Verified November 10, 2026. Checked against the City of Toronto pet licensing pages (fees page modified May 14, 2026), Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 (consolidated September 1, 2026), the City of Mississauga pet licence page and 2026 enforcement fee schedule, Mississauga’s Animal Care and Control By-law 0098-2004, and Brampton’s Animal Services By-law 201-2023 and licensing pages.
Short answer: Yes, you need a licence for your dog in Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton, and the dog has to wear the City tag. In Toronto a licence costs $25 a year for a spayed or neutered dog and $60 if not, with 50% off for owners 65 and older. In Mississauga it is $25 or $50 for one year, with two-year licences and a lower senior rate. Brampton offers one-year and two-year licences, but its current fee table was not readable on the City’s site when we checked, so confirm the price with Brampton Animal Services. Toronto lists a $240 ticket for not licensing a dog. Each city also limits how many dogs you can keep at home.
Do you need a dog licence in the GTA?
Yes. All three of the largest cities in this part of the GTA require every dog owner to buy a licence from the City and keep the tag on the dog’s collar.
- Toronto: “All dogs and cats owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear a tag. The licence must be renewed every year.” Chapter 349 of the Municipal Code requires every dog owner to register the dog, pay the fee and keep the licence tag “securely fixed at all times on the dog.”
- Mississauga: the Animal Care and Control By-law says every owner of a dog or cat must obtain a licence, and the tag must be on the collar at all times. The City’s pet licence page adds that the tag “must be visible on your pet’s collar.”
- Brampton: Animal Services By-law 201-2023 says an owner must get a current licence from the City within seven days of taking possession of a dog over 12 weeks old, and keep the tag fixed on the collar at all times. Herding, hunting and livestock guardian dogs can work without the tag if they are microchipped and registered.
Toronto and Mississauga do not state a minimum age on the pages and by-law sections we read. If you have a young puppy, the safe approach is to license it as soon as you bring it home.
The licence is more than a tax. All three cities use the tag to identify lost pets and get them home. Toronto says 100% of pet licensing fees go to help animals in its shelters, and Mississauga lists returning lost pets, caring for homeless pets and 24/7 emergency rescue among the uses of its fees.
Dog licence fees compared
These are the fees each City published as of November 10, 2026. Service dogs are free in Toronto and in Mississauga with the required documents.
| Item | Toronto | Mississauga | Brampton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spayed or neutered, 1 year | $25.00 | $25.00 | Not published on current City pages (see below) |
| Not spayed or neutered, 1 year | $60.00 | $50.00 | Not published on current City pages |
| Two-year licence | Not offered | $40 spayed or neutered, $90 not | Offered since November 1, 2023; price not published on current City pages |
| Senior rate | 50% off for owners 65+ ($12.50 or $30.00) | Owners 65+: $15 or $25 for 1 year, $20 or $40 for 2 years | A senior rate existed in the last published fee table |
| Low income | Subsidized or waived for household income under $50,000 | Senior rates also listed for low income persons; call 905-896-5858 about fee help | Not stated |
| Replacement tag | $5.65 | $5.75 (HST applies) | $5 |
| Late renewal | Not stated | $10.50 administrative fee | Not stated |
| Penalty for no licence | $240 ticket, up to $5,000 fine | “You may be fined” (amount not stated) | Not stated on the pages we read |
Licence fees are small next to the other costs of a dog, but the penalties are not. Renewing on time is the cheapest way to stay on the right side of the by-law.
Toronto: fees, renewals and how to apply
Toronto Animal Services runs licensing, with online sales through the City’s DocuPet portal. Every licence includes a tag at no extra charge.
Fees and discounts
- Dog, spayed or neutered: $25.00 a year.
- Dog, not spayed or neutered: $60.00 a year.
- Owners 65 and older get 50% off the licence fee. The discount does not apply to replacement tags.
- Households with income under $50,000 can qualify for subsidized or waived fees. Call 416-338-7297 or email petlicensing@toronto.ca.
- Service dogs are licensed at no charge. First-time licensing for guide and assistance dogs is done by phone or email.
- Replacement tag: $5.65.
A fee by-law that City Council adopted in July 2026 (Bill 1232) lists the same dog licence amounts for 2027 and marks them for annual inflation adjustment from January 1, 2027. Check the City’s fee page before you renew next year.
Renewals
A Toronto licence expires exactly 365 days after its start date. You can renew up to 60 days before it expires. If your dog dies or is returned within 30 days of buying the licence, you can ask for a refund. If you spay or neuter your dog after licensing, call 1-855-249-1370 to update the record.
