Animal Licensing

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Happily, 95% of lost pets that have been licensed or have identity tags are recovered. Unfortunately, 95% of lost pets that have not been licensed or do not have identity tags are never recovered. Please, license your dog, obtain an identity tag for your cat, and band your pet birds.

Licensing

Dogs 4 months and older must be vaccinated against rabies and be licensed with the County. Lifetime dog licenses are issued by the Treasurer's Office for $10 each. A current rabies certificate must be presented to obtain the license. Cats do not need a license; however, they need a current rabies vaccination. For more information, visit the Treasurer's Office website or by telephone at 757-890-3420.

Cost

The keeping of 5 or more dogs for the purpose of showing or hunting or as household pets constitutes operation of a private kennel, which is only permitted in certain areas of the County and under certain circumstances set forth in the York County Zoning Ordinance. If you need to request licenses for 5 or more dogs, please contact the Division of Development and Compliance at 757-890-3523 before purchasing.

Any request for a dog license(s) for 5 or more dogs must be accompanied by written authorization from the Division of Development and Compliance and submitted to the Treasurer's Office. Kennel tags can be obtained in the following increments (note: the $5 individual fee is waived in lieu of purchasing a kennel tag):

• Kennel of 1 to 10 dogs $15
• Kennel of 11 to 20 dogs $20
• Kennel of 21 to 30 dogs $25
• Kennel of 31 to 40 dogs $30
• Kennel of 41 to 50 dogs $35