Dog License Application  The process is easier than you think.

Massachusetts State Law requires that all dog owners license their dogs each year with their local City/Town Clerk’s Office. The law prohibits dogs from being licensed without proof of a current rabies vaccination.

Each Autumn, the New Bedford City Clerk’s Office mails renewal notices to every known dog owner in the City, advising them that it is time to renew their dog’s license. This form can be filled out and returned to the City Clerk with the required fee. The License will then be mailed back to the owner.

The fee structure for Dog Licenses is as follows:

• $10 annually for all spayed/neutered dogs (proof of spay/neuter is required)
• $20 annually for non-spayed/non-neutered dogs

Dogs that remain unlicensed are subject to a citation and fine from New Bedford Animal Control. Also, as a reminder, the city of New Bedford strictly enforces its leash law.