Fee categories
For a full list of fees related to animals including dogs, see our animal education and control fees and charges list. Further details on dog registration fee categories, prompt payment discounts and late payment penalties and microchipping are outlined below.
Note that you can register your dog onli ne using our Dogs Online e-services facility. There is a 2.49 per cent bank fee for making an online credit card payment.
Category One - Minimum Fee
You are eligible as a dog owner for this category if you have had:
- no substantiated complaint(s), no impounding, no infringement notices, be prosecution and offence free for a 24 month period; and
- you meet your legal requirements to register your dog.
Category Two - Full Fee
If you are not eligible for Category One ownership as outlined above, you will be classified as a Category Two dog owner and you will have to pay the full fee to register your dog/s.
Discounts and penalties
This $15.00 discount is for renewal accounts. To receive the prompt payment discount, the renewal fee must be paid before 30 June each year. The following table shows fee payment dates and the discounted, standard and penalised fees:
Category 1
|
$80.00 |
$95.00
|
$142.00 |
|---|
Category 2
|
$150.00 |
$165.00 |
$247.00
|
|---|
Registrations, renewals, pay or change details
As mentioned above, you can register your dog online using our Dogs Online e-services facility. You can also use Dogs Online to renew your dog registrations, pay registration fees and/or change your details in relation to your dog/s. If you prefer, you can download our dog-related forms as PDFs instead - see 'related links' at right.
Check out our dog registration - overview and FAQs (including our latest dog registration promotions and our maps on where you can exercise your dog) .
New registrations - for less than the full year
If your dog is less than three months old (or has been imported into New Zealand, regardless of its age) and you are registering it after 1 August in any registration year, we'll calculate your fee for the remaining months of the current registration year only. We do this at one-twelfth of the annual fee for each complete month remaining in the registration year after the date you register your dog/s.
If your dog is older than three months old after 1 August (and has not been imported into New Zealand) and you are registering it for the first time, you will need to pay the full year's registration fee.
See the table below for details.
| When you register your dog for the first time, if it is less than three months old after 1 August or imported and has arrived after 1 August, then you pay a pro-rata fee based on how much of the registration year is left. |
| July |
$95.00 |
$165.00 |
| August | $79.16 | $137.49 |
| September |
$71.25
|
$123.75 |
| October |
$63.34
|
$110.01 |
November
|
$55.41 |
$96.24 |
| December |
$47.50
|
$82.50 |
January
|
$39.59 |
$68.76 |
| February |
$31.66 |
$54.99
|
| March |
$23.75 |
$41.25
|
| April |
$15.84 |
$27.51
|
| May | $7.91 | $13.74 |
| More than three months old after 1 Aug |
No pro-rata fee
|
$95.00 |
$165.00 |
Puppy registration
A puppy needs to be registered on or before the age of three months. Any dog registered for the first time on or after 1 July 2006 must be implanted with a microchip.
Permit fee for owning more than two dogs
If you own more than two dogs a permit is required. An initial fee of $85.00 is payable with a $40.00 renewal fee annually.
For further information on number limits see owning more than two dogs.
Guide dogs, companion and hearing dogs
You still need to register certified seeing eye or hearing ear dogs and companion/assistance dogs - however there is no charge to register these dogs.
Dangerous and menacing dogs
Owners of these dogs are required by law to inform Council if either of the following two situations have occurred:
- The dog has been classified as menacing under Section 33A or Section 33C of the Dog Control Act 1996and the reasons for the classification.
- The dog has been classified as a dangerous dog under Section 31 of the Act.
For further information, see dangerous and menacing dogs.
Replacement tags
Replacement discs may be obtained from the Hamilton City Council for a minimal fee if the current disc has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. Any dog not wearing a collar having the current registration disc attached will, until proved otherwise, be treated as unregistered.
Get in touch with us to request a replacement disc - check out our Animal Education and Control Team's contact details and our location here .
Microchipping
All dogs registered for the first time after 1 July 2006 need to be microchipped within two months of first being registered. There are also microchipping requirements in relation to impounded dogs and dogs which are classified as dangerous or menacing. Find out more about the microchipping requirements here .