Centre County dog licenses for 2024 are now available for purchase online, in person or by mail, county Treasurer Colleen Kennedy said on Monday.
Licenses can be purchased by visiting centrecountypa.gov/treasurer, at the county treasurer’s office in the Willowbank Building (420 Holmes Street, Bellefonte) or at the following locations:
| Millheim | Hosterman & Stover Hardware | 190 W. Main St. |
| Pleasant Gap | Adrian’s Dog House | 141 E. College Ave. |
| Port Matilda | Port Matilda Borough Building | 400 S. High St. |
| State College | State College Municipal Building | 243 S. Allen St. |
| State College | The Pet Pub | 507 Benner Pike |
| State College | Wiscoy Pet Food Co. | 424 W. Aaron Dr. |
| Stormstown | Halfmoon Township Building | 100 Municipal Lane |
State law currently requires that all dogs three months or older must be licensed in the county where they are maintained, with new tags displayed beginning Jan. 1 each year. Owners who fail to obtain a license can face a fine of up to $300 plus court costs for each unlicensed dog.
The cost for a license until Feb. 1 is $8.70 for unaltered dogs and $6.70 for those that are spayed or neutered. Lifetime licenses are $51.50 for productive dogs and $31.50 for those that are spayed or neutered and are available only at the treasurer’s office for dogs that have either a microchip or tattoo, with verification of permanent identification from a veterinarian or kennel. Senior citizens and individuals with disabilities may be eligible for discounted rates.
Kennedy encouraged residents to purchase licenses before a statewide increase goes into effect.
Beginning Feb. 1, changes to the state Dog Law approved in October will go into effect, including an increase in license fees. The cost of an annual license for both unaltered and spayed/neutered dogs will be $8.70. All lifetime license fees will increase to $52.70 Discounts for seniors and people with disabilities will still be available.
All dogs in Pennsylvania also will be required to be licensed at the time of purchase, which is legal at eight weeks, or by three months old, whichever comes first. The maximum fine for unlicensed dogs will increase to $500.
The updated law also allows the state agriculture secretary to increase fees again by $2 on Dec. 1, 2025, and $1 on Dec. 1, 2027.
License fees help keep shelters running and support the work of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which provides a number of services to protect dogs and the public.
The increase in license fees is the first in nearly 30 years, and is intended to alleviate strained funding support for enforcement of the Dog Law.
“Pennsylvanians have made it clear that they expect kennels, breeders, and shelters to be held to high standards,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in an October press release. “They want their communities to be safe from stray and dangerous dogs. They want owners to be held responsible when their dog attacks, and they want unscrupulous breeders to be shut down. The Shapiro Administration, working with both parties in the legislature, has made commonsense changes to the dog law to keep our communities, our families, and our dogs safe and healthy.”
For questions about dog licensing, visit centrecountypa.gov/treasurer, call the Centre County Treasurer’s office at 814-355-6810 or email [email protected].
