---
title: "Port Alberni dog licences: fees and how to get one"
question: "How do I get a dog licence, and what does it cost?"
place: Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/port-alberni
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Port Alberni
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-licence/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-licence.json"
---

# Port Alberni dog licences: fees and how to get one

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

**Short answer:** Every dog over six months old in Port Alberni needs a City licence for each calendar year. The fee is $30 for a spayed or neutered dog and $45 for one that is not. Email the application, then pay in person or online.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Port Alberni, https://www.portalberni.ca)  
**Cost:** $30 spayed or neutered; $45 not spayed or neutered; $30 if a veterinarian certifies the dog is medically unfit to be spayed or neutered. Replacement tag or transfer $5. Half price if you apply on or after August 1. Fee set in Fees and Charges Bylaw 5125, Schedule H.  
**How long:** Licences run January 1 to December 31 and are renewed each year. Renewal notices are mailed by December.  
**Where:**
- Email: Send the completed application to, doglicences@portalberni.ca
- In person: Public Safety Building (pay here), 3075 3rd Avenue, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 2A4 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- In person: City Hall (pay here), 4850 Argyle Street, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 1V8 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Online: Pay online, https://www.portalberni.ca
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 250-720-2831

## Key facts

- **Licence required:** Yes. Every dog over six months old in the City needs a valid licence for the current calendar year. Not required for a dog kept in the City under one month in a calendar year that is not allowed to be at large.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), ss. 3-4](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall own, keep, possess or harbour any dog over the age of six months in the City unless a valid and subsisting licence for the current calendar year has first been obtained for the dog under this Bylaw." … "does not apply to a dog that is kept in the City for less than"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Issued by:** The City of Port Alberni. Buy the licence at City Hall, at the Public Safety Building (3075 3rd Ave) or online at portalberni.ca. Animal control enforcement is contracted to Coastal Animal Control Services.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Wildlife, Dog licence](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife)
  - Official wording: "Your dog licence must be purchased at City Hall." … "Pay for your dog licence in-person at the Public Safety Building - 3075 3rd Avenue), at City Hall or online at portalberni.ca" … "Enforcement of the animal control policies and regulations for the City has been contracted to Coastal Animal Control Services."
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 5](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "the owner of the dog shall apply to the City for a licence on the prescribed form provided by the City"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee, spayed or neutered:** $30 a year for a spayed or neutered dog. A veterinarian's certificate (or the bylaw's Schedule A certificate) must accompany the application.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025 (consolidated), Schedule H, A.1](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Spayed or neutered dog" … "$30.00"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges - Animal Control and Licensing, Licensing fees](https://www.portalberni.ca/fees-and-charges-animal-control-and-licensing)
  - Official wording: "Spayed or Neutered Dog | $30.00"
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 11](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "the application shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by a qualified veterinarian indicating that the dog has been neutered or spayed"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee, not spayed or neutered:** $45 a year for a dog that is not spayed or neutered.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025 (consolidated), Schedule H, A.2](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Unspayed or unneutered dog" … "$45.00"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges - Animal Control and Licensing, Licensing fees](https://www.portalberni.ca/fees-and-charges-animal-control-and-licensing)
  - Official wording: "Unspayed or Unneutered Dog | $45.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other fees and discounts:** Fees are cut by half for a licence applied for on or after August 1. Replacement tag or transfer: $5. A dog a vet certifies is medically unfit to be spayed or neutered: $30. Impound fees are separate. No senior discount found.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), ss. 6-7](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall be reduced by one-half in respect of an application for a licence made on or after August 1st"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025 (consolidated), Schedule H, A.3-4](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Replacement or transfer of dog licence" … "$5.00" … "confirming that the dog is medically unfit to be spayed or neutered"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Renewal:** The licence year is January 1 to December 31 and licences are renewed annually. Renewal notices are mailed by December each year; renewals can be done online with Visa or Mastercard.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 2, s. 5](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "means the period from January 1 to December 31 in any year" … "to be renewed annually"
  - Source: [Dog Licence Application Form (fillable PDF), Form notes](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/pages/Dog%20Licence%20Application%20Form%20-%202025%20fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Annual renewal notices will be sent to your address by December of each year."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to get one:** Email the completed Dog Licence Application (fillable PDF) to doglicences@portalberni.ca, then pay in person at the Public Safety Building (3075 3rd Ave) or City Hall, or online. The tag is mailed to you.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Wildlife, Applying for a dog Licence](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife)
  - Official wording: "email file as attachments to the City of Port Alberni Public Safety Building at: doglicences@portalberni.ca" … "Pay for your dog licence in-person at the Public Safety Building - 3075 3rd Avenue), at City Hall or online at portalberni.ca"
  - Source: [Dog Licence Application Form (fillable PDF), Payment Methods](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/pages/Dog%20Licence%20Application%20Form%20-%202025%20fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "will be mailed to you"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, unlicensed dog:** Bylaw notice: $100 ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). Failing to display the licence tag: $50. The City's web fines table says $50 for an unlicensed dog. (Sources differ: The Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128 (consolidated to Aug. 10, 2026) sets the amount; Animal Control Bylaw Schedule B was deleted and fines moved there. The web page appears out of date.)
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025 (consolidated), Schedule A-2, s. 3](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5128%2C%205128-1_Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%20No.%205128%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Unlicensed dog $100.00 $75.00 $125.00" … "Fail to display dog licence $50.00 $37.50 $62.50"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges - Animal Control and Licensing, Fines and Tickets](https://www.portalberni.ca/fees-and-charges-animal-control-and-licensing)
  - Official wording: "Unlicensed Dog | 3 | $50.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control and Pound Bylaw, No. 5126, 2025 (requires the licence); fees are set in Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025, Schedule H.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 1](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control and Pound Bylaw, No. 5126, 2025"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025 (consolidated), Schedule H](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf)
  - Official wording: "SCHEDULE H ANIMAL CONTROL FEES"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under the [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126](<https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf>), nobody may keep a dog over six months old in Port Alberni without a licence for the current calendar year. The City sells the licence; animal control enforcement is contracted to Coastal Animal Control Services. Fees are set in the [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125](<https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf>), Schedule H.

