Dog and cat registrations are required annually from 1 July to 31 August, regardless of when you first registered your pet.

Your registration renewal arrives every July through email, post, or SMS based on your chosen contact method during your initial registration.

Registration fees vary based on the animal type, concessions, de-sexing, and microchipping. The fees are set annually by the South Australian Dog and Cat Management Board.

• To qualify for a discount, your pet should be both de-sexed and microchipped. If your pet isn't old enough for de-sexing, the full fee applies.
• Please note, no refunds are available for recently deceased pets, and registration fees can't be transferred to another animal.
• Remember, registrations are valid until July each year, regardless of the registration payment date. For example, if you register in June, you'll still need to renew in July.
• Late registrations incur additional fees from DACO and may result in Council fines.

Your renewal code will arrive in July every year via your chosen contact method. To make sure you get it, remember to keep your details up-to-date in your DACO account.

When your dog is initially registered, DACO will provide a plastic registration tag/disc that lasts a lifetime. If you need a replacement, you can buy one from DACO for $10.

Alternatively, you can have your dog's registration number, name and your contact details engraved on a metal disc.

Microchipping is mandatory for all dogs and cats in South Australia before they reach 12 weeks of age, unless a veterinarian provides an exemption. Microchips offer a permanent form of identification, helping to quickly reunite pets with their owners.

In addition, unless exempted by a vet, all dogs and cats born after 1 July 2018 must be de-sexed before reaching 6 months of age.

Accreditation is necessary for assistance dogs. Please contact the Dog and Cat Management Board. Please note Council cannot classify your dog as an assistance dog.

Applicants for accreditation will need to complete an application form and provide the required information. Applicants who meet the criteria will be required to undertake a Public Access Test with the Board's approved assessor. Successful applicants will be issued with a Board Assistance Dog Identification Card which may expire after a set period of time (e.g. 2 years).

A business owner or operator may be entitled to apply for a dog business registration, if the business involves:

• A kennel at which dogs are bred or trained; or
• The provision of security or other services involving the use of dogs.

If you do not yet have a dog business registration, you should contact Council and find out what their local requirements are.

The Dog and Cat Management Act (the Act) requires dog and cat owners, breeders, councils, vets, microchip implanters, the RSPCA, the Animal Welfare League, assistance dog organisations and others to provide information for the Dogs and Cats Online (DACO). DACO enables specific officers to access information, for the purpose of performing their statutory obligations.

For example:

• A Council officer can update a dog owner’s record, to indicate that they have paid their annual dog registration fee and that the dog is now registered.
• A Council authorised officer can gather information from DACO for the purpose of investigating a breach of the Dog and Cat Management Act and prosecuting the offender.
• An appointed RSPCA Inspector can gather information from DACO for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases and other breaches of the Animal Welfare Act.
• A registered Veterinary surgeon and their staff can search DACO for a dog or cat already in the DACO system. They will be able to see the name and telephone number of the owner, to ensure that they have the correct record. They will then be able to update the dog or cat’s microchipping and de-sexing information, as required by the Act.

The Dog and Cat Management Board makes decisions, consistently with the SA Government Information Privacy Principles, about the extent that officers are granted access to information in DACO. DACO incorporates the public register of dog and cat breeders in SA. Not all of the information about breeders held within DACO is accessible to the public.

Breeders who are not members of an association will register as breeders as part of the process for registering their dogs/cats. This means that they can self-register as breeders when they renew their dog/cat registration. Councils can assist them in completing their registration. Councils can also accept breeder registration fees at their front counter in the same way they collect dog and cat registration fees.