Dog and cat registration

Online

You can complete registration and make payment at Dogs and Cats Online.

In person or over the phone

You can register your pet over the phone or in person by visiting our Civic Centre, 571 Montague Road, Modbury during business hours. 

Phone 8397 7313

What you need before you start: 

• Valid concession card - if applicable
• Microchip number, desexing ID or Transfer Code if applicable
• Desexing, microchipping and training certificates
• Debit or credit card. If you are unable to pay electronically, please visit Council's Civic Centre to complete the registration.

All dog, cat, breeder and business registrations expire on 30 June each year.

Registration renewal notices are sent out in July to be paid by 31 August. Late fees apply for payments made after 31 August.

Registration renewal notices will be sent via SMS, email or post and contain a unique renewal code.  Contact us on 8397 7313 if your renewal notice has not arrived by mid July.

Cat owners who have recorded their cat's microchip number in DACO will receive a notice each July to remind them to check their details are up-to-date.

What you need before you start:

• Renewal latest notice
• Desexing, microchipping and training certificates - if you have not previously provided them
• Debit or credit card. If you are unable to pay electronically, please visit Council's Civic Centre to complete the registration renewal.

Concession card holders

The following concession cards will only be accepted

• Pensioner Concession card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health card
• Health Care card
• DVA Health Card (Gold Card)

Dog registration fees 2023-2024

You can update your dog's status at renewal time without logging into your account.

Go to Dogs and Cats Online

• Click Register/Renew
• I would like to: Renew registration
• Enter the renewal code and surname from your latest renewal notice
• Check your details are correct and update if necessary
• Answer the questions regarding concession and breeding
• Update details for each dog – add desexing, microchipping, training if needed
• Change the status of the deceased dog to deceased and add the relevant date
• Renew the other dogs (if applicable)

Transferring to a new owner

Go to Dogs and Cats Online

1.  Log in using your email address - if you can't remember your password, select 'Forgotten your password' to set a new one
2. Select 'Commence ownership transfer'
3. Select animal to transfer
4. Select 'Initiate transfer'
5. Enter the new owner's details - including email or mobile number
6. Select 'OK' to transfer
7. Provide transfer code to new owner
   New owners must be provided the certificate of registration (renewal notice), registration disc last issued and transfer code.

Accepting a transfer

Go to DACO website

1.  Login and select 'Complete ownership transfer'
2. Enter the transfer code provided by previous owner
3. Complete required information

It is important to keep your details in Dogs and Cats Online up-to-date.

Login to Dogs and Cats Online to:

• Update your personal details including phone number and email address
• Change your address
• Update your animal's microchipping, desexing or training details
• Update the status of your animal to lost or deceased if your animal has passed away. 

If you believe you have been charged an incorrect fee or have paid twice, please contact Council on 8397 7313

Refunds on compassionate grounds are offered by Council subject to conditions. The Dog and Cat Management Board retains 24% of dog registration fees and these funds are not available to councils.

• Where the dog becomes deceased within one month of payment of registration fee, 76% will be refunded
• Where the dog becomes deceased up to 3 months after payment of registration fee, 57% will be refunded
• Where the dog becomes deceased up to 6 months after payment of registration fee, 38% will be refunded
• Where the dog becomes deceased up to 9 months after payment of registration fee, 19% will be refunded

Apply for a dog registration fee refund

A $15 late payment fee will be applied for each unregistered dog after 31 August.

Apply to waive the dog registration late fee

Late fees will not be refunded if payment of the registration fee and late fee has been made.

Dogs and Cats Online refund policy (PDF, 64KB)

Everyone that breeds dogs and cats for sale must register as a breeder on Dogs and Cats Online and pay the ($75) registration fee. 

Register as a breeder

Go to Dogs and Cats Online

1.  Login using your email address and secure password (select Forgotten your password if you need to reset it)
2. Select Breeder/Pedigree Membership Registration
3. Complete breeder registration questions
4. Pay annual fee of $75 (expires 30 June each year)

Breeder rules 

Any advertisements to sell dogs or cats must include names, phone numbers and DACO breeder numbers for each breeder and person involved in the sale. 

Puppies and kittens must be microchipped before being sold and the microchip must be recorded in Dogs and Cats Online. The new owner must be provided with the microchip number to complete the animal registration in their name.

When you sell an animal, you must transfer the microchip record to the new owner. The new owner must be provided with the microchip number to complete the animal registration in their name.

How to transfer

Go to Dogs and Cats Online

1. Select Register/Renew
2. Select to Register my new dog/cat
3. Enter Microchip number and your Surname
4. Select Transfer
5. Enter owner's name, address and phone number
6. Save
7. Provide the microchip number to the new owner so they can register their new dog/cat.

If you decide to keep a dog or cat, select Register instead of Transfer at step 4 above.

Learn more about South Australia's breeding laws

Buying or selling dogs or cats(PDF, 4MB)
Breeding and selling dogs or cats(PDF, 2MB)

Members of the public can apply to the Registrar of Dogs for access to their register.

Application for access to information in Dogs and Cats Online

Name and address suppression enables at-risk dog owners to have their details suppressed in Dogs and Cats Online.

Suppressed owners - owner information (PDF, 39KB)

Statutory Declaration - Dogs and Cats Online (PDF, 27KB)

Apply to have your details suppressed

Council's By-Law No 4 - Dogs, limits the number of dogs allowed to be kept on premises and manages and controls dogs in the Council area.

Apply to keep more than two dogs - fees are payable with this application.

By-law No 4 (PDF, 1MB)