Prince Rupert dog licences: fees and how to get one
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.
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.Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 300; Sched. A; Animal Control, Animal Control page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingEvery 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 Dogs under 6 months old do not require a license. |
|---|---|
| Issued by | The City of Prince Rupert, through its Bylaw Officer.Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 300 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingapplying in writing to the Bylaw Officer on the form provided |
| 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.Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, Sched. B, s. 1.00; s. 300.2, 300.4; Pet Licenses, Dog License Fees table · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingDogs – 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 Dogs - Sterilized with Certification** | $40 |
| 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).Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, Sched. B, s. 1.00; Pet Licenses, Dog License Fees table · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingDogs $ 50.00 $ 70.00 O n or B ef or e Af t e r | Dog | $70 | Dogs - Sterilized |
| 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).Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, Sched. B, s. 1.00; s. 300.3, 304 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingReplacement 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 |
| 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.Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 308 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingshall be valid from January 01st and shall expire on December 31st of the year in which it is issued |
| 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.Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 300, 300.1; Contact a City Department, Bylaw Complaints · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingapplying in writing to the Bylaw Officer on the form provided a numbered licence tag, stamped for the current year Phone 250-624 6852 Email bylaw@princerupert.ca |
| Fine, unlicensed dog | $55 (No dog licence); $55 for failing to affix the licence tag.Pet Licenses, Fines for Offenses Under the Dog Bylaw · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo Dog license 10 (a) $55.00 Failure to affix license tag 11 (b) $55.00 |
| Bylaw | Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008, s. 605 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis bylaw may be cited as the "DOG CONTROL BYLAW No. 3250, 2008" |
How it works
Dog Control Bylaw 3250 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
- 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.
- If your dog is sterilized, give a veterinarian's certificate to get the lower fee.
- Pay the fee. It is lower if you pay on or before March 1.
- 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
The same question in other places
Port Edward · Kitimat · Terrace · Port Clements · Stewart · New Hazelton
Sources
- Pet Licenses, City of Prince Rupert (read 2026-11-05)
- Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert (read 2026-11-05)
- Animal Control, City of Prince Rupert (read 2026-11-05)
- Contact a City Department, City of Prince Rupert (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.