The short answer
In Toronto, both dogs and cats must be licensed, and there is no exemption for indoor-only cats. A fixed dog is $25 a year and a fixed cat is $15; intact pets pay more. Owners 65 and over get half off, and low-income households can have fees subsidized or waived. You can license online through DocuPet, by phone, in person by appointment, or by mail. The licence renews annually and the tag is what helps a lost pet get home.
Do Cats Need a Licence in Toronto?
Yes. This is where Toronto differs from cities like Vancouver, which licenses dogs only. Under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 (Animals), every cat owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear its tag, renewed every year. There is no indoor-cat exemption. The only animals exempt from licensing are service animals.
So if you have adopted a Toronto cat, you are not done after the adoption paperwork. A spayed or neutered cat licence is $15 a year, and an intact cat is $50. The good news is that the same lost-pet logic that justifies a dog licence applies to cats: the tag is what links a found cat back to you, and indoor cats slip out doors more often than owners expect.
Who Needs a Licence, and When
Every dog and cat owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear its tag under Chapter 349. There is no exemption for indoor cats, recently adopted pets, or rescues. Service animals are the only exception.
If you have just adopted an adult dog or cat, the licence is due now, not eventually. The licence renews each year, so the practical rule is simple: license your pet when you bring it home, then renew annually. Keeping the licence current is also what keeps the tag information up to date if your pet is ever lost.
Toronto Pet Licence Fees (2026)
Toronto tiers its fees by species and by whether the pet is spayed or neutered. Fixed pets pay less, which is effectively the City's spay/neuter discount. Owners 65 and over get 50% off every tier.
- Fixed pets pay less. Spaying or neutering moves your pet to the lower fee tier.
- Seniors 65+ get 50% off every licence tier.
- Low-income households (income under $50,000) can qualify for subsidized or waived fees.
- Annual only. Toronto has no multi-year or lifetime licence option.
Fees verified against toronto.ca and Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 as of June 2026. Confirm the current rate on the City dog and cat licence page before you pay.
How to License Your Pet
Online (fastest): apply or renew through DocuPet at toronto.docupet.com, the City's licensing platform.
By phone: call 416-338-PETS (7387), Monday to Friday. Note that pet licensing is handled at this line, not 311.
In person (by appointment): at one of the three Toronto Animal Services shelters: North at 1300 Sheppard Avenue West, East at 821 Progress Avenue, or West at 146 The East Mall.
By mail: to Toronto Animal Services, 433 Eastern Avenue.
You provide your contact details and your pet's name, breed, age, and colour. You receive a numbered tag for the collar, which is the part that does the work if your pet is ever lost.
Microchips, Tags, and Getting a Lost Pet Home
A common question is whether a microchip replaces the licence. It does not. A microchip is not required to license your pet, and having one does not exempt your pet from wearing its City tag. The two are separate systems, and Toronto requires the tag.
The one place they connect is impound. If an impounded dog is redeemed, the owner must have it microchipped within 24 hours, and a redeemed cat must be microchipped too. So microchipping in Toronto is tied to getting an impounded pet back, not to ordinary licensing.
The reason any of this matters is the same reason it matters everywhere: a licence helps return a lost pet faster. The DocuPet platform Toronto uses includes a lost-pet service called HomeSafe, and the numbered tag is how a found pet gets linked back to your contact details. For an adoption-minded household, the licence fee also helps fund the animal services system that takes in and rehomes the next stray.
What It Costs to Skip It
The cost of an unlicensed pet shows up two ways: a fine, and a much harder time getting your pet back if it is ever impounded.
An impounded dog is held a minimum of five days and a cat a minimum of three days before becoming City property, and getting your pet back means paying the impound and care fees. Redemption of an impounded dog also requires microchipping it within 24 hours. Put next to a $15 cat or $25 dog licence, the impound path is far more expensive and far more stressful.
Adopting before you license?
Browse adoptable rescue dogs and cats across Toronto, then sort out the licence in your first week home. Both dogs and cats need one. Listings update regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Toronto?
Yes. Unlike Vancouver, Toronto licenses both dogs and cats, and there is no exemption for indoor-only cats. Under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 (Animals), every dog and cat owned in the city must be licensed and wear its tag, renewed annually. The only animals exempt are service animals. A spayed or neutered cat licence is $15 a year; an intact cat is $50. So if you have adopted a Toronto cat, indoor or not, you still need a licence.
How much is a pet licence in Toronto in 2026?
It depends on the species and whether the pet is fixed. A spayed or neutered dog licence is $25 a year and an intact dog is $60. A spayed or neutered cat is $15 and an intact cat is $50. Owners aged 65 and over get 50% off, which brings a fixed dog to $12.50, an intact dog to $30, a fixed cat to $7.50, and an intact cat to $25. Service dogs are free, and a replacement tag is $5.65. There is no multi-year or lifetime option in Toronto; the licence is annual.
Does my dog or cat need to be licensed in Toronto?
Every dog and cat owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear its tag under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349. There is no indoor-cat exemption and no licensing exemption based on the pet being a rescue or recently adopted. If you have just adopted an adult dog or cat, it needs a licence now. The licence renews every year. Service animals are the only exemption.
Does a microchip replace a Toronto pet licence?
No. A microchip is not required to license your pet, and having one does not exempt your pet from wearing its City tag. The two are separate. The one place they connect is impound: if an impounded dog is redeemed, the owner must have it microchipped within 24 hours, and a redeemed cat must be microchipped as well. For ordinary day-to-day licensing, the tag is what is required, not the chip.
What happens if my Toronto pet is not licensed?
Failing to license a pet can result in a ticket, up to a maximum fine of $5,000. Beyond the fine, an unlicensed pet that gets lost is much harder to return: the licence and tag are how the City links a found animal back to you. Low-income households (income under $50,000) can qualify for subsidized or waived licence fees, so cost should not be the reason a pet goes unlicensed.
How do I license my dog or cat in Toronto?
Four ways. Online through DocuPet at toronto.docupet.com, which is the fastest. By phone by calling 416-338-PETS (7387), Monday to Friday. In person by appointment at one of the three Toronto Animal Services shelters: North at 1300 Sheppard Avenue West, East at 821 Progress Avenue, or West at 146 The East Mall. Or by mail to Toronto Animal Services, 433 Eastern Avenue. You provide your contact details and your pet’s information, and you receive a numbered tag for the collar.
All Toronto Adoptable Dogs
Live listings of rescue dogs from Toronto and GTA rescues.
All Toronto Adoptable Cats
Live listings of rescue cats. Remember, Toronto licenses cats too.
Toronto Adoption Resources
Local guides for new and prospective Toronto pet owners.
More Toronto Resources
Browse every Toronto adoption and pet-care guide in one place.