Scan
A vet, council ranger or shelter scans the animal and reads the microchip number.
Pet microchip
information.
A microchip can identify your pet. Accurate registry details are what turn that identification into a way home.
If the registry record is missing, out of date or in someone else’s name, the reunion can stall at the exact moment your pet has been found.
A tiny number.
A complete chain of information.
In NSW, cats and dogs must be microchipped before they are sold or given away, or by 12 weeks of age. The chip is placed under the skin by a vet or authorised identifier and its number is recorded against an owner’s details.
When a lost animal is scanned, the chip does not display your address or call you by itself. It supplies an identification number. An authorised person must find the corresponding registry record and use the contact information stored there.
That is why checking the record matters just as much as having the chip implanted.
Every link has to work.
Search
That number is checked against the relevant pet registry record.
Contact
The authorised person uses the owner details attached to the record.
Reunite
A current phone number and accurate ownership record can turn the scan into a safe return home.
Permanent identification.
The microchip number is designed to identify one animal for life. It cannot help if nobody knows which registry holds the number or the linked details are wrong.
A separate NSW requirement.
Microchipping comes first. NSW registration is then completed through the Pet Registry and covers the cat or dog for life, even if ownership later changes.
The official record counts.
Buying, adopting or being given a pet does not automatically update the registry. Confirm that the formal transfer is complete and the pet appears in the new owner’s profile.
Do this before your pet is missing.
Do not rely on memory, an old certificate or the fact that your vet “has the details”. Open the registry record and inspect what is actually stored there.
Sign in to the NSW Pet Registry ↗- 01
Open your record
Sign in to the NSW Pet Registry with your MyServiceNSW details. If your pet is not visible, use “link my pet” and enter the 15-digit microchip number.
- 02
Check the owner
Confirm the record is in the correct legal owner’s name. A handover, sales receipt or vet account does not replace an official ownership transfer.
- 03
Check every contact field
Read the phone number, email address and residential address character by character. Make sure the phone is one you answer and the email is still monitored.
- 04
Check where your pet lives
The Registry needs the pet’s usual location. Add or select another location if your pet stays with family, at a holiday home or somewhere different from your home address.
- 05
Improve the identification
Add a clear, recent photo and correct any pet details that could help distinguish them. Update the record immediately if the pet is missing, found or has died.
Update it when life changes—not later.
- 01You move house or your pet starts living elsewhere
- 02You change your mobile number or email address
- 03A pet is sold, adopted, rehomed or given to a family member
- 04You bring a pet into NSW from interstate or overseas
- 05Your pet goes missing, is found, or passes away
- 06You cannot remember the last time you checked the record
NSW owners are legally required to keep their own details and their pet’s information current.
If you cannot update online, your local council can assist. The Office of Local Government also provides a paper change-of-details process, with time limits applying.
Do not know your pet’s microchip number?
Look in more than one place. If paperwork conflicts, a fresh scan is the clearest way to confirm the number physically carried by the animal.
- 1
Microchip certificate or original registration paperwork
- 2
Your regular veterinary clinic’s patient record
- 3
Adoption, breeder, vaccination or desexing paperwork
- 4
Your pet’s online registry profile
- 5
A fresh scan by a vet, council or animal welfare shelter
Finish the transfer.
The previous owner, breeder, rescue or seller should complete the required transfer. The incoming owner should not assume it worked—sign in and confirm the pet is visible under the correct name and contact details.
If the transfer was not completed or the original owner cannot sign the required form, speak with the local council about the evidence and declaration needed.
Check both sides of the move.
Australian jurisdictions do not all use the same registry arrangements. A record does not necessarily move automatically when the family moves.
Identify the database holding the chip, then check the requirements of the state or territory where the pet now lives. For a pet brought into NSW, contact the NSW Pet Registry or local council about recording and registration.
Update the record, then widen the search.
- 01
Mark the pet as missing on the NSW Pet Registry and recheck the contact number shown on your profile.
- 02
Notify your local council, nearby pounds, veterinary clinics and relevant animal shelters.
- 03
Share a clear, current image and ask for exact sighting locations and times—not general descriptions.
- 04
If the animal is frightened, tell people not to chase, call, whistle or crowd them. Report sightings promptly.
Microchip essentials.
Is a microchip the same as NSW lifetime registration?
No. The chip identifies the animal, while registration is a separate legal step completed on the NSW Pet Registry. A pet is not registered until the registration process and any required payment are complete.
What if my pet does not appear in my Registry account?
Use “link my pet” with the 15-digit microchip number. Your full legal name and either your mobile number or email must match the existing record. If they do not, contact your local council for help rather than creating conflicting details.
Who can tell me my pet’s microchip number?
Start with your paperwork or regular vet. If the number cannot be found, many councils, vets and animal welfare shelters can scan the pet and provide it.
What should happen when a pet changes owner?
The transfer must be completed on the official registry. The breeder or person selling or giving away the animal has responsibilities in that process. The new owner should then confirm the pet appears in their own profile with accurate details.
What if the pet was microchipped in another state?
Do not assume the record has followed you. Registry arrangements differ between states and transfers are not necessarily automatic. Identify the database holding the chip record, then ask your current state authority or local council what is required where the pet now lives.
Use the source that maintains the record.
This One Rescue guide is general information for NSW pet owners. Registry services, forms, fees and legal requirements can change, so use the official links below for the latest instructions.