Animal Licensing
Residents of Tacoma or Fircrest are required to license all dogs and cats over eight weeks of age. New residents must obtain a pet license within 30 days of moving to the city.
Latest News
On June 10, the Tacoma City Council adopted updates to the City’s animal code to help reduce animal overpopulation and improve community animal welfare.
Effective September 1, 2025, the ordinance increases animal licensing fees and introduces new policies to support expanded low-cost spay/neuter services and enhance trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts for managing community cats. These updates apply only to pet owners who reside within Tacoma city limits. Find more information here.
Summary of Changes
- Pig Licensing Requirement:Â Pet pigs must now be licensed and altered (spayed or neutered). This requirement is intended to ensure proper care and accountability, prevent neighborhood concerns related to noise, odor, or property damage, and support public health and safety, particularly when pigs are in public spaces.
- Limit of One Unaltered Pet:Â Households are now limited to one unaltered pet. This change is designed to help reduce overpopulation, ease the strain on local shelters, reduce the number of unhoused animals, and promote public health and safety throughout Tacoma neighborhoods. While this is a new requirement, it does not change the existing household pet limit, which allows up to six dogs, six cats, or any combination of dogs and cats totaling no more than six animals per household within the City.
- Animal License Fee Increases: The City is increasing animal licensing fees—particularly for unaltered pets—to encourage responsible pet ownership and contribute to community low-cost spay and neuter programs, the Humane Society’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts for community cats, support for shelter capacity and animal welfare services.
Benefits of Pet Licensing
A license is your pet’s ticket home if they ever get lost. Each year, tens of thousands of pets end up at The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, and unfortunately, very few have proper identification.
When a lost pet is found with up-to-date identification, our Animal Control and Compliance Officers can either return the pet directly to its home or promptly notify the owners that their pet is safe at the shelter. License fees help fund essential services, including:
- Keeping stray animals off the streets and out of danger.
- Transporting injured animals to veterinarians for medical help.
- Investigating cases of animal cruelty and neglect to safeguard pets’ well-being.
- Protecting your family by addressing potential threats like rabies and animal bites.
Your pet’s license enables us to offer better services for you, your family, and your community. Don’t wait — license your pet today!
Pet Licensing Requirement
Residents of the City of Tacoma or Fircrest are legally required to license all dogs and cats over eight weeks of age. New residents must obtain a pet license within 30 days of moving to the city. Licenses are valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
Pet License Tags
License tags are required for dogs at all times. While cats with microchips still need a license, they aren’t required to wear the tag. Remember, even indoor-only pets or those in fenced yards can escape. If your pet loses its tag, contact us for a replacement.
Service Animals
Pet owners with disabilities are exempt from paying the license fee if their service dog is specially trained and primarily used for assistance with their disability. However, they must still keep the dog licensed by providing annual proof of the dog’s active service status. Pet owners must comply with all pet regulations.
The tasks or work performed by a service dog must be directly related to the handler’s disability. Examples include guiding individuals who are blind or have low vision, alerting those who are deaf or hard of hearing to people or sounds, and assisting individuals during seizures. These tasks are just a few examples of the critical roles service dogs can perform.
Emotional support, comfort, companionship, or general well-being do not qualify as recognized work or tasks under RCW 49.60.040.
Please note that our office does not provide training or certification for service dogs.
What to Do If You Find a Lost Pet
If you find a dog or cat with a City of Tacoma tag, please contact Animal Licensing at (253) 627-PETS (7387) for information about the pet’s owner. If the pet does not have a tag, try walking it around the neighborhood, as this can often help reunite the pet with its owner. For additional tips on reuniting pets with their families, please refer to the resources below.
Humane Society Resource for Lost Pets
Humane Society Resource for Loose Cats
If you have found a stray animal and are unable to locate its owner, The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County, located at 2608 Center Street, will accept the animal. Please call (253) 383-2733 or visit humanesociety.org for more information and to schedule an appointment. The Humane Society operates on an appointment-based system for turning in lost pets, allowing the shelter to prepare for incoming animals and ensure that each animal’s needs are met.