Licenses are to be renewed annually by January 31st. If you obtain a dog after January 31st, you are required to license your dog immediately. A penalty equal to the cost of the dog license applies after 30 days of acquiring your pet. Unless confined in a registered kennel, dogs must wear their license tag at all times. All dogs discovered without a dog license tag are subject to impounding, sale, or destruction. No refunds are given on dog licenses.
If your dog’s tag is lost, the County Auditor will issue a duplicate tag for $5.00 when provided with proof of licensing. Transferring the ownership of your dog to another person must be done through the Auditor’s Office and costs $5.00.
Ohio law requires dogs over 3 months of age to be licensed. The county is authorized to hold a licensed dog for up to 14 days after mailing a notice of its capture to the owner before it can either be humanely destroyed or adopted. Unlicensed dogs may be destroyed or adopted out after being held for 3 days.
A dog that is not wearing his/her license is held for only 3 days so make sure your dog has his/her license on!
Why License Your Dog? IT’S THE LAW!
If your dog is ever missing, a dog license tag provides a quick and accurate way of notifying you if someone else finds your pet. It is also Ohio law that all dogs are licensed:
- All dogs three months of age or older must be licensed. No dog shall be harbored, kept, or owned without displaying a valid registration tag. (The law applies regardless of whether the dog is kept inside or out.) ORC (Ohio Revised Code) 955.21
- A penalty shall be assessed if dog license is not secured on or before January 31st, or within 30 days after the dog becomes 3 months of age, or is brought from outside the state. ORC 955.01
- Certificates or registration and registration tags shall be valid only during the CALENDAR year in which they are issued and during the first thirty-one (31) days of the following calendar year. ORC 955.09
There are 4 methods to apply for/renew registration:
1. If you received a dog license reminder and want to renew by mail, correct all license information on the form, if necessary. You can make copies to add new dogs, if needed. Select fee, indicate whether your dog(s) has been spayed or neutered, and sign and date form. Mail the top half of form, check or money order made out to Montgomery County Dog License to the following address:
MONTGOMERY COUNTY DOG LICENSE
PO BOX 972
DAYTON, OH 45422-1031Include veterinarian certification for the spay/neuter fee exclusion, if necessary. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with your application and payment so that your tag(s) may be sent to you.
2. Apply/renew online and pay with a credit card, debit card or e-check. Your tag(s) will be sent to you. If you need a veterinarian’s certification for the spay/neuter fee exclusion, you must use the mail-in option or the 4 outposts listed in method no. 4. Three-year and permanent licenses are not available online.
3. Print a blank application and mail it and your check to the address on the application. Include veterinarian certification for the spay/neuter fee exclusion, if necessary.
4. Go to any of our outposts. If you have a spay/neuter fee exclusion and need to provide veterinarian certification, breed registry number, or hunting license number, you must go to the Auditor’s Licensing Office or the Animal Resource Center.
