To help keep your pets safe, you must register your cat or dog with us once they are 3 months old and renew this registration by 10 April every year.
Register a pet
If your pet is registered, we can return them to you if they get lost or injured. Registration fees also fund services like dog parks and pounds.
Pets being registered with the City for the first time may be eligible for a free first year of registration. If a pet has been registered previously, standard or concession fees apply.
A pet is only eligible if it has never previously been registered with the City of Greater Geelong. If a pet has been registered with us before (including expired or previous registrations), standard or concession fees apply.
When you register you must provide evidence of microchipping and desexing. Your vet will be able to give you a certificate.
If your dog is less than 6 months old and not yet desexed, your vet can provide a letter confirming they were too young to be sterilised at the time of registration. This exemption is only valid for one registration period, and proof of desexing will be required for future renewals to continue receiving the reduced rate.
If you have more than 2 cats or 2 dogs, you will need to apply for a multiple animal permit after you finish your pet registration if you do not already have one.
Note:
All cats must be desexed before registration. A vet exemption letter will not be accepted in place of a desexing certificate.
Pet registration is annual, with renewal fees due each year by 10 April.
Concessions
You are eligible for the concession rate if you are the holder of a current Pension Concession Card, Veterans Affairs Gold Card or Veterans Affairs War Widow Card.
Please Note: Health Care Cards are not included.
Free first-year registration - newly registered pets only
Your pet may be eligible for free first-year registration if it has never previously been registered with the City of Greater Geelong.
If your pet has been registered with us before (including expired registrations), standard or concession fees will apply.
If there are any queries with your registration, including confirmation of applicable fees, a Council officer will contact you to discuss. Otherwise, we will automatically issue you with a lifelong registration tag, which must be worn by your animal when it is outside your property.
Your registration tag will be mailed to you within seven days of your registration being finalised.
Pet registration fees for 2026-2027 (from 1 January 2026)
Register your pet from 1 January 2026, registrations will be valid up until 9 April 2027.
| Registration categories | First-year registration | Regular ($) | Concession ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dogs | |||
| Dangerous Dog (Residential) | N/A | 302.00 | 302.00 |
| Dangerous Dog (Guard Dog) | N/A | 218.00 | 218.00 |
| Menacing Dog | N/A | 248.00 | 248.00 |
| Restricted Breed | N/A | 302.00 | 302.00 |
| Unsterilised Dog | FREE* | 214.00 | 108.00 |
| Desexed and microchipped Dog | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Over 10 years of age | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Working Dog | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Registered Breeder | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Member of an approved canine association | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Obedience trained dog from an approved obedience training organisation | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Assistance Dogs Guide Dogs Victoria Hearing Dog Seeing Eye Dogs Australia Government Dogs (State and Commonwealth) | FREE* | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cats | |||
| Desexed and microchipped cat | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Approved enclosure | FREE* | 34.00 | 10.00 |
| Registered Breeder | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Member of an approved feline association3 | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
| Unable to be desexed or microchipped - evidence from vet required | FREE* | 68.00 | 34.00 |
*Free first-year registration applies only where the pet has never previously been registered in the City of Greater Geelong.
- Approved Australian canine organisations are Dogs Victoria, Master Dog Breeders Association and Greyhound Racing Victoria.
- Approved obedience training organisations are: The Australian Association of Professional Dog Trainers Inc, Kintala Dog Club Association Inc. (formerly The Gentle Dog Trainers Association Inc), Dogs Victoria, Four Paws K9 Training and The Delta Institute.
- Approved Australian feline organisations are: Australian National Cats Inc, Feline Control Council of Victoria Inc and the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy Australia and Victoria.
In addition to financial membership of an approved organisation, the dogs or cats also need to be registered with that applicable organisation.
Every cat and dog must be microchipped.
Microchipping is a permanent form of identification which will helps us to identify pets and reunite them with their owners. Each microchip has a unique identification number that will last for the life of the animal.
When your pet is microchipped you will receive a certificate of identification from the licensed registry where information is kept.
There are two organisations that manage the microchip records for pets in Australia:
If you move house or change ownership you need to update your records with these organisations.
When you complete your pet registration we will send you a pet registration tag. You must attach this tag to your pet's collar.
If your pet is too small to wear a tag please contact us to request a small pet tag.
This tag is another way we can identify your pet if they wander away from home.
If you have lost your pet's registration tag we will replace it free of charge in any of our Customer Service Centres.
If you are unable to complete your registration online you can download our animal registration application form complete it and return it with required documentation and the registration fee to:
City of Greater Geelong
PO Box 104
GEELONG VIC 3220
Once processed you will be provided with a receipt and registration tags for your pets.
Alternatively you may wish to return your completed documentation and pay the registration fee at any of our Customer Services Centres.
Related information
News and updates
Page last updated:
We are glad that you find this page helpful!
Submitting feedback... Please wait.
An error occured! Please try again.
Feedback submitted successfully!
Thank you for your feedback. We value your input and will use it to improve our services.