Dogs across the UK must be microchipped and registered on an approved database. In England, this also applies to owned cats. The owner or keeper is responsible for making sure the contact details stay correct.
The UK does not have one government microchip database.
Instead, several approved private databases hold pet records. Lookup services help identify which database should be contacted.
This guide explains how registration works, how the rules differ across the UK and what to do after an adoption, move or journey from abroad.
Is pet microchipping required in the UK?
The rules depend on the animal and the part of the UK where it lives.
Dogs
Dogs throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must normally be microchipped by the time they are eight weeks old.
The chip must be linked to the current keeper’s details on an approved or compliant database.
Cats
In England, owned cats must normally be microchipped and registered by the time they are 20 weeks old.
This includes cats that live indoors.
Microchipping is not currently a general legal requirement for cats in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
However, it is strongly recommended because it gives a lost or injured cat a permanent form of identification.
Different rules may apply to animals travelling internationally.
Rules in each part of the UK
- England: dogs must be chipped by eight weeks and owned cats by 20 weeks.
- Scotland: dogs must be chipped by eight weeks. Cat microchipping is currently voluntary.
- Wales: dogs must be chipped by eight weeks. Cat microchipping is currently voluntary.
- Northern Ireland: dogs must be chipped by eight weeks and before a dog licence can be issued. Cat microchipping is currently voluntary.
Local requirements may also apply. For example, dogs in Northern Ireland need a valid dog licence as well as a microchip.
Implanting and registering are different steps
A microchip contains a unique identification number.
It does not store the owner’s name, address or telephone number.
Those details are held by a separate database.
Implanting the chip means placing the physical microchip beneath the animal’s skin.
Registering the chip means linking its number to the pet and the current keeper.
A chip may scan correctly but still be difficult to trace when the registration was never completed.
Our guide How to Register a Pet Microchip explains the general process in more detail.
Where are UK pet microchips registered?
UK microchips are registered with approved private databases.
These databases are separate companies. The government does not hold all pet records in one central register.
The vet, breeder, shelter or rescue may start the registration.
In some cases, the new owner must complete the process.
Never assume the registration happened automatically.
Which UK microchip databases are approved?
The official list can change, so always check the current GOV.UK guidance before registering a pet.
See the current list of approved UK microchip databases
.
At the time of writing, approved services include:
Approved UK pet microchip databases
- AnimalData
- Animal Microchips
- Animal Tracker
- ChipHERO
- Chipped Monkey
- Chipworks
- DKC
- FidoID
- Greyhound Chip ID – racing greyhounds only
- HomeAgain
- Identibase
- Lost Paws
- MicroChip Central
- My Animal Trace
- MyPet
- National Veterinary Data Service
- Pet Database
- Pet Identity UK
- Petlog
- PetScanner
- ProtectedPet
- SmartTrace
- Track Your Paws
Use the official GOV.UK list to confirm that a database is still approved before paying or creating a new record.
How do I find the correct database?
Start with any documents supplied when the pet was chipped, bought or adopted.
The database name may appear on:
- The microchip certificate
- Veterinary records
- Adoption paperwork
- Breeder documents
- A pet passport
- A registration email
- Pet insurance documents
When you do not know the database, enter the complete number in ChipTrace.
You can also use a UK database lookup service. It will normally identify the database to contact rather than displaying the owner’s private details.
How to register a pet microchip in the UK
- Confirm the microchip number.
Ask a vet, dog warden or rescue centre to scan the pet when you do not have reliable paperwork. - Find the correct database.
Check the documents or search the number through ChipTrace. - Contact the database.
Use its official website or telephone number. - Create or claim the record.
You may need to open an owner account. - Enter the pet’s details.
Add the name, species, breed, sex, colour and other requested information. - Add your contact details.
Include your current address, telephone number and email address. - Provide proof when requested.
An adoption agreement, transfer code or previous registration certificate may be needed. - Pay any required fee.
Charges vary between databases. Some basic services may be free, while others charge for registration or updates. - Keep the confirmation.
Save the database name, account details and registration reference.
Who is responsible for registering the chip?
The current owner or keeper is responsible for making sure the record is correct.
A breeder must normally arrange the first registration for a puppy before it moves to its new home.
A shelter or rescue may register an animal before adoption.
After a sale or adoption, the new keeper must make sure the details are transferred.
Ask clearly who will complete each step.
What details will the database need?
The exact requirements vary.
You will usually need:
- The complete microchip number
- The pet’s name
- The species and breed
- The sex and colour
- The date of birth or estimated age
- Your full name
- Your postal address
- Your telephone number
- Your email address
You may also be asked for:
- An emergency contact
- The breeder’s details
- An adoption agreement
- A transfer code
- Veterinary records
- Proof that the animal is now in your care
How do I know whether the registration is active?
Do not stop after submitting a form.
Check that the database sent confirmation.
Make sure:
- The microchip number is correct
- Your name is correct
- Your telephone number works
- Your email address is current
- Your postal address is complete
- The pet’s details are accurate
You can also search the chip number through ChipTrace.
A lookup may identify the database without showing your personal information. That is normal.
