---
title: "District of North Vancouver dog licences: fees and how to get one"
question: "How do I get a dog licence in the District of North Vancouver, and what does it cost?"
place: District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/north-vancouver-district
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of North Vancouver
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/dog-licence/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/dog-licence.json"
---

# District of North Vancouver dog licences: fees and how to get one

**Question:** How do I get a dog licence in the District of North Vancouver, and what does it cost?

**Short answer:** In the District of North Vancouver (not the City of North Vancouver), every dog older than three months needs a licence each year. The fee is $41 for a spayed or neutered dog and $95 for one that is not. It goes up by $14 on or after February 1.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of North Vancouver, https://www.dnv.org)  
**Cost:** $41 spayed or neutered (vet's certificate needed); $95 not spayed or neutered; $41 for an unaltered dog 3 to 6 months old. Add $14 on or after February 1. Replacement tag $7. Aggressive dog (spayed or neutered) $116. Unlicensed dog ticket: bylaw notice $150, municipal ticket $150.  
**How long:** A licence is valid for the calendar year and expires December 31. The annual fee is due on or before January 31.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 604-990-3711
- Phone: Animal Welfare Shelter and Services, 604-990-3666
- In person: Municipal Hall, 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver, BC V7N 4N5

## Key facts

- **Licence required:** Yes. The owner of a dog older than three months must get an annual licence. Police service dogs and assistance dogs do not need one, and an assistance dog's licence is free.
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, ss. 3.1, 3.3, 5](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The owner of a dog which is older than three (3) months must obtain an annual licence for such dog" … "does not apply to police service dogs or assistance dogs" … "in the case of an Assistance Dog, a licence shall be issued without charge"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Issued by:** The District of North Vancouver. The District's Collector issues a numbered licence tag each year.
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, ss. 1.1, 7](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Council hereby establishes this bylaw to provide the service of animal control and dog licensing" … "the Collector shall issue to the owner a numbered licence tag"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee, spayed or neutered:** $41 a year (spayed or neutered; the owner must give a vet's certificate). On or after February 1 of the year the fee goes up by $14.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481, Schedule E, Animal Control and Welfare Licences](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Spayed or neutered dog $41.00 annual fee" … "On or after February 1, in the current year, the" … "$14.00"
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, s. 3.1(b)](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a certificate by a veterinarian certifying that the dog has been spayed or neutered"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee, not spayed or neutered:** $95 a year. A dog 3 to 6 months old that is not spayed or neutered is $41. Same $14 increase on or after February 1.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481, Schedule E](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Not spayed or neutered dog $95.00 annual fee" … "Not spayed or neutered dog 3 to 6 months of age $41.00 annual fee"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other fees and discounts:** Replacement tag: $7. Aggressive dog (spayed or neutered): $116 a year. From September 1, the fee is halved if you moved to the District within 30 days or got the dog within 30 days. A licence from another municipality can be swapped for a District licence for the current year on payment of the Schedule E fee.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481, Schedule E](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Replacement licence $7.00" … "Spayed or neutered aggressive dog $116.00 annual fee" … "shall be reduced by 50 percent where an owner provides satisfactory proof to the Collector that"
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, s. 4](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "upon surrender of such licence to the Collector and payment of the fee"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Renewal:** A licence is valid for the calendar year and expires December 31. The annual fee is payable on or before January 31 each year.
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, ss. 3.1(c), 3.2](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "which is payable on or before January 31st of each year" … "A dog license is valid for the current calendar year and expires on December 31"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to get one:** Not confirmed. The District web page on buying a licence could not be read, so how to buy one is not confirmed.
- **Fine, unlicensed dog:** Bylaw notice: $150 ($115 if paid within 14 days; $225 after 28 days). Municipal ticket (in the Dog bylaw): $150. Not wearing a current tag is separate: $50.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7458, Schedule A, Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%207458.pdf)
  - Official wording: "8(a) Fail to licence dog 150 115 225"
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, s. 14.4](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Fail to licence dog 8(a) $150.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981 (cited in the bylaw as the "District of North Vancouver Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw, 1988"). Fees are in Schedule E of the Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481.
  - Source: [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981, s. 1](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
  - Official wording: "DOG TAX AND REGULATION BYLAW, 1988"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481, Schedule E](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control and Welfare Licences"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

the District of North Vancouver runs dog licensing itself under its [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981](<https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf>). The owner of a dog older than three months must get a licence every year. The District issues a numbered tag. Police service dogs and assistance dogs do not need a licence, and an assistance dog's licence is free. Fees are in the [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481](<https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf>).

## Steps

1. Apply to the District with your dog's name, breed, colour and gender. The bylaw does not say how; check dnv.org or call Bylaw Services at 604-990-3711.
2. For the lower fee, give a veterinarian's certificate showing the dog is spayed or neutered.
3. Pay the fee for the year. The annual fee is due on or before January 31.
4. Put the numbered tag on your dog.

## Good to know

- The fee goes up by $14 on or after February 1.
- From September 1, the fee is halved if you moved to the District, or got the dog, within the last 30 days.
- A licence from another municipality can be swapped for a District licence for the current year when you pay the District fee.
- A replacement tag is $7.
- An unlicensed dog is a $150 fine. A bylaw notice is $150 ($115 if paid within 14 days); a municipal ticket is $150. Not wearing a current tag is $50.
- No senior or early-payment discount is stated in the bylaw or fee schedule.

## Official forms and pages

- [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981 (PDF), District of North Vancouver](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481 (PDF), District of North Vancouver](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7458 (PDF), District of North Vancouver](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%207458.pdf)

## Related questions

- [District of North Vancouver dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/how-many-pets.md)
- [District of North Vancouver rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [District of North Vancouver bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-licence.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/dog-licence.md)
- [Belcarra](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/dog-licence.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/dog-licence.md)
- [Port Moody](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/dog-licence.md)
- [Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dog-licence.md)
- [Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dog-licence.md)

## Sources

- [https://docs.dnv.org/documents/dog-walkers-guide.pdf](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/dog-walkers-guide.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw 5981 (PDF), District of North Vancouver](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%205981.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw 6481 (PDF), District of North Vancouver](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%206481.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7458 (PDF), District of North Vancouver](https://docs.dnv.org/documents/Bylaw%207458.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

_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 District of North Vancouver. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/dog-licence/_