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Licensing Your Dog
A dog is required to be licensed in the City/Town in which it resides once it has reached four months
of age. A rabies vaccination is required for licensing.
The license tag has the city/town of residence and the phone number of the city/town clerk engraved on it. Some dogs currently still have NYS Agriculture and Markets tags, a dog owner should request a new tag (and, of course, this would have a new number) for these dogs at the time of next renewal.
There is currently no database that contains the previous NYS Agriculture and Markets tags so if your dog is picked up by a Dog Control Officer or private citizen the tag will not provide the information required to reunite the dog with its owner. This also would prevent any animal shelter from assisting with identification of the dog.
If you should move out of the city/town where the dog is licensed the dog must be relicensed in its new residence. The tag on the dog is the only way to make the necessary contacts to "bring the dog home." Please note: if you move within the licensed city/town please contact your city/town clerk and update your address and any changes in telephone numbers should also be reported.
Dog owners should also consider purchasing ID tags for each dog's collar that contains up-to-date telephone contacts. Owners should also consider microchipping their dogs (and cats, too) in case they should become separated from their collar.
For more information to assist with lost/found pets, click on "Lost a Pet" or "Found a Pet" on this website.
The license tag has the city/town of residence and the phone number of the city/town clerk engraved on it. Some dogs currently still have NYS Agriculture and Markets tags, a dog owner should request a new tag (and, of course, this would have a new number) for these dogs at the time of next renewal.
There is currently no database that contains the previous NYS Agriculture and Markets tags so if your dog is picked up by a Dog Control Officer or private citizen the tag will not provide the information required to reunite the dog with its owner. This also would prevent any animal shelter from assisting with identification of the dog.
If you should move out of the city/town where the dog is licensed the dog must be relicensed in its new residence. The tag on the dog is the only way to make the necessary contacts to "bring the dog home." Please note: if you move within the licensed city/town please contact your city/town clerk and update your address and any changes in telephone numbers should also be reported.
Dog owners should also consider purchasing ID tags for each dog's collar that contains up-to-date telephone contacts. Owners should also consider microchipping their dogs (and cats, too) in case they should become separated from their collar.
For more information to assist with lost/found pets, click on "Lost a Pet" or "Found a Pet" on this website.