How do I transfer a microchip after buying or adopting a pet?
Do not assume that the database will update the keeper automatically.
Ask the breeder, shelter, rescue or previous keeper for:
- The full microchip number
- The database name
- The registration certificate
- A transfer code or form
- Proof of purchase or adoption
Some organisations begin the transfer for you.
Others expect the new keeper to complete it.
Check the database after the transfer. Make sure your own details appear.
What if the previous keeper is still registered?
Contact the database and explain the situation.
It may ask for:
- An adoption agreement
- A purchase receipt
- A signed transfer form
- Veterinary records
- Proof that you tried to contact the previous keeper
- Other evidence that the animal is now in your care
Do not create false information or a conflicting record.
When ownership is disputed, ask the database, shelter, vet or relevant authority for advice.
How do I update my address or telephone number?
Contact the database that holds the record.
Update it after:
- Moving home
- Changing your telephone number
- Changing your email address
- Changing the emergency contact
- Adopting or rehoming the pet
- Moving outside the UK
The database may charge a fee for some changes.
Check the record at least once a year.
An old telephone number can prevent a finder from reaching you.
What happens when I move within the UK?
You normally do not need to change databases because you move from one UK region to another.
Update the existing record with your new details.
However, separate local rules may apply.
For example, dog owners moving to Northern Ireland must also check the local dog-licensing requirements.
Can a chip be registered on more than one database?
Yes. A chip number may appear on more than one database.
An extra registration can provide another route back to the owner.
However, multiple records can slow down tracing when the information conflicts.
Use the same current details in every active database.
Do not rely on an unapproved database when the law requires registration on an approved UK service.
Can I add an international registration?
Yes. An international record can provide an extra safety net.
Animal-ID allows owners to add an existing microchip number to a global database.
This may help when a pet travels or moves outside the UK.
It does not replace registration on an approved UK database.
Does a UK microchip number begin with 826?
Not always.
826 is the ISO numeric country code for the United Kingdom.
Some authorised UK country-coded chips may begin with 826.
Many chips used in the UK begin with a manufacturer code instead. These codes begin with the number 9.
The first three digits do not prove that the pet is British or registered in the UK.
The complete number must be checked.
Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man have their own ISO numeric codes. They are not covered by 826.
See Pet Microchip Numbers Explained for more information about country and manufacturer codes.
Can a pet arriving from abroad keep its foreign microchip?
Usually, yes.
A readable chip does not normally need to be replaced simply because the pet moves to the UK.
Ask a vet to:
- Scan the animal
- Confirm the full number
- Check that the number matches the travel documents
- Record it in the UK veterinary file
Keep the foreign registration active when possible.
Update it with your UK contact details.
You should also register the existing chip with an appropriate approved UK database.
Bringing a pet to Great Britain
Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales.
Dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain must follow the current pet-travel rules.
The pet must normally:
- Travel on an approved route
- Have a readable microchip
- Have a valid rabies vaccination
- Have the correct pet passport or health certificate
- Meet any tapeworm-treatment requirement for dogs
The microchip must be implanted before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccination.
Check the current rules for bringing a pet to Great Britain before travelling.
Travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has separate pet-travel arrangements.
Pets travelling directly from Great Britain to Northern Ireland may need a free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document.
The document must match the animal’s microchip number. Check the current Northern Ireland pet-travel guidance
before the journey.
Taking a pet abroad from Great Britain
The rules depend on the destination.
For travel to the EU, a pet may need:
- A readable microchip
- A valid rabies vaccination
- An animal health certificate or valid pet passport
- Tapeworm treatment for dogs when required
Use the official pet-travel guidance on Gov.uk before booking.
What if no UK registration can be found?
A missing result does not always mean that the chip is invalid.
Possible reasons include:
- The chip was implanted but never registered
- The number was copied incorrectly
- The registration is very recent
- The database is temporarily unavailable
- The pet is registered abroad
- The record is held by another service
- The previous database has closed
Our guide Why Can’t I Find a Microchip in Any Database? explains these possibilities in more detail.
Ask a vet or rescue to scan the pet again and confirm every digit.
ChipTrace may still identify the database, manufacturer or another useful contact.
What should I do if my pet goes missing?
Contact the microchip database as soon as possible.
Ask it to mark the animal as missing.
Also contact:
- Local vets
- Animal shelters and rescues
- The local dog warden when a dog is missing
- The council
- Local lost-pet groups
Do not publish the complete microchip number in public posts.
Keep it private so it can help confirm ownership.
Someone who finds your pet can follow Found a Microchipped Pet? What to Do Next.
UK microchip registration checklist
- Ask a trained professional to scan or implant the chip
- Confirm the complete microchip number
- Use an approved UK database
- Complete the owner or keeper registration
- Finish any ownership transfer
- Keep the registration confirmation
- Check your telephone number and address
- Update the record whenever your details change
- Keep useful foreign registrations active
- Check the number with ChipTrace
Check a UK pet microchip
Enter the complete microchip number in ChipTrace.
ChipTrace searches connected registries and lookup services.
When no registration is found, it may still provide database information, manufacturer details and useful next contacts.