Courtenay dog licences: fees and how to get one

How do I get a dog licence, and what does it cost?

Courtenay, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Every dog over six months old in the City of Courtenay needs a City licence each year. Buy it in person at City Hall or by mailing a cheque. The fee is $5 a year for a spayed or neutered dog and $25 for one that is not. Licences expire on December 31.

Key facts

Licence required	Yes. Every dog over six months old kept in Courtenay must be licensed, and must wear its licence tag on a collar or harness at all times.Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 4, s. 7; Dog licensing, Dog licensing page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No person shall keep any dog over the age of six months within the City unless a valid licence has been obtained and is held for the dog under this bylaw. All dogs over six months old living in Courtenay must have a license. Dogs must wear their licence tag on a collar or harness at all times.
Issued by	The City of Courtenay, at City Hall (830 Cliffe Avenue).Dog licensing, How to get a dog licence; Animal control, Dog licensing · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Visit Courtenay City Hall 830 Cliffe Avenue Licences are available at City Hall.
Fee, spayed or neutered	$5 a year for a neutered male or spayed female dog. A vet certificate is required (proof for a first licence).Dog licensing, Fees; Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), Sched. A s. 3(b), 3(d) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Neutered male or spayed female \| $5 annually If this is your first licence and your dog has been spayed or neutered, please include proof from your veterinarian. For every neutered male dog, proven to be such by the production of a For every spayed female dog, proven to be such by the production of a
Fee, not spayed or neutered	$25 a year for an unneutered male or unspayed female dog.Dog licensing, Fees; Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), Sched. A s. 3(a), 3(c) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Unneutered male or unspayed female \| $25 annually For every unneutered male dog: For every unspayed female dog:
Other fees and discounts	Replacement licence or tag: $2. New resident with a valid current-year licence from another municipality: $1 for the rest of the year. A dog brought into the City on or after August 1 with proof of a licence bought elsewhere pays half the annual fee. A dog unlicensed when impounded pays an extra $50 plus the licence fee.Dog licensing, Fees; Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), Sched. A s. 2(c), 3(e)-(g) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Replacement licence or dog tag \| $2 New Courtenay residents with a valid dog licence for the current year from another municipality \| $1 for the rest of the year The owner of any dog unlicenced at the time of impoundment shall pay an one-half of the annual licence fee. For a replacement licence or dog tag:
Renewal	Licences expire on December 31 each year and must be renewed annually.Dog licensing, Dog licensing page; Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 10 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Licences expire on December 31 each year and must be renewed annually. shall expire on the thirty-first day of December
How to get one	In person at City Hall, 830 Cliffe Avenue, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by mailing a cheque to City of Courtenay, 830 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 2J7. Include your name, address, phone and the dog's name, breed, colour and gender.Dog licensing, How to get a dog licence · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mail a cheque: your dog’s name, breed, colour and gender
Fine, unlicensed dog	Bylaw notice: $100 for no dog licence ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). Failing to affix the tag is also $100.Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185, Appendix A, Animal Control Bylaw · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No dog licence III.4 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 Yes Fail to affix dog licence tag III.7 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 Yes
Bylaw	Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 44 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996

How it works

The City of Courtenay requires every dog over six months old kept in the City to be licensed under its Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897. The dog must wear its licence tag on a collar or harness at all times. The licence comes from the City at City Hall.

Steps

Gather your name, address and phone number, and your dog's name, breed, colour and gender.
For the $5 fee, get a veterinarian's certificate showing the dog is spayed or neutered (it is needed as proof for a first licence).
Go to City Hall, or mail a cheque with those details to City of Courtenay, 830 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 2J7.
Put the tag on your dog's collar or harness.

Good to know

Licences expire on December 31. The licensing page says 2027 licences are now available.
A dog brought into the City on or after August 1 with proof of a licence bought elsewhere pays half the annual fee.
A dog that is unlicensed when impounded pays an extra $50 plus the licence fee.
A bylaw notice for no dog licence is $100 ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). Not putting the tag on the dog is also $100. The bylaw also allows a court fine of $50 to $2,000 on conviction.

What you'll need

Your name, address and phone number
Your dog's name, breed, colour and gender
Veterinarian's certificate showing the dog is spayed or neutered, for the lower fee

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Comox · Cumberland · Powell River · Campbell River · Port Alberni · Qualicum Beach

Dog licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Dog licensing, City of Courtenay (read 2026-11-05)
Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Animal control, City of Courtenay (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 9 of 9 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.