Other Resources
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 and a check or money order made out to Montgomery County Dog License to the following address:
MONTGOMERY COUNTY DOG LICENSES
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. Important: DO NOT have your bank send a check separately! These checks are sent to "Montgomery County", and can wind up in a different office than Licensing. If you must use a bank-generated check, have the bank send the check to your home and include it with your dog license application before sending. We will not be responsible for lost bank-generated checks.
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 2 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. If you have a dog used for show breeding or hunting, please provide the breed registry number or the 2022-2023 hunting license number for the additional fee exclusion. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
4. Go to any of our outposts. If you have a spay/neuter fee exclusion and need to provide veterinarian certification, AKC breed registry number, or hunting license number, you must go to the Auditor’s Licensing Office or the Animal Resource Center, or use the mail-in option. Outposts are allowed by Ohio law to charge $0.75 per dog. Outposts will only be selling licenses until January 31, 2023.
Single-Year Montgomery County Dog License Cost:
- Spayed or Neutered Dog: $20.00
- Unaltered Dog: $24.00
- Spayed or Neutered Dog: $60
- Unaltered Dog: $72
- Spayed or Neutered Dog: $200
- Unaltered Dog: $240
Unaltered dog fee exclusions:
- 9 months old or less (no proof required)
- Advanced in years or has a medical condition preventing the dog from being spayed or neutered (veterinarian certification is required unless vet certification was given previously)
- Used or intended to be used for breeding or show (AKC breed registry number required)
- Used or intended to be used for hunting (owner’s 2022 - 2023 hunting license number required)
Should an owner wish to purchase a 3-year license for a dog becoming 3-months of age after July 1st or being brought or purchased from outside the state after July 1st, the cost would be $50 (spayed/neutered) or $60 (un-spayed/un-neutered).
Permanent license costs are unchanged after July 1st. These licenses will be sold exclusively by the Auditor's Office. Choose carefully, as no refunds will be given.
No proof is required if dog is spayed or neutered.
General Information:
- Licenses are to be renewed annually between December 1st and January 31st. Mailed-in licenses must be postmarked 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. Unlicensed dogs may be destroyed or adopted out after being held for 3 days. After the waiting period, dogs are evaluated for adoption, released to a reputable rescue group, or euthanized.
If your dog goes 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 be 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
Kennel Licenses:
A kennel license can only be obtained from the Auditor’s Office at the County Administration Building, 451 W. Third Street. Those who purchase a kennel license must also have or purchase a Vendor’s License for the intent to sell breeding stock or have a current hunting license. Kennel licenses cost $100 for 2023, which includes 5 tags. Additional kennel tags cost $1.00 each.
Helping the handicapped = Free dog license
Handicapped assistance tags are available and are good for a assistance dog’s entire life. The tag is free if there is proof of professional training of the dog for handicapped assistance. "Assistance dog" is defined as a guide dog, hearing dog, or service dog that has been trained by a nonprofit special agency. This is an ORC requirement for a free tag.