---
title: "Lake Cowichan dog licences: fees and how to get one"
question: "How do I get a dog licence in Lake Cowichan, and what does it cost?"
place: Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/lake-cowichan
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Lake Cowichan
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dog-licence/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dog-licence.json"
---

# Lake Cowichan dog licences: fees and how to get one

**Question:** How do I get a dog licence in Lake Cowichan, and what does it cost?

**Short answer:** In Lake Cowichan, every dog over four months old needs a Town dog licence. The fee is $15 a year if paid before the end of February and $30 after, plus $10 more for a dog that is not spayed or neutered.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Lake Cowichan, https://www.lakecowichan.ca)  
**Cost:** Before the end of February: $15 ($25 if not spayed or neutered). After: $30 ($40 if not). Replacement tag $5. No licence: $35 ticket.  
**How long:** A licence runs to December 31 each year.  
**Where:**
- In person: Town Hall, 39 South Shore Road, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Town Hall (bylaw and animal control; leave a message), 250-749-6681

## Key facts

- **Licence required:** Yes. No one may keep a dog in the Town without a dog licence. A dog is any canine over four months old.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 2.1, s. 6.2](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "DOG shall mean any animal of the canine species over the age of four months, regardless of sex;" … "unless a dog licence under this bylaw has been obtained"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Issued by:** The Town of Lake Cowichan (the bylaw's Collector is the Town's collector; animal control is run through the Town office).
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 2.1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "COLLECTOR shall mean the Collector of the Town of Lake Cowichan"
  - Source: [Animal Control, Animal Control page](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/animal.php)
  - Official wording: "The enforcement of the Town's animal control bylaws is now run through the Town office."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee, spayed or neutered:** $15 a year if paid before the end of February (Schedule A); $30 after the end of February. Section 6.4 says the fee is due on or before January 31, so the bylaw text and schedule differ.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, Schedule A](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Annual Dog Licence Fee before the end of February" … "$ 15.00" … "Annual Dog Licence Fee after the end of February" … "30.00" … "The annual licence fee shall be payable on or before January 31st of"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee, not spayed or neutered:** Base fee plus an additional $10 for an unspayed or unneutered dog (so $25 before the end of February, $40 after). The owner must prove the dog is spayed or neutered in writing.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 6.6, Schedule A](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Additional Licence Fee for unspayed/unneutered Dogs" … "10.00" … "Establishing written proof of the claim that the dog has been spayed or neutered will be the responsibility of the owner."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other fees and discounts:** Late licence fee: $30 after the end of February (the bylaw says a late fee applies after January 31). Replacement tag: $5. No senior discount found.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 6.5, s. 6.10, Schedule A](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "After January 31st of each year the late licence fee" … "Replacement tag" … "5.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Renewal:** Licence tags expire December 31 each year. The annual fee is payable on or before January 31 each year, or within the first month of getting a dog.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 6.4, s. 6.8](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The annual licence fee shall be payable on or before January 31st of" … "Every licence tag issued under this bylaw shall expire on December 31st of each year."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to get one:** Not confirmed. The bylaw and the Town's Animal Control page do not say where or how to buy a licence.
- **Fine, unlicensed dog:** $35 ticketed fine for no dog licence. $25 if the licence tag is not affixed.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, Schedule A](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No dog license" … "35.00" … "License tag not affixed" … "25.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Town of Lake Cowichan Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (as amended by Bylaw No. 1052-2021)
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Town of Lake Cowichan Animal"
  - Source: [Animal Control Amendment Bylaw No. 1052-2021, Title](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1052-2021%20Amendment%20to%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control Bylaw Amendment Bylaw No.1052-2021"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Town of Lake Cowichan requires a licence for every dog kept in the Town. Under its [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019](<https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf>), a dog is any canine over four months old. The Town runs animal control through Town Hall.

## Steps

1. Call Town Hall at 250-749-6681 or visit 39 South Shore Road to ask how to buy or renew a licence. The bylaw and the Town's Animal Control page do not say where or how to buy one.
2. If the dog is spayed or neutered, be ready to show proof in writing, or the extra $10 applies.
3. Pay within the first month of getting the dog, and renew each year.

## Good to know

- Licence tags expire December 31 each year.
- The fee is $15 if paid before the end of February and $30 after. The bylaw text (s. 6.4) says the fee is due on or before January 31, so the bylaw and its fee schedule differ. Confirm the date with Town Hall.
- A dog that is not spayed or neutered costs an extra $10: $25 before the end of February, $40 after.
- A replacement tag is $5.
- No licence is a $35 ticket. A tag that is not attached is a $25 ticket.
- No senior discount was found.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf)
- [Animal Control, Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/animal.php)

## Related questions

- [Lake Cowichan dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Lake Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/how-many-pets.md)
- [Lake Cowichan rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dangerous-dogs.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-licence.md)
- [Ladysmith](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ladysmith/dog-licence.md)
- [Duncan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/duncan/dog-licence.md)
- [North Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/dog-licence.md)
- [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/dog-licence.md)
- [North Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/dog-licence.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/dog-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control, Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/animal.php) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1019-2019%20Animal%20Control.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control Amendment Bylaw No. 1052-2021 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1052-2021%20Amendment%20to%20Animal%20Control.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 8 of 9 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Lake Cowichan. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dog-licence/_