August 2018 respectively. Yearly registration with the local council is no longer available.

Registering your Pet

• Registration is a 2-step process:
  • Implantation of a microchip (by your vet)
  • Payment of a registration fee (to the council)
• All cats and dogs must be microchipped before being sold or given away, or by 12 weeks of age.
• All dogs, except working dogs, must wear a collar or tag when they’re outside your property. This needs to show their name and your address or phone number.
• All pet cats and dogs in NSW must be registered on the NSW Pet Registry either by 12 weeks of age or immediately upon transfer (whichever happens first). Pets must be microchipped before they can be registered. The person selling or giving away the pet is responsible for getting the pet microchipped.
• The lifetime registration fees are a one-off payment for the life of the pet. Registration fees are available on the Office of Local Government website.

What is a Microchip?

• A microchip is a small electronic device placed under the skin for identification purposes.
• It has major advantages over other forms of identification. Unlike a tag or collar, it can’t be removed, can’t fade and can’t be lost.
• All pounds and vets now have microchip scanners, so in most cases, a stray or injured animal can be quickly identified, its owner contacted, and any necessary treatment can be started without unnecessary delay.
• The microchip is quickly and simply implanted with a needle. Sedation or anaesthesia is not required.
• The chip is only a little bigger than a grain of rice, and is encased in glass polymer so it causes absolutely no irritation. The chip is designed to prevent it moving from the site where it was implanted.
• The only information on the chip is a number. This number is recorded on a central computer registry, along with all details about the pet and its owner.
• Microchips are for identification only. They are not tracking devices.
• The regulations state that all microchips implanted in NSW must be of the ISO-standard type. However, any animal already implanted with one of the older chip types can still be registered in NSW. They do not need to get a new microchip.
• All council pounds, and all vets implanting microchips, must have a multi-scanner that will read all existing microchip types.

Implantation

Microchips can only be implanted by a certified professional to ensure they are correctly located and to prevent the risk of infection. Once the chip has been inserted it is scanned to ensure it can be read by the microchip reader and the owner provided with a certificate to take to the council when you register your pet. This satisfies all legal requirements.

Contact us to book in a microchip implantation for your pet. Remember implantation does not include council registration, which must be paid directly to the council.

Registration Fees

• As at 1 July 2024, a basic lifetime registration fee for a dogs and cats are to be paid to your local council

Note: An extra fee applies if a dogs are not desexed by 6 months of age, and cats by 4 months of age. If a vet decides that a dog or cat should not be desexed before this age or ever in its life, a temporary or permanent exemption from the additional fee may be granted.

• Refer to the Office of Local Government website for up to date fees.
• If you are not intending to breed your pet, then we strongly recommend desexing.

Identification Tags

All dogs are required to wear a collar and identification tag when out of their home. This must include the dog’s name, your address and/or telephone number.

Any cat that you owned prior to 1st July 1999 must either be microchipped OR wear a collar and identification tag.

Other features of the Companion Animals Act (CAA)

• The CAA was designed to assist authorities in returning lost and injured animals to their owners, and provides NSW councils with a more effective means of keeping track of dogs and cats for the benefit of the wider community.
• There are fines for letting your dog out without being on a lead, and for allowing your dog to become a nuisance.
• There are special rules and higher penalties for dangerous dogs and restricted breeds.
• Cat owners must make sure that their cat does not cause a nuisance to their neighbours.

Further information

Further information about microchips, registration and the Companion Animals Act and Companion Animals Regulation can also be found at the following locations:

• Ask us for a brochure or talk to us next time you’re in.
• Contact the Office of Local Government or your local council.
• Companion Animals Page at the Office of Local Government Website
• Companion Animals Act 2018 at the NSW Government Legislation Website

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By Macarthur Veterinary Group

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