Four ways to license
- Online through the City’s DocuPet portal, paying by credit card or Visa or Mastercard debit.
- By phone at 416-338-PETS (7387), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- By mail with the Pet Licence Application and a cheque payable to Treasurer, City of Toronto, sent to Toronto Animal Services, 433 Eastern Ave., Building B, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4M 1B7.
- In person at a Toronto Animal Services shelter, by appointment only (call 416-338-7297). The shelters are at 1300 Sheppard Ave. W, 821 Progress Ave. and 146 The East Mall. The tag is still mailed to you.
Toronto says failing to license a dog or cat every year may result in a $240 ticket or a maximum fine of $5,000.
Mississauga: one-year and two-year licences
Mississauga Animal Services sells licences for one or two years. The 2026 fees below come from the City’s enforcement fee schedule (Schedule A-1, effective January 1, 2026) and match the City’s pet licence page. Licence fees are HST exempt.
| Dog | 1 year | 2 years | Owner 65+, 1 year | Owner 65+, 2 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spayed or neutered | $25 | $40 | $15 | $20 |
| Not spayed or neutered | $50 | $90 | $25 | $40 |
A two-year licence for a spayed or neutered dog saves $10 compared with two one-year licences, and one less renewal to remember. Seniors must show valid ID. The same schedule lists a $10.50 administrative fee for a late renewal and $5.75 plus HST for a replacement tag.
How to license in Mississauga
- Online: new licence tags arrive by mail within 10 business days. Online renewals do not send a new tag.
- By phone: 905-896-5858, Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., by credit card or Visa or Mastercard debit.
- In person: at the Animal Services shelter, 735 Central Parkway West, with a completed application or your renewal notice.
- By mail: a completed application and a cheque payable to Mississauga Animal Services, sent to 735 Central Parkway West, Mississauga, ON L5C 4H4. Post-dated cheques are not accepted.
The licence also matters if your dog gets loose. Mississauga’s 2026 schedule charges $0 for a licensed pet’s first impoundment, but $30.90 for an unlicensed pet’s first impoundment, $61.80 for the second and $103.00 for the third and later. Service dogs pay no licence fee with accredited training documents, and therapy dogs need a physician’s letter.
Brampton: licensing under By-law 201-2023
Brampton replaced its older animal by-laws with Animal Services By-law 201-2023. It requires a licence within seven days of owning a dog over 12 weeks old, and the tag must stay on the collar.
Since November 1, 2023, Brampton licences can be bought for one or two years, and they expire 12 or 24 months from the date of purchase instead of at the end of each calendar year.
About Brampton’s fees. The fee tables on the City’s licensing and service fee pages did not load when we checked, and the “Dog License Fees” link returned a page-not-found message. The last dog licence prices we could find in City documents are from the 2020 fee by-law amendment and an undated City licensing form: $20 a year for a sterilized and microchipped dog and $40 if not, with lower senior rates. Brampton’s licensing FAQ says lost or damaged tags are replaced for $5. Those one-year figures are older than the two-year option, so call Brampton Animal Services at 905-458-5800 or check the online portal for today’s price before you pay.
How to license in Brampton
- Online through the City’s licensing portal at licensepet.com/brampton (Visa, Mastercard or American Express).
- In person at Brampton Animal Services, 475 Chrysler Drive, or at a Service Brampton location.
- By mail with the completed form and a cheque payable to the City of Brampton or a money order, sent to Brampton Animal Services, 475 Chrysler Drive, Brampton, ON L6S 6G3. Do not mail cash. Post-dated cheques are not accepted.
A dog designated as dangerous needs its designated tag in person at Animal Services. Brampton also runs a BluePaw program with local businesses that offer discounts to licensed pet owners.
How many dogs can you keep at home?
This is the rule that catches many families, especially when a relative moves in with a dog or you foster. Each city sets its own limit.
| City | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | No more than three dogs in and about any dwelling unit. Separate limit of six cats. | Chapter 349, s. 349-5 |
| Mississauga | No more than four animals on any premises in total, with some exemptions (for example licensed kennels and rescue organizations). | By-law 0098-2004, s. 16 |
| Brampton | A combined total of six cats and dogs older than 12 weeks on any premises, of which no more than three can be dogs. The Manager can allow a fourth dog in limited cases. | By-law 201-2023, ss. 25 and 27 |
Toronto’s limit applies per dwelling unit, so a legal basement apartment is a separate unit. Our guide to renting out a basement in Toronto covers what makes a second unit legal. Mississauga and Brampton count by premises, so check with the City before assuming two households on one lot can each keep the maximum.
