Common Questions

Please choose the option that best describes the notice you received:

There may be several reasons why you received a bill when you have a current license. We're happy to help with your account information - please fill out this form to begin the process.

The metal license tag you receive with your first license is permanently assigned to your pet, and you will not receive a new tag during the renewal process. If you have lost your tag or it has become unreadable, please request a replacement by enclosing the replacement tag fee of $2.00 either at the time of renewal, or at any time during the term of your current license.

If this is your first license, we will mail your tag and receipt within 10 business days from the day we receive your completed license application and payment. Please allow an additional 3-5 business days to receive your tag in the mail. If we have not received correct payment or required documentation, you will be notified via mail and the processing of your license will be delayed.

You may obtain a replacement tag by sending a check or money order in the amount of $2.00 payable to "City of Charlotte" to the mailing address below. Please include a copy of your license receipt or a note to designate the pet for which you are purchasing a replacement tag.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Licensing
C/O PetData
PO Box 141929
Irving, TX 75014-1929

Charlotte-Mecklenburg licenses or tags may not be transferred to a new owner or a different pet. A new license must be purchased.

A refund may be available if a duplicate payment was made for your license. To request a refund, please send your request in writing or via email to Customer Service. Be sure to include the pet’s current license tag number if it is available, and as much information as possible regarding your payments.

Animal Licenses will expire either one year or three years from date of purchase for the first license depending on the license term purchased. Subsequent licenses will expire either one or three years from the expiration of the previous license, depending on the license term purchased.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Services
8315 Byrum Dr
Charlotte, NC  28217

To report stray animals or for questions unrelated to licensing, please call 311 (704-336-7600 if calling from outside Mecklenburg County).

If the pet that you have found is wearing a City of Charlotte license tag, please enter the tag number in the tag search box on the left side of the page. If you need assistance, you may call our office at 1-877-835-8523.

If an Animal Control Officer finds your pet, and your pet is wearing a current license tag on its collar, Animal Services will contact you. If another citizen finds your pet with its license tag, they may use the tag number to contact you through our online tag search or by calling the phone number on the license tag.

If your pet has been lost, Animal Services recommends that you visit the shelter to look for your pet. The shelter is located at 8315 Byrum Drive in Charlotte.

The primary reason is to prevent the spreading of rabies. Rabies is a constant health threat, and rabies vaccinations are good for your pet’s health. Did you know that rabies is 100% fatal for humans if not treated properly? Animal licensing helps Animal Services monitor compliance with local and state rabies vaccination laws. 

Licensing also helps Animal Services identify family pets, should an animal become lost.  The fees from licensing are used to care for animals and investigate complaints about stray animals, among other services.  Other goals of animal licensing are to promote responsible pet ownership and to reduce the tragedies associated with lost pets and pet overpopulation.

Licensing Ordinance

All dogs, cats and ferrets 4 months of age and older must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed annually or triennially with Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

The cities of Charlotte, Mint Hill, Pineville and the unincorporated area of Mecklenburg County are required to license through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Licensing.

If you live within the town limits of Matthews, you are required to license with Matthews Animal Licensing.

View the complete City of Charlotte ordinance

Due Date

Payment for your license is due by the expiration date of your current license. All dogs, cats and ferrets 4 months of age or older are required to have both a current rabies shot and a current animal license. New residents of Charlotte-Mecklenburg have 30 days to license their pets.

A late fee of $10.00 is charged if your license has not been purchased within 30 days of the due date.

License Term

Animal Licenses will expire either one year or three years from date of purchase for the first license depending on the license term purchased. Subsequent licenses will expire either one or three years from the expiration of the previous license, depending on the license term purchased.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg chose to privatize animal licensing in 2005 to promote animal licensing, to increase the cost-effectiveness of the program, and to provide additional services to its citizens.

PetData, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, provides animal licensing services for municipalities and animal welfare agencies throughout the United States. The company, a member of the National Animal Control Association, has been in business since 1994. PetData’s goals are to increase animal licensing, to reduce animal euthanasia, to educate the community, and to help solve animal control problems.

We at PetData consider the privacy of our clients to be of paramount importance. PetData has never sold information or data to any third-party. PetData does not use any personally identifiable data collected for any purpose other than for those purposes as required by client contracts.

We do not respond to requests for information from non-client individuals or corporations, nor do we release information without the express written consent of our clients. PetData does not and will not share or sell client data with any other parties or make client data publicly available unless authorized by the client or required under a legal subpoena. All data belongs to our clients, and PetData serves only as a custodian for client-owned data.

Groups or individuals requesting data should contact their City or County directly as PetData will only release data to our contracted clients.