Dog Licenses

All dogs in the City of Utica, must be licensed at four months of age and older. The issuance of a new dog license must be processed in person at the City Clerk's Office. To obtain a new dog license, a valid certificate of vaccination from a licensed veterinarian must be presented. If the dog has been spayed or neutered, a certificate of verification must also be presented. The license is valid for one year, and must be renewed yearly with our office. Each dog is issued a permanent official identification number and given a metal identification tag which is to be attached to the dog's collar and worn at all times. If the dog has been licensed in another municipality, the owner has 30 days to license the dog in the City of Utica. All previous paperwork must be presented to the Clerk in order to issue the license to your new address in the City of Utica.

    Fees:
    Unneutered Male: $ 25.00
    Unspayed Female: $ 25.00
    Neutered Male: $ 15.00
    Spayed Female: $ 15.00

Renewal Information:

A license shall be renewed after a period of one year beginning with the first day of the month following the date of issuance and shall be renewed annually thereafter prior to the expiration date. You may renew your dog license by either coming into or office or by mail, after receiving a renewal from our office simply follow the instructions on the form and send it back to our office. If you do choose to mail back your renewal to our office please pay by only check or money order and they can be made out to the City of Utica.

Change of Address:

If you move from one residence to another within the City, even if you move out of the City limits, you must notify the City Clerk's office to update your information.

Change of Owners:

To change the owner of a dog, the new owner must submit all previous paperwork relating to the history of the licensing of the dog. A note stating the change in ownership issued by the previous owner and licensing fees must also be submitted in order to issue a new license to the new owner.

    Why does my dog need to be licensed, and what are the fees for?
    -Local Animal Control Officers
    -New York State Animal Population Control Program
    -Investigation of animal cruelty complaints and enforcement of animal
     welfare laws
    -Compliance with rabies vaccination of dogs
    -Care for sick and stray animals
    -Return of lost dogs to their owners