The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Dog’s License in 2022

For Klang Valley dog owners only

(MBSA, MBPJ, DBKL, MBSJ, MBAJ, MPK)

What is a dog license?

If you are a dog owner or intend to be one, then think of a dog license as a birth cert for your furbaby. That should answer your question of “Is it required for every dog owner to have a dog license?”. A dog license is a tag that will be attached to your dog’s collar to show you are your dog’s owner.

A dog license is issued by local municipals and while all of them require owners to register their dogs, each of them has its own rules and regulations. To apply for a license, you would need to provide your dog’s name, gender, date of birth, weight and colour. You would also need your contact information so there is proof that your dog belongs to you.

When should you apply for a dog license?

For most local municipals, dogs that are 3 months and above without a license can be taken. So, to be safe, go as early as you vaccinate your dogs or earlier so you can prepare what’s needed to get it.

What is the benefit of a dog license?

If your dog runs out (and please do account for that as a possibility), then it’s easy for someone to return them to you.
If someone steals your dog, it’s easier to prove the dog is yours as long as you register for a license.
Dogs are more secured than unlicensed dogs that can be taken even from inside your house by our local government. There are rules to still follow even if your dog is licensed FYI.

Anyway, before I share about applying for a dog license in Malaysia, here is what would happen if you didn’t (varies based on your local council). Also, please note I am mainly covering parts of Klang Valley. I might consider a part two depending on the request for specific areas I didn’t cover in this article.

What Happens if You Don’t Get A Dog License?

1) At any point in time, if your neighbours felt like it, they could report you. In the best case scenario, you get a RM 2000 fine (MBPJ) and worse case; your dog(s) are taken and brought to the pound to be put to sleep (death by injection). Let me also say that sometimes, the captured dogs don’t even make it to the pound (for legal reasons I won’t elaborate).

2) You could also end up spending up to one year in prison.

3) Refer to point (1) and the fact that there are outsourced contractors by the government to hunt unlicensed dogs or unsupervised dogs with licenses and it doesn’t matter if they are brought to the pound dead or alive.

Exceptions

1) There are absolutely no exceptions; the local municipality has the right to even take the dogs from inside your household if there are found to be unlicensed.

2) This does not mean that once you get a license for your dog, they can be left outside unsupervised and/or unleashed. According to most local municipal terms of dog ownership, dogs must ALWAYS be leashed and accompanied by their human. The local council can take your dog even if:

You are physically present but your dog is unleashed outside your home.
Your dog is not supervised by anyone when they are leashed but left outdoors.

Max is here to tell you “Please be a good pawrent and keep us close and leashed till its safer for us”

Too many times I’ve seen owners wanting to flex their dog’s ability to go off leash but there is a time and place. Malaysia is nothing like our Australian or western counterparts. Please, only go off-leash in a fenced-up park or your own home.

Rules for Landed Property Owners

You still need a license if you choose to keep your dog’s indoors at all times.
There are limits to how many dogs you can keep on your property. This varies based on your local council.

DBKL – Only if you have an area that is larger than 300 square meters, you may have up to 2 dogs. Licenses need to be renewed yearly and are only RM 10 per license (one dog one license).

MBPJ – As long as your home is below 3000 square feet, you are only allowed one dog. For homes that are above 3000 square feet, you are allowed up to two dogs.

MBSJ, MPK and MBAJ– If you have less than 1000 square meters, you are allowed up to two dogs. If your home is higher than 1000 square meters, you are allowed up to four dogs.

MBSA – The local municipal specifies the number of dogs based on the type of home you have. In short, if you have a bungalow or corner house, you can keep up to two dogs. Smaller homes may only keep one dog.

Most local municipals require strays or adopted dogs to be neutered to be eligible for a license.

Controlled Breeds

If you have the following breed, please note there are specific rules and regulations when applying for a dog license (differs based on local municipal)

Rottweiller
Doberman
German Shepherd / Alsatian including Belgian Shepherd and East European Shepherd
Bull Mastiff
Bull Terrier
Perro de Presa Canario ( also known as Canary Dog )

Some rules go as far as needing to muzzle your dog when you take them outdoors. You are also required to put up a “Beware of Dog” sign outside your home so it’s visible to the public. To apply for a license for some local municipals, these breeds must undergo ‘Canine Good Citizen’ training or receive a letter from a local trainer.

Rules for Owners living in Condominiums, Apartments and any building that has its own management office.

You still need a license even if you keep your dogs indoors all the time.
Most local municipals only allow 1 small dog in an apartment. They usually allow the following breeds;

Miniature Pinscher
Bichon Frise
Pekingese
Papillon
Poodle (Toy)
Japanese Chin
Maltese
Pomeranian
Chihuahua

Here is a list of pet-friendly apartments (this list is updated as of May 2022).
The final say for apartments is up to the apartment management.
Pet-friendly is a marketing gimmick and can be revoked at the convenience of apartment management unless stipulated in the Sales and Purchase Agreement.
Some local municipals require a consent letter from your condo management letter.

How to Apply for a Dog License in Malaysia

Visit the website of your local municipal. Some applications can be done online and some require you to personally be at their office.

DBKL – Register here and pay at their counter in Cheras.

Source: www.edog.dbkl.gov.my

Fees: RM 10 per year per dog

MBPJ – Register here and ensure you have your

The softcopy of your IC
A picture of the front of your house
A clear picture of your dog
A copy of your dog’s vaccination report

Fees:

RM 30 per year per dog
RM 60 for two years per dog
RM 90 for three years per dog

MBSJ – Register here. Ensure you can present proof of the following vaccinations;

Distemper vaccination
Hepatitis vaccination
Parvovirus vaccination

(Please note, their website is not up-to-date and was last updated in 2016 so do call them or visit their counter for accurate info)

Fees: RM 10 for neutered dog and RM 20 for an unneutered dog.

MBAJ– You can try to register an account here. Although it seems like you would need to personally go to their office to apply. Here is what you need to bring along:

The softcopy of your IC
A picture of the front of your house
A clear picture of your dog
A letter of confirmation for vaccination against Mad Dog Diseases (Hydrophobia)

Fee for new license: RM 15 per year per dog

MBSA – You need to download the following forms and bring them to Wisma MBSA:

Dog license application form
Neighbour Feedback on Your Dog Ownership (yes, you need your neighbour’s permission to own a dog)

Fee: RM 10 per year per dog

MPK – Download the form here. When sending your application you need to bring:
- A copy of your identification card
- A copy of a vaccination proof from a vet
- A photo of your home and your dog in full colour

Fee: RM 10 per year per dog

Can my dog license still be used if I apply for a dog license that is different from where my dog lives? Example: Dog lives in Bangsar (DBKL) but got a license from MPK.

Logically, I don’t think so. It’s like paying for MPK parking but parking in the DBKL area. Please comment if you have a certain answer for this.

Would it be better to get a license from another municipal than to have no license at all?

It wouldn’t be any different because it’s not recognized by the other municipalities. Now, the question is that why do you need to do it? For your dog’s safety, please follow the rules and if it means moving, consider doing so. It’s better than gambling their lives.

I hope this article is helpful and please share it around so we can build a strong dog community and make Malaysia a better place for dogs.