Dogs in the Toowoomba Region must be registered with us:
- before reaching 12 weeks of age
- prior to the expiry of the current registration
- within 14 days of obtaining your dog (if the dog is older than three months of age)
- within 14 days of moving into the Toowoomba Regional Council area.
Penalties apply if your dog is not registered.
Your responsibilities as a dog owner
- Microchip your dog.
- Register your dog.
- Ensure your contact details are up to date.
- Make sure your dog has its registration tag on in public.
- Renew registration by 30 June.
- Ensure your dog is safely contained to your property.
- Keep barking and howling under control to not cause a nuisance.
- Keep your dog on a leash and under effective control unless in a designated off leash area.
- Pick up waste and dispose of it appropriately.
- Care for your dog by providing food, shelter, grooming and exercise.
To be eligible for a discount on your dog registration, you will need to provide proof of the required documentation.
If your dog is already registered and you'd like to include a discount, contact us to request an update to the registration.
Pensioner or veteran discount
To be eligible for a discount on your dog registration you must have one of the following:
Assistance dog discount
If you own a guide, hearing, therapy or assistance dog, you do not need to pay a dog registration fee, subject to approval. You must still register and microchip your dog, but the registration fee is nil if your application is approved.
To receive free registration for an assistance dog:
- your dog must be defined as an assistance animal under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992
- you must ensure that your dog's behaviour meets the standards required for an assistance dog in a public place
- you must provide one of the options below:
- proof of certification, i.e. identity card for handlers, trainers and puppy carers
- a letter from a medical practitioner confirming the owner's disability and that the animal alleviates the effect of the disability; and a statutory declaration stating the dog is trained to assist with the owner’s disability.
Apply for special dog registration
Desexed dog discount
Desexed dogs have a discounted registration cost each year.
View desexed dog fees.
Show dog discount
We offer a discount for entire Queensland member dogs, also known as show dogs.
View show dog fee.
Apply for special dog registration
Working dog discount
The working dog discount applies to dogs kept on rural land by an owner who is a primary producer or employed by a primary producer. The dog must be used primarily for the purposes of droving, protecting, tending or working stock or is currently being trained in these skills.
There is no fee for a working dog registration.
Apply for special dog registration
Registration updates
It's important to update your dog’s registration details if:
- your address or contact details have changed
- the location where the dog is kept has changed
- you need to update your microchip number.
To make these updates, call us on 131 872.
Registration cancellation
Fill in the online dog registration update form if you are moving out of the Toowoomba Regional Council area.
A registration cancellation for this reason will not have a refund applied.
Submit dog registration update form
Change of ownership
To change the ownership of your dog, contact us for a copy of the change of ownership PDF form.
Registration change due to death of dog
Owners may be granted a refund on the dog registration fee or are entitled to a free transfer of registration to a new dog, after the death of a registered dog. Read more about applicable conditions.
The yearly registration period runs from 1 July to 30 June each year. Animal registration renewal payments are due by 30 June each year, but can be paid anytime between 1 June to 30 June.
Pay registration renewal
Failing to register your dog by 30 June means the dog will be unregistered.
Nominate to receive animal renewal notices by email. You'll need your registration reference number which can be found on an old registration notice or by contacting us.
In some cases, you can transfer the balance of the current year's dog registration from one local government area to another (reciprocal registration). This can occur when:
- a dog is not classed as a 'regulated dog'
- the dog is microchipped
- you apply within 14 days of moving to the Toowoomba Regional Council area.
How to apply
Visit a Customer Service Centre with:
- microchip details
- satisfactory proof of prior current registration, such as a receipt or registration certificate
- proof of desexing (if applicable).
Remember to update your animal's new residency details on the national microchipping database.
Visiting family and friends who have brought their dog or Toowoomba Region residents looking after a dog for a short period of time, will be required to register the dog if:
- the dog will be in the Toowoomba Region for longer than 14 days; or
- the dog will be in the Toowoomba Region for regular periods of time.
How to register a visiting dog
1. Check if the dog will meet the allowable number of dogs at the property. Check keeping limits here.
If your dog passed away in the first month of the current registration period (1 to 31 July), you will qualify for a refund. Reasonable proof will be required e.g. euthanasia certificate, confirmation letter from a vet or an invoice. We must be advised within 7 days of the death in order for a refund to be considered.
You can complete the online dog registration update form or contact us to discuss your circumstances.
Dog registration update form
If your dog has passed away after 31 July a refund will not be available. However, during the current registration year you are entitled to an initial nil registration fee for the remainder of the registration period, should you wish to register a new dog.
All new dog registrations will receive a green lifetime tag. The tag must be worn by the dog at all times. This tag will assist the return of your dog in the event that it becomes lost.
If your dog’s lifetime tag is lost or damaged, a replacement tag can be obtained at one of our Customer Service Centres, at no charge.
A microchip is a permanent form of electronic identification which can be implanted by a vet. The microchip can be scanned and contains your contact details which are recorded on an animal record database for the life of your pet.
The Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 states that all dogs and cats born after 10 April 2009 must be microchipped before they reach 12 weeks of age. If you owned an animal that was older than 12 weeks of age at the time of implementation of the Act (1 July 2009) and still own the animal, you don’t need to microchip it, although it is recommended.
All dogs and cats must be microchipped before they are sold or given away, regardless of their age.
Failure to meet the requirements under the Act in regard to microchipping, may result in substantial fines.