Leash and clean-up rules
- Toronto: off your own property, a dog must be on a leash no longer than two metres, except in designated off-leash areas of City parks (Chapter 349, s. 349-12.1). Owners must pick up after the dog immediately anywhere in the City, and within 24 hours on their own property (s. 349-18).
- Mississauga: dogs must be leashed unless they are on the owner’s land, on someone’s land with consent, or in a Leash-Free Zone. A leash may be no longer than 1.8 metres (6 ft). No one may bring more than eight dogs into a Leash-Free Zone. Owners must remove waste right away on any property, including roads (By-law 0098-2004, ss. 20.1, 20.3 and 25).
- Brampton: off the owner’s property, a dog must be leashed and under a person’s control (s. 39). On the owner’s property, the dog must be kept in an enclosure, a fenced area or on a restraint (s. 40). Owners must pick up waste on any land other than their own (s. 52). Brampton’s by-law page says fines for dogs at large or not cleaning up can reach $5,000 per offence.
Brampton’s rule about keeping a dog contained on your own property makes a sound fence worth checking when you buy. If a fence needs work, our guide to who pays for a shared fence in Ontario explains how costs are split with a neighbour.
Moving to a new home with a dog
A licence is tied to the city that issued it. Before or soon after a move, sort out the licence along with the other address changes.
- Moving within Toronto: update your address in your online pet licence account.
- Moving out of Toronto: the City says to contact the licensing provider in your new community. Buy a new licence there, since each city’s tag is different.
- Moving to Brampton: the by-law gives you seven days from taking possession of a dog to license it. Treat a move the same way and license promptly.
- Check the dog limit first if you have more than two dogs, using the table above.
- Look at the yard and the street: fencing, the distance to an off-leash area and whether the building allows dogs all matter more than the licence fee.
If you are buying a condo, the corporation’s declaration and rules can restrict pets beyond what the City allows. Ask for them before you firm up, and read our guide to condo fees and what they cover while you are reviewing the documents. For freehold homes, our checklist on how to research a GTA neighbourhood before you buy includes parks and trails to look up.
Planning a move with a dog in mind? Start your home search with Local Toronto, browse our Mississauga and Brampton real estate guides, or if you are selling first, get a free home evaluation.
FAQ
Do I have to license my dog in Toronto?
Yes. All dogs and cats owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear a tag, and the licence must be renewed every year. A licence costs $25 for a spayed or neutered dog and $60 if not, with 50% off for owners 65 and older.
What is the fine for not licensing a dog in Toronto?
The City says failing to license a dog or cat every year may result in a $240 ticket or a maximum fine of $5,000.
How much is a dog licence in Mississauga?
In 2026 a one-year licence is $25 for a spayed or neutered dog and $50 if not. Two-year licences are $40 and $90. Owners 65 and older pay $15 or $25 for one year and $20 or $40 for two years.
How soon do I have to license a new dog in Brampton?
Brampton’s Animal Services By-law 201-2023 requires a licence within seven days of taking possession of a dog over 12 weeks old. Licences can be bought for one or two years.
How many dogs can I have in my house?
Toronto allows no more than three dogs per dwelling unit. Brampton allows up to six cats and dogs combined on a premises, with no more than three dogs. Mississauga allows no more than four animals in total on any premises, with some exemptions.
Sources
- City of Toronto, Pet Licensing Fees (modified May 14, 2026).
- City of Toronto, Pet Licensing and Ways to License Your Pet (modified February 20, 2026).
- Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals (consolidated September 1, 2026).
- City of Toronto Bill 1232 (2026), amendments to Chapter 441, Fees and Charges.
- City of Mississauga, License a pet.
- City of Mississauga, Schedule A-1 Enforcement fees (effective January 1, 2026, as amended).
- City of Mississauga, Animal Care and Control By-law 0098-2004.
- City of Brampton, Getting a pet licence and Dog and Cat Licensing form.
- City of Brampton, Animal Services By-law 201-2023 and Animal By-laws page.
- City of Brampton, 2020 user fee amendment re-inserting Animal Services fees.
Images: AI-generated illustrations created for this guide. They do not show real properties.
This article is general information about municipal dog licensing rules as published in November 2026. Fees and by-laws change. It is not legal advice. Confirm current fees with your City’s animal services office.
Local Toronto, HomeLife Landmark Realty Inc., Brokerage.