Get started on the NSW Pet Registry

From 2 July 2024 the old NSW Pet Registry was replaced for owners and breeders. To create a new NSW Pet Registry account, you must first verify your identification using MyServiceNSW. 

You can register your pet on the NSW Pet Registry if you're a new pet owner, and:

• you're creating a NSW Pet Registry account for the first time
• your new pet was transferred to you using the new digital NSW Pet Registry after 1 July.

Currently, owners and breeders can only complete necessary tasks (like registration) for existing pets online, if:

• you had an account with the 'old' Pet Registry, before 28 June
• your MyServiceNSW account details exactly match the details that were on your old Pet Registry account, including your:
  • legal first and last name
  • mobile number
  • email address
• your pet was already linked to that account

Owners and breeders who create accounts on the new NSW Pet Registry will not see all their existing pets details if the above details don’t match. Necessary tasks related to existing pets or litters will need to be completed in the short term via local council using paper forms.

In NSW, all cats and dogs are required to be identified with a microchip number before they are sold or given away, and before they are 12 weeks of age. 

A breeder/ owner should be able to give you the puppy or kitten's microchip number before you buy them. You can then verify the microchip number against their breed and date of birth using the NSW Pet Registry buyer's search. 

If you receive a pet that is not microchipped, your local vet will be able to assist with microchipping.

Transfer of ownership

A breeder is responsible for completing all necessary steps to transfer ownership of a microchipped pet to a new owner.  

Owners must pay registration once they have received ownership of their new pet. In the case where a pet is purchased from a breeder, transfer typically happens between 8-10 weeks of age. 

Registration

All cats and dogs are required to be registered from the time they are 12 weeks old, or when they are first sold or given away (even if they are less than 12 weeks old). Until payment is made, a pet is not registered.

Additional fees for owning a non-desexed pet

In NSW owners of non-desexed cats over 4 months of age must pay an annual permit. Owners of non-desexed dogs over 6 months of age must pay a once-only additional fee. 

This means if you are registering your pet before they are 4 months (cats) or 6 months old (dogs), you will pay the base registration fee, regardless of your pet's desexed status. 

If they are not desexed at 4 or 6 months of age, you will be required to pay the appropriate fee.

It is not mandatory for owners or breeders to create an account on the NSW Pet Registry.  

Paper forms can be used by vets, councils, owners and breeders to permanently identify (microchip) litters, transfer ownership and register pets are available to download on the NSW Pet Registry website. These offline, manual processes have not changed.  

The Office of Local Government encourages the adoption of the digital NSW Pet Registry. Keeping your pet’s details up to date on the digital NSW Pet Registry is the fast and easy way to ensure you can be quickly reunited if they become lost.