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The rules and regulations for each State and Territory in Australia will differ and are constantly changing. We have gathered information from government websites and contributing industry support services to outline these differences and better inform authorised implanters of their responsibilities and requirements concerning the area in which they operate.
We highly advise that you contact your local council if you have any questions as they will be better equipped to pass on more detailed information concerning your area.
Please choose your State or Territory below :
| State | Compulsory Microchipping Legislation? |
| ACT | Yes.
Section 84 of the Domestic Animals Act 2000 and Regulation 7 of the Domestic Animals Regulation 2001 requires microchipping of cats and dogs prior to sale/transfer and by 12 weeks of age. Regulations 7 and 9 of the Domestic Animals Regulation 2001 outline what information must be recorded in the microchip database. |
| NSW | Yes.
Section 8 of the Companion Animals Act 1998 requires microchipping of cats and dogs prior to sale/transfer and by 12 weeks of age. Regulation 8 of the Companion Animals Regulation 2008 outlines what information must be recorded in the microchip database. |
| NT | No. |
| QLD | Yes.
Sections 13 and 14 of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 requires microchipping of cats and dogs prior to sale/transfer and prior to reaching 12 weeks of age. Schedule 2 of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 and Schedule 4 of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Regulation 2009 outline what information must be recorded in the microchip database. |
| SA | No. |
| TAS | Yes.
Section 15A of the Dog Control Act 2000 requires microchipping of dogs by 6 months of age. Part 3 of the Cat Management Act 2009 requires microchipping of cats by 6 months of age. |
| VIC | Yes.
Section 10C of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 requires cats and dogs to be microchipped as a condition of registration (which is compulsory once the animal is 3 months of age). However the requirement to microchip prior to sale/transfer under section 12A only applies to domestic animal businesses. Regulation 12 of the Domestic Animals Regulations 2005 outlines what information must be recorded in the microchip database. Section 12A (2) of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 requires an animal’s microchip number to be displayed in any advertisement for the animal, but not at the point of sale. If the seller is a ‘domestic animal business’ the breeder must display the microchip number or the breeder registration number, and the name of the issuing Council. |
| WA | Yes.
Microchipping has been introduced for all dogs in WA from the following dates:
For cats, Sections 14 and 23 of the Cat Act 2011 requires microchipping of cats prior to transfer/sale and by 6 months of age. |
