Dog licenses, rabies shots and leashes in Boston

Boston licenses dogs on an annual cycle tied to a spring deadline. Here is what the city says.

German Shepherd running across a garden lawn

01The short version

Question	What the city says
Who needs a license	Dogs older than six months
Deadline	License before April 1 each year
Rabies	Proof of a current rabies vaccination is required
If you do not license	A $50 fine, per the city license page
Leash	Required whenever the dog is off your property, including in parks
Waste	You must remove and dispose of it

02Sources

The Boston dog license page lists the six-month threshold, the April 1 deadline, the rabies certificate requirement and the $50 fine. The City of Boston pet rules page states the leash and waste rules. The Boston license application page cites M.G.L. c. 140 sections 137 and 141 and the city ordinance as the legal basis for the yearly license.

03Elsewhere in Massachusetts

Every city and town runs its own licensing through the clerk and its own leash code. Call your municipal office before the dog comes home.

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