The short answer
In Regina, both cats and dogs must be licensed, renewed every year. A sterilized dog is $25 and a sterilized cat is $20; if your pet is not sterilized the fee jumps to $100 for either. The same reduced rate applies to pets under six months old or registered show animals. You can license online, by phone, or in person, and a licence comes with lost-pet benefits if your pet ever ends up at the Regina Humane Society.
Do Cats Need a Licence in Regina?
Yes. This catches people who have lived in cities that license dogs only. Regina licenses both cats and dogs, and both renew annually. The requirement comes from The Regina Animal Bylaw (Bylaw No. 2009-44).
The fee depends on whether your pet qualifies for the reduced rate. A reduced rate applies if the pet is sterilized, under six months old, or a registered show animal. Otherwise you pay the full standard fee. So whether you have adopted a cat or a dog, plan to license it and renew it each year.
Who Needs a Licence, and When
Every cat and dog in Regina needs a current City licence, renewed annually. Regina does not publish an explicit minimum licensing age, but the bylaw confirms that pets under six months old are licensed at the reduced rate.
If you have just adopted, license the pet now rather than later, and do it while the reduced rate applies. A sterilized adult, a kitten or puppy under six months, or a registered show animal all qualify for the lower fee. The licence then renews every year.
Regina Pet Licence Fees (2026)
Regina ties the fee to whether your pet qualifies for the reduced rate. Sterilizing your pet is the main lever, dropping a dog from $100 to $25 and a cat from $100 to $20.
- Reduced rate applies if the pet is sterilized, under six months old, or a registered show animal.
- No senior or multi-year rate. The licence renews annually at these fees.
- Sterilizing pays for itself fast: a spayed or neutered dog is $25 instead of $100, and a cat is $20 instead of $100.
Fees verified against regina.ca and The Regina Animal Bylaw (No. 2009-44) as of June 2026. Confirm the current rate on the City website before you pay.
How to License Your Pet
Online: create an account at the City of Regina portal, then email licences@regina.ca to link your pet information.
By phone: call 306-777-7717 and pay by credit card.
In person: visit Old Fire Hall #1 at 1646 11th Avenue.
By drop-off: at City Hall.
You provide your contact details and your pet's information, and you receive a numbered tag. Dogs must wear their tag at all times. A cat with a microchip or a legible tattoo does not have to wear its tag, though a licence is still required.
Why It Actually Matters: The Lost-Pet Benefits
It is easy to read “mandatory pet licence” as a cash grab. The benefits attached to it are the reason to do it gladly.
A licence gives sterilized pets one free “Get Out of Jail Free” redemption: the impound fee is waived once if your licensed, sterilized pet is picked up. On top of that, if a pet is licensed and identified, the Regina Humane Society contacts owners within 24 hours, so a licensed pet gets home faster.
Animal control and bylaw enforcement in Regina is contracted to the Regina Humane Society, and strays are taken there, typically held about three days. The tag is how an officer matches a found pet to your contact details in the first place. For an adoption-minded city, the licence fee also helps fund the animal services system that takes in and rehomes the next stray, the same pipeline that put your adopted pet on this site.
What It Costs to Skip It
The cost of an unlicensed pet shows up fast if Regina Humane Society ever picks it up:
Put next to a $25 dog or $20 cat licence, a $150 to $350 fine plus impound charges makes the math obvious. A sterilized, licensed pet also gets its first impound fee waived, which an unlicensed pet does not.
Adopting before you license?
Browse adoptable rescue dogs and cats across Regina, then sort out the licence in your first week home. Listings update regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Regina?
Yes. Unlike many cities that license dogs only, Regina licenses both cats and dogs, and both must be renewed every year. The requirement comes from The Regina Animal Bylaw (Bylaw No. 2009-44). A reduced rate applies if your cat is sterilized, under six months old, or a registered show animal, otherwise the standard cat licence is the full fee. So a Regina cat owner does have something to buy and renew, the same as a dog owner.
How much is a pet licence in Regina in 2026?
Dogs: $25 a year if the dog is sterilized, under six months old, or a registered show dog, and $100 a year otherwise. Cats: $20 a year at the reduced rate (sterilized, under six months, or registered show cat), and $100 a year otherwise. A replacement tag is $5. There is no senior or multi-year rate, so the licence renews annually at these rates. Sterilizing your pet is what unlocks the lower fee, dropping a dog from $100 to $25 and a cat from $100 to $20.
At what age does my pet need a Regina licence?
Regina does not set an explicit minimum licensing age, but the bylaw confirms that pets under six months old are licensed at the reduced rate. In practice, if you have just adopted a kitten or puppy, plan to license it now at the reduced rate rather than waiting. The licence then renews every year, and keeping it current is what keeps the lost-pet benefits in place.
What happens if my Regina pet is not licensed?
A fine for an unlicensed pet in Regina is between $150 and $350. If your pet is impounded, there is a $35 initial fee plus $15 a day after the first three days. Put next to a $25 dog or $20 cat licence, an unlicensed-pet fine on top of impound costs makes the licence the obvious choice. An unlicensed pet also misses the licence-only benefits, including the free impound redemption for sterilized pets.
What lost-pet benefits does a Regina licence give me?
Two real ones. First, a licence gives sterilized pets one free "Get Out of Jail Free" redemption, meaning the impound fee is waived once if your licensed, sterilized pet is picked up. Second, if your pet is licensed and identified, the Regina Humane Society contacts owners within 24 hours, so a licensed pet gets home faster. Animal control and bylaw enforcement in Regina is contracted to the Regina Humane Society, and strays are taken there, typically held about three days.
Does a microchip replace the licence in Regina?
No. A licence is still required regardless of whether your pet is microchipped. The microchip changes one thing: a cat with a microchip or a legible tattoo does not have to wear its licence tag. Dogs must wear their tag at all times. So a microchip is a useful backup for identification, but it does not remove the requirement to buy and renew the licence each year.
How do I license my pet in Regina?
Four ways. Online by creating an account at the City portal, then emailing licences@regina.ca to link your pet information; by phone at 306-777-7717 with a credit card; in person at Old Fire Hall #1, 1646 11th Avenue; or by drop-off at City Hall. You provide your contact details and your pet information, and you receive a numbered tag.
All Regina Adoptable Dogs
Live listings of rescue dogs from Regina and area rescues.
All Regina Adoptable Cats
Live listings of rescue cats. Both cats and dogs are licensed in Regina.
Regina Adoption Resources
Local guides on adopting, licensing, and caring for a Regina rescue.