By Dial A Vet Veterinary Team
A microchip only gets your pet home if the details linked to it are right. When a vet, council or shelter scans a found dog or cat, they look up the chip number on a registry and call the number listed. If you've changed your mobile, moved house or taken on a pet from someone else, that call may go nowhere. RSPCA SA notes that microchipped strays often arrive with out-of-date owner details. Updating them takes a few minutes, but the process differs from state to state.
Key takeaways
- Your pet's microchip registry record and your council registration are usually separate. Update both.
- If you don't know which registry your pet's chip is on, search the chip number at Pet Address.
- NSW uses the NSW Pet Registry, and SA uses Dogs and Cats Online.
- Several councils and states ask you to report changes within 14 days.
- Check your details at least once a year, and after any move or new phone number.
Step 1: find your pet's microchip number
Australian pet microchips use a 15-digit number. You will usually find it on your pet's adoption papers, vaccination or desexing certificate, or other vet records. If you can't find it, your vet can scan your pet.
Step 2: find which registry holds the record
Outside NSW and SA, pets can be listed on one of several private registries. Enter the chip number at petaddress.com.au. It searches the main registries, including Australasian Animal Registry (AAR), Central Animal Records (CAR), PetSafe and Global Micro, and tells you where your pet is listed. According to the City of Gold Coast, the HomeSafeID registry closed in February 2025, so if your pet was on it, check where the record is now.
Step 3: update your details, state by state
New South Wales
- Log in to the NSW Pet Registry with your MyServiceNSW account.
- Choose "link my pet" and enter the 15-digit microchip number. Your full legal name, and your mobile or email, must match the details on your pet's record.
- Update your address and contact details.
If you can't update online, the Office of Local Government says you can lodge a change of details (C3C) form with your council within 14 days of the change. There is no fee.
Victoria
In Victoria, microchipping is required for council registration, which is compulsory from 3 months of age. Update your details with the microchip registry your pet is on, and tell your council separately about any change of address or ownership.
Queensland
Update your microchip registry, then tell your council. Brisbane City Council, for example, asks owners to update registration details within 14 days and notes that it does not update microchip records for you.
South Australia
Log in to Dogs and Cats Online to update your contact details. This is the state's register for dog and cat registration and microchip details. Dog registrations in SA expire on 30 June each year, and renewal notices are sent in July.
Western Australia
Under the Dog Act, dogs must be microchipped and registered with their local government. Under the Cat Act, cats must be microchipped, registered and sterilised. Check your local government for the ages that apply. Your council registration and your microchip registry record are updated separately, so contact both.
Tasmania
Dogs must be microchipped by 6 months of age and registered with council. You must notify council in writing within 14 days if you move, and tell the microchip registry about any change of address or phone number.
Australian Capital Territory
Update your microchip registry, and update your pet's registration with Access Canberra (13 22 81). ACT cat registration must be renewed each year, free of charge.
Northern Territory
Microchipping isn't required across the NT, but it is compulsory in the City of Darwin. If your pet is chipped, keep the registry record current and check your council's own rules.
Updating details on the main private registries
- Central Animal Records (CAR): log in to your online account. Go to My Profile, then Edit, to change your address, phone or email. If you've changed your mobile number and can't receive the login code, or need to change your first name, CAR asks you to email info@car.com.au with your pet's microchip number.
- Australasian Animal Registry (AAR): AAR says registered owners can update most details online. Contact AAR directly for anything you can't change yourself.
- Other registries: use the contact details Pet Address gives you.
If you've adopted or bought a pet
The record needs to move from the previous owner, breeder or shelter into your name. Ask them how the transfer works, or contact the registry directly. Check it has gone through within a few weeks.
When to check your details
- When you move house or change phone number.
- When you get a new pet.
- Before busy times for escapes, such as New Year's Eve fireworks.
- Before moving house with a cat, since pets often slip out during a move.
- At your pet's yearly vet check. Ask your vet to scan the chip to make sure it still reads.
A microchip works best alongside a visible ID tag with your phone number. See what to put on a pet ID tag, and read more about microchipping dogs.
If your pet is already missing
Update your details and mark your pet as missing on the registry straight away. Our lost pet guide covers who to contact in each state. If you have questions about your pet's health after they come home, real vets and vet nurses are available for a Dial A Vet video consult.
FAQ
Is updating my council registration the same as updating my microchip?
Usually not. In most states these are separate records, so update both. NSW and SA combine them in a single state register.
Does it cost anything to update my details?
In NSW, a C3C change of details form is free. Other registries set their own fees, so check with yours.
Can I move my pet's record to a different registry?
Some registries allow it, and Pet Address can help move a record if a registry has closed. Ask your current registry how it works and whether there's a fee.
My pet's microchip number isn't on Pet Address. What now?
Ask your vet to scan your pet and confirm the number, then contact your council. In NSW and SA, check the state registers directly.
References
- RSPCA Knowledgebase. Is microchipping mandatory for cats and dogs? https://kb.rspca.org.au/categories/legislation/companion-animal-legislation/is-microchipping-mandatory-for-cats-and-dogs
- RSPCA SA. Reminder to keep animals safe during New Year's Eve fireworks. https://www.rspcasa.org.au/reminder-to-keep-animals-safe-during-new-years-eve-fireworks/
- NSW Office of Local Government. Get started on the NSW Pet Registry. https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/pets/nsw-pet-registry/owners/get-started-nsw-pet-registry
- NSW Office of Local Government. Update your details on the NSW Pet Registry. https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/pets/nsw-pet-registry/update-your-details-nsw-pet-registry
- NSW Office of Local Government. Update your details (C3C) form. https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-06/update-your-detail-c3c.pdf
- Pet Address. https://www.petaddress.com.au/
- City of Gold Coast. Microchipping. https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Services/Animals-pets/Animal-ownership-requirements/Microchipping
- Brisbane City Council. Register your pet. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/animals-and-pets/animal-registration-and-permits/register-your-pet
- Dog and Cat Management Board (SA). Registering dogs. https://dogandcatboard.com.au/dogs/registration
- Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet. Microchipping, registration and desexing dogs. https://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/government-information/local-government/dog-control/microchipping-registration-and-desexing-dogs
- ACT City Services. Cats. https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/pets-and-wildlife/cats
- Central Animal Records. Update microchip details after moving. https://www.car.com.au/pages/update-microchip-details-after-moving
- Australasian Animal Registry. https://www.aar.org.au/
- ACT City Services. Lost, found and impounded dogs. https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/pets-and-wildlife/dogs/impounded_dogs
- WA Government. Cats and dogs. https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/local-government/cats-and-dogs
This article is general information only. Rules change, so check with your council and registry.