Licensing
All dogs and cats living in Orange County must be licensed within 30 days of ownership. Failure to do so is a violation of the County's ordinance and could result in a fee or fine. Orange County does not provide licensing tags; your pet 
must wear their current rabies tag.
All residents inside Orange County must pay the standard County fee. Townships may also require a fee for their residents, in addition to the County's licensing fee. Residents are responsible for paying the total fee for the area in which they live, according to the chart below. All fees are paid to Orange County and township fees are remitted to individual towns once collected.
All pets over 4 months of age should also have a current rabies shot. You will need to provide a copy of your rabies certificate and spay/neuter certificate if your animal(s) are sterilized.
How to License Your Pet
There are several options for licensing your pet with Orange County Animal Services. The easiest and preferred way is to license is online! Whether this is a first-time license for your pet or a renewal, you can use the link below to save time and money by licensing through our secure online licensing program. Credit card numbers are encrypted in an SSL format and all transactions are secure.
If your pet is deceased or you have moved to another county, please contact us via email at amorgan@orangecountync.gov. Please include your Person ID and the ID of the animal in question.
For new registratinos or to update the spay/neuter information listed on your renewal card, please be
sure you have your pet's spay/neuter information available, including the date of surgery and the name of the clinic where surgery was performed.
You may also license your pet in person Animal Services Center, or you may print a licensing form and mail to Animal Services.
Please contact Animal Services at 919-942-7387, ext. 220 to review refundable issues and/or to make a refund request.
Licensing Fees
County Fees effective Sept 1, 2010 Chapel Hill fees effective Nov 1, 2010
| Unsterilized Dogs |
Sterilized Dogs | Unsterilized Cats | Sterilized Cats | |
Orange County
Unincorporated areas, Hillsborough, Mebane (Orange County portion) |
$30 |
$10 | $30 | $10 |
| Chapel Hill | ||||
| Orange County Fee | $30 | $10 | $30 | $10 |
| Town Fee | $5 | $3 | $5 | $3 |
| Total Fee for Chapel Hill Residents | $35 | $13 | $35 | $13 |
| Carrboro | ||||
| Orange County Fee | $30 | $10 | $30 | $10 |
| Town Fee | $20 | $3 | $10 | $3 |
| Total Fee for Carrboro Residents | $50 | $13 | $40 | $13 |
| Chapel Hill Annex within Durham County | ||||
| Orange County Fee | No fee | No fee | No fee | No fee |
| Town Fee | $5 | $3 | $5 | $3 |
| Total Fee for Annex Residents | $5 | $3 | $5 | $3 |
Effective October 1, 2012, any license that is paid more than 30 days after the due date will be subject to a $5 late fee.
Kennel Fees $50.00
effective July 1st, 2007
Additional Information
Contact us at: (919) 942-PETS (7387).