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Peabody rules

Peabody dog license: fee, deadline and where to get it

Peabody's rules are short and specific: a certificate rather than a tag, a license holder aged 18 or over, and a March 31 date. This page walks through each one, explains the late fee the city code provides for, and shows where the license fits in a Peabody dog's first day at Dogtown.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · rules checked for fall 2026

Where to apply

Apply at the Peabody City Clerk's Office, by mail or online

The City Clerk's Office at Peabody City Hall, 24 Lowell Street, licenses dogs over the counter, and the clerk's page offers two other routes. You can mail in the dog license application with payment, or apply online through the city's online dog license application or its Online Payment Center. The paper application warns that paying by card online may add a service fee. City Hall's posted hours are 8:30 AM to 4 PM Monday to Wednesday, 8:30 AM to 7 PM on Thursday and 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Friday.

If you mail it, make the check payable to the City of Peabody and include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the license sent home. The form is particular about postage: the envelope needs $1.15, and it notes that one regular Forever stamp will not cover it. The city sends the same generic application with every census mailing, so a household without a dog can ignore it. For 2026, the clerk's page said applications would be processed and mailed after March 1.

  • In person: City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 24 Lowell Street
  • By mail: the application, a check to the City of Peabody and a stamped return envelope
  • Online: the city's dog license application or Online Payment Center
  • Return postage: $1.15, more than one Forever stamp
A brown dog resting on an examination table while a veterinarian in blue gloves holds a stethoscope to its chest

What you need

Bring a copy of the rabies certificate, because the tag alone is not enough

Peabody's clerk is explicit: to license a dog you must show proof of a current vaccination, and the rabies tag on the collar is not sufficient. What the city wants is the certificate, the document your vet completes with your details, the dog's description, the vaccine and the tag number, as Massachusetts law requires. The application also asks for the rabies expiration date and, if your dog has one, the microchip number, so keep the vet's paperwork open as you write.

For the lower $15 fee you also need proof of spay or neuter. The form lists each dog by name, breed, color, size, hair length and age, and asks whether it is a renewal or a new registration. One rule catches some families out: the city requires every license holder to be 18 or older, so the license goes in an adult's name even when the dog really belongs to a younger member of the household.

  • A copy of a valid rabies certificate, not the tag
  • Proof of spay or neuter for the $15 fee
  • The rabies expiration date and any microchip number
  • A license holder aged 18 or older

Dates and late fees

License on or before March 31, and ask the clerk about any late charge

The application cites the state licensing law and sets the date: all dogs six months of age or older must be licensed on or before March 31 every year. The clerk's page this year said a 2025 Peabody license was good until March 31, 2026, so each license covers the twelve months that end on that date. A dog that turns six months old, or joins the household, later in the year needs its license then rather than waiting for the next March.

The clerk's page and the application say nothing about lateness, but the city code does: section 6-16.1 has the animal control officer impose a late fee on any dog not licensed on or before June 1 of the license year. The code leaves the amount to a city resolution, and we could not find that figure published, so ask the City Clerk's Office through City Hall at 978-538-5900 before June 1 passes. The fee itself depends only on whether the dog is altered: $15 for a neutered male or spayed female, and $25 for an intact male or female.

Why we ask

Dogtown needs the current Peabody license and vaccine records before the first group day

Every Peabody dog who comes to Dogtown for daycare, Dogtown Academy, an overnight stay or an at-home walk begins with a free evaluation on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, booked ahead. On that morning we take a copy of the current Peabody license and the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records. Peabody is outside the four Pup Van towns, so plan on driving Route 128 north to its end in Gloucester, or ask us about pick-up.

The Peabody rule that a tag is not proof works in everyone's favor. Because the clerk has already seen the certificate, the license confirms a current rabies vaccination before your dog meets a group of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament. The tag itself, numbered and naming the city, is how a lost dog finds its way home. After the evaluation, new customers can use FIRST15 for 15 percent off the first daycare visit.

  1. 01

    Find the dog license application in the census mailing

  2. 02

    Copy the rabies certificate and the spay or neuter proof

  3. 03

    Send the form, the copies and the fee by March 31, with a stamped return envelope

  4. 04

    Complete the Dogtown new customer form

  5. 05

    Book the evaluation and bring the Peabody license and the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records

At Dogtown

Dogtown for a licensed Peabody dog

One free evaluation, then daycare in matched groups or an overnight suite on Eastern Ave.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

How much is a Peabody dog license?
At the time of writing, $15 for a neutered male or spayed female and $25 for a male or female that is not altered, according to the City Clerk's page and the application. Paying online may add a card service fee. Include a self-addressed envelope with $1.15 in postage if you want the license mailed to you.
When do Peabody dog licenses expire?
On March 31. The application says every dog six months or older must be licensed on or before March 31 each year, and the clerk's page confirmed that 2025 licenses were good until March 31, 2026. Renew in March so the new license is in place when the old one ends.
Is a rabies tag enough to license my dog in Peabody?
No. The City Clerk asks for proof of a current vaccination and says the rabies tag alone is not sufficient. Bring or mail a copy of the vet's rabies certificate, plus proof of spay or neuter if you are paying the lower fee. Keep the original certificate yourself; the application asks only for a copy.
What is the late fee for a Peabody dog license?
The city code sets one but not its size. Section 6-16.1 imposes a late fee, in an amount fixed by city resolution, on any dog not licensed on or before June 1 of the license year, and neither the clerk's page nor the application prints the figure. Call City Hall at 978-538-5900 for the current amount, and license by March 31 to avoid the question.
Does Dogtown take dogs from Peabody?
Yes. Peabody is one of the North Shore towns we serve, and Peabody dogs start with the same free weekday-morning evaluation as every other dog. Bring the current Peabody license and the Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records. Peabody is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up, or drop off between 4 and 6:30 PM on a weekday.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

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Next step

Certificate copied, license in hand.

Book a free weekday-morning evaluation at 210 Eastern Ave and bring the Peabody license with your dog's Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records.

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