Do you need a dog licence in the UK? 2026 rules by country

There's no dog licence in England, Scotland or Wales: the Local Government Act 1988 abolished it, from 24 May 1988. But two rules apply to every dog:

• Your dog must be microchipped by 8 weeks old, and you must keep the details up to date.
• In a public place, your dog must wear a collar with your name and address on it, or on a tag. Our guide to UK dog collar law explains it, and a personalised dog tag carries them on its back.

Not for now. On 24 September 2026 the Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce, set up by the government in 2022, published a report with 20 recommendations on dog control. The environment department's answer, as the BBC reported it: “we will not be introducing a new dog licensing scheme.”

The taskforce itself was wary of a licence for every dog, saying it “may amount to another database of responsible owners or an administrative exercise with little public safety benefit”. It suggested looking at other options, such as a scheme for high-risk dogs, background checks on owners, or a knowledge test before getting a dog.

The idea hasn't gone away. The RSPCA and Dogs Trust have paid for research into what a licence would cost and whether it would cut dog control problems, with the findings due later in 2026. Until a government changes its mind, nothing changes for dog owners in England, Scotland and Wales.

In Northern Ireland it's an offence to own a dog without a licence, apart from a few exceptions such as puppies under six months old, assistance dogs and police dogs. You apply through your local council, and the licence lasts 12 months.

• £12.50 a year as standard.
• £5 if your dog is neutered, or if you get certain income-related benefits.
• Free for one dog if you're 65 or over, and £5 for each other dog.
• Owners of three or more dogs can sometimes get a block licence for £32 a year.

Your dog must be microchipped at eight weeks old, nidirect says, and before you apply for the licence: since 9 April 2012 a council can't issue a dog licence for a dog that isn't microchipped (the Dogs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011). Our guide to dog microchipping law covers the rest of the UK. In public, your dog must also wear a collar with your name and address on it, or on a plate or badge attached to it.

nidirect adds a catch that matters for ID: if the contact details on the chip aren't accurate, or aren't on a database council officers can access, the dog doesn't count as microchipped and the licence isn't valid. So keep the chip details up to date too.

Keeping a dog without a licence, or without that collar, can lead to a fine of up to £1,000. nidirect says keeping a dog without a valid licence can mean a warning, a formal caution, a fixed penalty or prosecution.

• Get the licence first. nidirect says it's an offence to take possession of a dog, whether you paid for it or not, before you've got a licence for it, and the person who gave or sold you the dog commits an offence too.
• You have to be 16 or over to hold a dog licence, and people disqualified from keeping animals can't hold one.
• If you're issued a licence but don't take the dog, or the dog dies or is rehomed within 30 days, you can apply for a refund.

Owning a dog needs no licence outside Northern Ireland, but some dog businesses do, and the licence comes from your local council:

• Breeding in England: you need a licence if you run a business that breeds and advertises dogs for sale, or if you breed 3 or more litters in any 12 months and sell any of the puppies, GOV.UK says. The council sets the fee, and the licence lasts 1, 2 or 3 years.
• Breeding in Scotland: a licence is needed for breeding 3 or more litters of puppies in any 12 months, under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.
• Breeding in Wales and Northern Ireland: both have their own dog breeding licences, also from the council.
• Boarding and day care in England: boarding kennels, dog day care and boarding other people's dogs in your home as a business all need a licence.
• Selling pets in England: a business that sells animals as pets needs a licence, even one run from home or online. GOV.UK says you don't need one to sell a small number of puppies from your own pet as a hobby, but doing it often can make it a business.

A QR tag isn't a licence and doesn't replace your name and address on the collar, but it means anyone who finds your dog can reach you in seconds. Our what to put on a dog tag page helps you get the engraved part right.