Dog Licence and Registration

Registrations are due by 30 June each year and must be renewed annually by the same date.

For more information on changes to dog registration fees, visit our dog ownership fees page.

There is a grace period of up to one month, however failure to register your dog before 31 July will incur an infringement fine as well as late registration fee.

The quickest way to register your dog is with our online form - here. To see the form you will need to create an account and/or log in.

Please note that tags will be sent by post when you register online.

Application form to register a dog - click to download a printable copy of the form.

Nelson City Council is moving to a long-life tag system in 2026. That means that this year will be the last time we issue a tag when an owner renews their dog’s registration. The tag a dog owner receives in 2026 will remain valid year after year, as long as the registration is kept current.

What’s changing — and what isn’t

Annual dog registration still applies. You'll still need to renew each year and pay the standard registration fee. What's different is that renewing will no longer result in a new tag arriving in the post. Your dog's existing tag is their permanent identifier.

The change also reduces waste. Previously, hundreds of tags were issued, replaced, and discarded every year across the district. Even for dogs whose owners renewed on time without missing a beat.

How officers verify registration

If the tag colour no longer changes each year, how do Animal Management officers know a dog is currently registered?

Our officers use tag scanning and Council's registration database to check a dog's status in the field. They can confirm whether a dog is currently registered without relying on tag colour at all. This is the same system already used alongside microchip checks, and the move to permanent tags doesn't change that process.

This is the first year of the new system

For many dog owners, a new tag arriving in the post has been the annual prompt to renew. With permanent tags, that reminder is going away, so it's worth setting your own. Registrations are due by 30 June each year, with a one-month grace period until 31 July.

We'll send reminders through Antenno and our website as the registration period opens each year. If you're not already on Antenno, it's a free app that delivers local updates from Council — search "Antenno" in your app store.

Have questions? Visit nelson.govt.nz/dogs, call us on 03 546 0200, or pop into Civic House — our Customer Service team can help.