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

# Prince Rupert 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 6 months or older in Prince Rupert needs a City licence each year under Dog Control Bylaw 3250. The bylaw fee is $20 (sterilized, with a vet's certificate) or $50 (not sterilized) if paid on or before March 1, and $40 or $70 after that.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Prince Rupert, https://www.princerupert.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw fees, on or before March 1 / after March 1: $20 / $40 sterilized with a vet's certificate; $50 / $70 not sterilized. Replacement tag $10. Kennel licence (more than 3 dogs) $100 per dog by March 1, $120 after. No fee for dogs under 6 months or special needs dogs (they still need a licence). Fine for no licence: $55.  
**How long:** Not stated. A licence runs January 1 to December 31 of the year it is issued.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Department, 250-624-6852
- Email: Bylaw Department, bylaw@princerupert.ca

## Key facts

- **Licence required:** Yes. Every person in the City who owns or keeps a dog must have a licence. A "dog" is one 6 months old or older; dogs under 6 months need no licence.
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 300; Sched. A](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every person within the City who owns or keeps a dog shall obtain a valid" … "any animal of the canine species being 6 months of age or greater"
  - Source: [Animal Control, Animal Control page](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control)
  - Official wording: "Dogs under 6 months old do not require a license."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Issued by:** The City of Prince Rupert, through its Bylaw Officer.
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 300](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "applying in writing to the Bylaw Officer on the form provided"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee, spayed or neutered:** $20 if bought on or before March 1; $40 after March 1. Needs a vet's certificate that the dog is sterilized. A dog too old or unfit for surgery (vet-certified) pays the sterilized rate. (Sources differ: The City's Pet Licenses page lists only $40 (and $70 for an unaltered dog) with no early rate; the bylaw schedule has two columns, 'On or Before March 01' and 'After March 01'. Followed the bylaw. Bylaw is dated 2008; fees unchanged on the web.)
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, Sched. B, s. 1.00; s. 300.2, 300.4](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Dogs – Sterilized with certification** $ 20.00 $ 40.00" … "Every person applying for a licence for a sterilized dog must present a certificate from a qualified veterinarian"
  - Source: [Pet Licenses, Dog License Fees table](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses)
  - Official wording: "Dogs - Sterilized with Certification** | $40"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee, not spayed or neutered:** $50 if bought on or before March 1; $70 after March 1. (Sources differ: Pet Licenses page shows only $70. Bylaw schedule gives $50 on or before March 1 and $70 after (the schedule's column heading text is spaced out in the PDF).)
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, Sched. B, s. 1.00](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Dogs $ 50.00 $ 70.00" … "O n or B ef or e Af t e r"
  - Source: [Pet Licenses, Dog License Fees table](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses)
  - Official wording: "| Dog | $70 | Dogs - Sterilized"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other fees and discounts:** Replacement tag $10. No fee for dogs under 6 months or special needs dogs (which still need a licence). Kennel licence (more than 3 dogs) $100 per dog by March 1, $120 after. A licence from another BC municipality can be transferred by surrendering it and paying the Schedule B fee (no amount listed).
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, Sched. B, s. 1.00; s. 300.3, 304](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Replacement Licence Tags $ 10.00 $ 10.00" … "Kennel Licence (per dog) $ 100.00 $120.00" … "A licence shall be required for but no fee payable for a Special Needs Dog." … "entitled to a refund of the difference in the licence fees between a sterilized dog and an unsterilized dog" … "licensed by another municipality in the Province of British Columbia and the owner surrenders such licence"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Renewal:** A licence is valid January 1 to December 31 of the year it is issued. Fees are lower if paid on or before March 1.
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 308](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall be valid from January 01st and shall expire on December 31st of the year in which it is issued"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to get one:** Apply in writing to the Bylaw Officer on the City's form and pay the fee. You get a numbered tag stamped for the year to keep on the dog's collar. Bylaw Department: 250-624-6852, bylaw@princerupert.ca.
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 300, 300.1](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "applying in writing to the Bylaw Officer on the form provided" … "a numbered licence tag, stamped for the current year"
  - Source: [Contact a City Department, Bylaw Complaints](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/contact-city-department)
  - Official wording: "Phone 250-624 6852 Email bylaw@princerupert.ca"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, unlicensed dog:** $55 (No dog licence); $55 for failing to affix the licence tag.
  - Source: [Pet Licenses, Fines for Offenses Under the Dog Bylaw](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses)
  - Official wording: "No Dog license 10 (a) $55.00" … "Failure to affix license tag 11 (b) $55.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008
  - Source: [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 605](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited as the "DOG CONTROL BYLAW No. 3250, 2008""
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[Dog Control Bylaw 3250](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf) requires every person who owns or keeps a dog in Prince Rupert to hold a valid licence. A "dog" here is one 6 months old or older, so puppies under that age need no licence. The Bylaw Officer issues it: you apply in writing on the City's form and pay the fee, and you get a numbered tag stamped for the year, which stays on the dog's collar.

## Steps

1. Ask the Bylaw Department (250-624-6852, bylaw@princerupert.ca) for the City's dog licence form. The City's pages do not say whether it can be handed in online or in person.
2. If your dog is sterilized, give a veterinarian's certificate to get the lower fee.
3. Pay the fee. It is lower if you pay on or before March 1.
4. Put the numbered tag on your dog's collar.

## Good to know

- A licence is valid from January 1 to December 31 of the year it is issued.
- A dog too old or unfit for surgery, certified by a vet, pays the sterilized rate.
- A licence from another BC municipality can be transferred by surrendering it and paying the Schedule B fee. The schedule lists no amount, so ask the Bylaw Department.
- Special needs dogs and dogs under 6 months pay no fee, but a special needs dog still needs a licence.
- A replacement tag is $10.
- A kennel licence is needed for more than 3 dogs ($100 per dog by March 1, $120 after). See the pets limit answer.
- Tickets (from the City's Pet Licenses page): no dog licence $55; not attaching the licence tag $55. An impounded unlicensed dog costs $90 plus the licence fee.
- The City's Pet Licenses page shows only the higher fees ($40 and $70), without the early rate. The bylaw is the source here, so confirm the amount with the Bylaw Department.
- Restricted and vicious dogs pay more; see the restricted dogs answer.

## Official forms and pages

- [Pet Licenses page (fee table and fines)](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses)
- [Dog Control Bylaw 3250 (PDF)](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-licence.md)
- [Port Edward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/dog-licence.md)
- [Kitimat](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/dog-licence.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/dog-licence.md)
- [Port Clements](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-clements/dog-licence.md)
- [Stewart](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/dog-licence.md)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dog-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Pet Licenses, City of Prince Rupert](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control, City of Prince Rupert](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Contact a City Department, City of Prince Rupert](https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/contact-city-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 Prince Rupert. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/dog-licence/_