Dog tax - Register your dog

Every dog owner is obliged to register his dog in his municipality of residence. The dog tax results from the registration.

The dog tax is a local expense tax. It can be levied by the municipalities in accordance with municipal statutes for the keeping of dogs.

If you keep a dog, you must register it and pay dog tax.

The obligation to register is regulated in detail in the respective municipal statutes.

Your municipal or city administration.

The owner of a dog is the person who has taken in a dog in his own interest or in the interest of his household members.

The municipal statutes regularly provide for an obligation to register,

• if the dog is adopted into the household,
• when moving in with a dog,
• when caring for or keeping a dog for a period of more than 2 months.

Act on Municipal Taxes (KAG) in conjunction with the respective statutes of your municipality

As a rule, you can register your dog in person by appointment or in writing to the competent authority. To register, you can use the form "Registration for dog tax". This form can be obtained from your municipality or it can be downloaded from its website.

Hint: Please check with your municipality.

After the dog has been registered, dog tax stamps are issued, which must be returned when the dog is deregistered. The dog tax tag must be carried or attached to the collar.

Registration must be made immediately after you have acquired the dog or you have moved to the municipality. The dog tax statutes usually provide for a registration period of 14 days.

The amount of the dog tax is determined by the municipalities in the local fee statute and varies from municipality to municipality. The tax can increase significantly for the second and each subsequent dog or for certain breeds. For more information, please contact your municipality.

For example, the keeping of guide dogs or assistance dogs for the disabled, service dogs, herd working dogs, as well as dogs of forest employees and certified game wardens may be exempt from tax.

Please inquire about the exact details in your municipality.

This does not apply if it is a dangerous dog.