The law in Arizona requires that all dogs over the age of three months have a license and rabies vaccination. Maricopa County Animal Care & Control licenses dogs in all unincorporated areas in Maricopa County and all other municipalities within Maricopa County with the exception of Fountain Hills and Native American reservations.

Dog owners must complete a license application within 15 days of vaccination. Residents new to Maricopa County and new dog owners must purchase a license within 30 days. A penalty will be assessed to owners who don’t apply within the required timeline. Penalty fees are as follows:

• $2 per month for sterile dogs.
• $4 per month for unaltered dogs.

It's easy to license your dog. There are three options:

• 
  
• 
• 
• You can also buy a dog license in person at any of our locations during normal business hours.

The term of the license is based on the month and day of the most current rabies vaccination recorded at MCACC. (You can get a rabies vaccination from your veterinarian, at one of our locations, or at one of our community clinics.) Licenses are valid for no more than one calendar year.

A license is more than just a requirement. It is a benefit to you and your dog. Found dogs with a license can be reunited quickly with their owner.

• Your lost dog gets a free ride home. MCACC staff will attempt to bring your dog home to you immediately, skipping a trip to our center.
• If your dog does get lost, he or she will get a longer care period at one of our Centers. We will exhaust every option we have to contact you using the information in our database.
• If your dog bites someone, he/she may be eligible for home quarantine instead of quarantine in our facility or a veterinary hospital.
• License fees support the operations and care of the animals in our facilities, return of over 6,500 pets to their homes, and adoption of more than 20,000 homeless pets to new families every year.

All dogs need to be licensed so they have identification in case they get out or become lost, and it's the law. Even indoor-only dogs confined to fenced yards get loose. The State of Arizona does not require cats to be licensed. It is a good idea to get your cat an ID tag. A lost cat with an ID tag has a better chance of being returned to her owner.