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 is permanently assigned to your pet, and you will not receive a new tag during the renewal process unless requested. If you have lost your tag or it has become unreadable, please let us know when you mail your renewal, and a new tag will be mailed with your license registration. Otherwise, a receipt only will be mailed.

We will mail your tag or license 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 or receipt in the mail. If we have not received correct payment or proper 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 payable to "Morgan Hill Animal Licensing" in the amount of $4.00 to the mailing address below. Please do not send cash. Please include a copy of your license receipt or a note to designate the pet for which you are purchasing a replacement tag.

There is no charge for a replacement tag if you are also renewing a license for your pet and indicate that you need a replacement on the renewal form.

Morgan Hill Animal Licensing
c/o PetData
PO Box 141929
Irving, TX 75014-1929

Only one license tag can be active at one time. Requests for multiple tags for the same animal cannot be fulfilled.

Morgan Hill animal licenses cannot be transferred to a new owner or a different pet. A new license must be purchased.

License fees are non-refundable, however a refund may be available if you made a duplicate payment for the same pet and same license term. A refund may also be available if you did not live in the City of Morgan Hill at the time that you purchased the license.

To request a refund, please send your request in writing or via email to Customer Service. Please include information about where and when your payments were made.

Licenses may be purchased for 1 or 3 years, with fees charged accordingly, as long as the rabies vaccination is valid for the same period of time. Licenses expire on the anniversary date of the vaccination. Rabies laws state that the license term cannot exceed the rabies expiration date.

A three-year license is only available if your pet received a recent three-year rabies vaccination. The three-year license will expire on the same day as the rabies vaccination.

The Morgan Hill Police Department has temporary kennels to house found dogs and maintains a list of found dogs.

Morgan Hill Police Department
16200 Vineyard Blvd., Morgan Hill
408-779-2101

After 5 days, any animal not picked up is transferred to a local shelter. The City of Morgan Hill works with the following shelters:

The Humane Society of Silicon Valley
901 Ames Ave, Milpitas
408-262-2133

Santa Clara County Animal Shelter
12370 Murphy Avenue, San Martin
408-686-3900

To report stray animals or for questions unrelated to licensing, please call 408-779-2101. Please note that the City of Morgan Hill does not accept owner-surrendered dogs or provide cat services. To surrender your pet, please contact the Humane Society of Silicon Valley.

If the pet that you have found is wearing a City of Morgan Hill license tag, please enter the tag number in the tag search box above.

The police department has a list of lost and found pets. Anyone losing or finding a pet should contact Morgan Hill Police Department at (408) 779-2101 with the description of the pet (including breed, color, sex, size, collar, tags, eye color, identifying marks, etc.), your name, address, and phone number.

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 contact the Police Department at (408) 779-2101 regarding your pet

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 4 months of age and older must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed with the City of Morgan Hill within 30 days of being in the city.

View the complete City of Morgan Hill ordinance

Due Date

Payment for your license is due within 60 days of the expiration of your current license. If you are licensing for the first time, you must purchase a license within 60 days of obtaining a dog or cat over the age of 4 months or within 60 days of establishing residence in the City of Morgan Hill.

A late fee of $25 is added if your license has not been renewed within 60 days of the expiration of your license, or if your pet is over 4 months old and you have been in the city more than 60 days.

License Term

Licenses may be purchased for 1 or 3 years, with fees charged accordingly, as long as the rabies vaccination is valid for the same period of time. Licenses expire on the anniversary date of the vaccination. Rabies laws state that the license term cannot exceed the rabies expiration date.

A three-year license is only available if your pet received a recent three-year rabies vaccination. The three-year license will expire on the same day as the rabies vaccination.

The City of Morgan Hill chose to privatize animal licensing in 2010 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 North America. 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.