Dog Licenses Renew in June. Dog owners may renew their licenses online, by mail, or using the Tax Drop Box located outside of Town Hall. If you use the Drop Box, please follow the "renewal through US mail" instructions below and clearly write "Town Clerk" on the outside of the envelope before putting it into the Drop Box.

Licensing Law Overview

State law mandates that all dogs over six months of age must be licensed in the town in which they reside and must wear the tag on a collar around their neck.  All dog licenses are renewed in June to become effective July 1. All licenses renewed after July 1 are subject to a penalty of $1.00 per month. 

All dogs licensed in the State of Connecticut require a current rabies vaccination. The Town Clerk encourages everyone to license a NEW dog by U.S. mail or process RENEWALS for dogs that are currently registered utilizing our online renewal system. Please see more detailed information and applicable links below regarding new licensing and renewals. 

NEW LICENSES (U.S. Mail)

Puppies must be licensed by the time they turn 6 months old.  Dogs new to you that are 6 months old or older must be licensed within 30 days of obtaining them. You must provide documentation from the veterinarian showing the expiration date of your dog’s rabies vaccination (not the tag). No licenses will be issued without this information. If your dog has been spayed or neutered, you must bring documentation from the veterinarian as proof (or check your rabies certificate as it might state that your dog is an "MN" (male neutered) or an "FS" (female spayed). 

Fees

The fee for licensing an unaltered dog is $19.00. The fee for licensing a spayed or neutered dog is $8.00. Licenses not applied for within the required 30 days will be subject to a penalty of $1.00 per month.  

Please provide the documentation and fee as outlined above, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Current (2024) postage for one or two tags are $1.12. Please add 24 cents for EACH additional tag if more than two. If you are renewing a dog license by U.S. Mail or dropbox, please also include your name, address, phone number, the dog's name, age, breed, and color, rabies certificate and spay/neuter certificate as noted above or click here for a printable application (scroll to the bottom of the page for the English or Spanish versions).

RENEWALS (Online or through U.S. mail)

Renewing Online

Click Here to Renew Dog License(s) Online  

You will need:

• The license year and dog tag # (for privacy/security) - These can be found on the paper license or the actual dog tag. 
• If your dog’s rabies vaccination has expired since the last time you licensed your dog, you must provide documentation (tags do not qualify) from the veterinarian showing the new expiration date.  PLEASE BE CERTAIN THE CERTIFICATE YOU ARE UPLOADING INCLUDES A CURRENT (UNEXPIRED) RABIES EXPIRATION DATE. 
• **NEW**:  IF YOU ARE RENEWING IN THE MONTH OF JUNE EITHER ONLINE OR BY MAIL, THE RABIES EXPIRATION DATE MUST BE VALID FOR THE JULY 1ST LICENSING START DATE.
• You must scan these documents in a valid Windows' Image format - e.g. JPEG, TIFF, GIF, BMP or PNG.  PDF is not accepted.

 If you have difficulty uploading your documentation with the rabies and spay/neuter information, please give our office a call at 860-652-7616. 

Please note: When renewing online, any transaction <$125 will be subject to a $2.00 convenience fee, which will be paid directly to Official Payments.

Renewal through U.S. mail:

For renewal through U.S. Mail, please provide documentation and fee as outlined above along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Current (2024) postage for one or two tags are $1.12. Please add 24 cents for EACH additional tag if more than two. If you are renewing a dog license by U.S. Mail or dropbox, please also include your name, address, phone number, the dog's name, age, breed, and color.

NEW DOG OWNER TRANSFERS FROM SAME OR OTHER TOWN WITHIN CONNECTICUT

Any person becoming an owner of an already Connecticut licensed dog shall mail the license and tag to the Town Clerk of the town in Connecticut where they reside and, for a fee of $1.00, shall receive a new license and tag in their name.  The Town Clerk must retain the old license and tag.  If the license and tag are not presented, the new owner must purchase a new license and tag at the full prevailing price.

CURRENT DOG OWNER MOVES TO ANOTHER TOWN WITHIN CONNECTICUT

If a dog owner moves their residence to another town within Connecticut, they shall mail the license and tag to the Town Clerk of their new town who shall, for a fee of $0.50, issue a new license and tag.  The Town Clerk must retain the old license and tag.  If the license and tag are not presented, the owner must purchase a new license and tag at the full prevailing price.

GUIDE DOGS

Any blind, deaf or mobility impaired person who is the owner or keeper of a dog which has been trained to guide and educated to guide and assist such person in traveling upon the public streets or highways or otherwise shall receive a license and tag for such dog from the Town Clerk of the town where such dog is owned or kept, and no fee shall be charged to the owner or keeper of any such dog.  When any such dog has not been previously licensed by the Town Clerk to whom application is being made, such clerk shall not license such dog or issue to the owner a license and tag unless written evidence is presented to such clerk that the dog is trained and educated and intended in fact to perform such guide service for such applicant.  Any person who has a dog placed with such person temporarily, including for breeding purposes, by a nonprofit organization established for the purpose of training or educating guide dogs to so assist blind, deaf or mobility impaired persons shall receive a license and tag for such dog from the Town Clerk of the town where such dog is kept, and no fee shall be required for such license and tag, provided such person presents written evidence that such dog was placed with such person by such organization.  As defined by the Connecticut statutes, a "deaf person" means a person who cannot readily understand spoken language through hearing alone and who may also have a speech defect which renders such person's speech unintelligible to most people with normal hearing.

LOST TAGS (In person)

If your dog loses its tag, a replacement can be obtained for $0.50.

KENNEL LICENSES (U.S. Mail)

Kennel licenses are available as follows:

• No More Than 10 Dogs:  $50.00 
• More Than 10 Dogs:        $100.00

The late fee for kennel licenses is $1.00 per dog kept, in addition to the license fee.  

Violations

Violation of the licensing law carries a fine to be imposed by the Animal Control Officer. For further information, please visit the Animal Control web page.