LICENSING REGULATIONS

Where can you obtain a dog licence?

If you own a dog you must have a dog licence. If you live within the Lisbun City Council area you should obtain a licence from the Environmental Health Service. You can obtain it in person, or request an application form by post by telephoning 028 92509395 You can also download a form by clicking on the following link.  Dog Licensing Application

How much does it cost?

The cost of a dog licence is £5 or if you have more than three dogs and you meet certain criteria you may apply for a block licence costing £12.50.  A breeder’s licence is also available for breeding establishments.  For anyone over the age of 65 and living alone there is a concessionary rate of £2.50 for the first dog licence and the normal price of a licence for a second dog.

What are the benefits?

1.  A dog’s licence offers some proof of ownership.  It is a legal requirement that anyone in possession of a dog must hold a valid licence.  The details of the dog owner and the dog are registered with the City Council and each owner is issued with a licence and licence disc which bears the dog’s own personal identification number                                  

2.  Lisburn City Council dog wardens impound approximately 500 stray dogs per year.  Those stray dogs wearing a valid licence identification disc are more likely to be reunited with their owner.  The identification number on the licence disc enables the dog warden to check the council’s licensing records, trace and advise the owner of the dog’s whereabouts and thus prevent the dog from being rehomed or unnecessarily destroyed.           

When are you required to licence a dog?

Before taking possession of a dog or puppy, owners should ensure that they have already purchased a dog licence.  If however, a puppy stays with its mother it must have a licence by the age of six months.

If your dog dies and you have a valid licence for it, it is possible to transfer that licence should you obtain another dog within 30 days.

Is a dog licence transferable from one person to another?

No.

How much does it cost?

 The dog licence was introduced in 1983 costing £5.  Against the rate of inflation the licence should have risen to £20 per dog, so your dog licence is something of a bargain.

Penalties for no licence

If you keep a dog without a licence you can be issued with a fiixed penalty of £25. Non payment of this could result in a fine of up to £200

Additional means of identification

Microchipping and tattooing give dog owners piece of mind that if lost their dog can be traced back to them.  Microchipping is a veterinary procedure in which a computerised capsule, the size of a grain of rice, containing the dog’s medical history and owner details, is injected under the dog’s skin.  The insertion process is quick and virtually painless, with no after effects.  The microchip stays in place for an average of 25 years, longer than a dog’s lifespan.

Once your dog has been microchipped, it is provided with a collar tag that alerts others of the need to bring it to the nearest scanning point.  Lisburn City Council Dog Wardens will microchip any dog rehomed from our kennels.