Dog Licenses
All dog owners in the City of Salem must annually license their dog with the City Clerk's Office. No dog can be licensed without a current rabies vaccination. An annual notice is mailed to every dog owner in the city with their annual census form, advising them when it is time to license their dog. This form can be filled out and returned to the City Clerk with the required fee. The licenses will then be mailed back to the owner.
In order to encourage compliance with the license and vaccination requirements, the City Clerk, working the Dog Constable, extends the dog licensing deadline to the second week on May of every year. This deadline follows the annual rabies clinic held at the Salem Police Station in early May of each year.
The fee for all Dog Licenses is as follows:
- $15.00 for Male/Female annually
- $10.00 annually for all spayed/neutered dogs (proof of spay or neuter required)
Any person failing to pay the renew the license by July 1st in the year in which it is due shall be subject to a separate $15.00 late fee. Any dog not licensed for the previous year will need to pay for the previous years' license as well as the late fine of $15.00 per City Ordinance Ch. 8 Sec. 8-34 (c). To review the City Ordinances pertaining to dog licenses, please click here.
Dogs that remain unlicensed, are subject to a citation and fine by the Dog Constable. Also, as a reminder, the City of Salem strictly enforces its leash law.
If you have any questions regarding a dog license, or if you are unsure about your dogs current rabies vaccination expiration date, please call the City Clerk's Office at (978) 745-9595 ext. 41200.
To Download a Dog License Application Request, please click here.