## Steps

1. Download the Dog Licence Application (fillable PDF), complete it and email it to doglicences@portalberni.ca.
2. Pay at the Public Safety Building, at City Hall, or online with Visa or Mastercard.
3. For the lower fee, include a veterinarian's certificate (or the bylaw's Schedule A certificate) showing the dog is spayed or neutered.
4. The tag is mailed to you. Renewal notices are mailed by December each year.

## Good to know

- A dog kept in the City for less than one month in a calendar year, and not allowed to be at large, does not need a licence.
- A licence applied for on or after August 1 costs half the fee. No senior or early-payment discount was found.
- A bylaw notice for an unlicensed dog is $100 ($75 if paid within 14 days, $125 if paid late) under the [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128](<https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5128%2C%205128-1_Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%20No.%205128%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf>). Failing to display the tag is $50. The City's web fines table still says $50 for an unlicensed dog, so confirm with Bylaw Services.
- Questions: Bylaw Services, 250-720-2831.

## Official forms and pages

- [Dog Licence Application Form (fillable PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/pages/Dog%20Licence%20Application%20Form%20-%202025%20fillable.pdf)
- [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-licence.md)
- [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/dog-licence.md)
- [Parksville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/parksville/dog-licence.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-licence.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dog-licence.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-licence.md)
- [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/dog-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control and Wildlife, City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Fees and Charges - Animal Control and Licensing, City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/fees-and-charges-animal-control-and-licensing) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2) (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 5125, 2025 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5125_5125-1_5125-2_5125-3_5125-4_Fees_and_Charges_Bylaw_No._5125_2025_Consolidated_0.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5128%2C%205128-1_Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%20No.%205128%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Dog Licence Application Form (fillable PDF), City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/pages/Dog%20Licence%20Application%20Form%20-%202025%20fillable.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services Department, City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/bylaw-services-department) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Port Alberni. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-licence/_