Policies

Microchip

• All cats and dogs must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age, or before sale if they are younger than 12 weeks.
• Keep the owner details on the microchip up to date.

Desexing

• Cats over 3 months and dogs over 6 months must be desexed before they are sold.
• Exceptions: a special permit, a racing greyhound, or a vet's written advice that desexing would seriously risk the animal's health.

Advertising

• A licensed breeder must show their breeding licence number.
• Everyone else must show the seller's name or ABN, and the animal's microchip number.
• This covers sales and free rehoming, and any age of animal, planned litter or not.
• After the sale, give the new keeper the animal's identifying information.

Dogs

• A dog over 8 weeks old that is kept for more than 28 days must be registered.
• Tell Domestic Animal Services within 14 days when you sell or get a dog (dogcontrol@act.gov.au).

Breeders

• Licensed breeders must follow the ACT breeding standard under the Domestic Animals Act 2000.

Not confirmed: who needs a breeder licence and the licence rules; penalty amounts.

Official pages: ACT: advertising cats and dogs for sale

Main laws: Companion Animals Act 1998, Companion Animals Regulation 2018, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979, and the Animal Welfare Code of Practice for Breeding Dogs and Cats.

Microchip and registration

• Microchip every puppy and kitten before it is sold or given away, or by 12 weeks of age. Give the microchip number to the new owner.
• If a puppy or kitten is still with you after 12 weeks, register it in the NSW Pet Registry.
• Cats and dogs must be registered with the local council, generally by 6 months of age.

Selling

• Sell or give pets only to people aged 18 or older.
• Do not sell a puppy or kitten before it is 8 weeks old.
• Make sure the pet is healthy.
• Transfer ownership through the NSW Pet Registry.
• Keep records of each litter and each sale.

Advertising

• Every ad for a cat, kitten, dog or puppy must show a microchip number.
• Puppy ads must also show a breeder identification number (BIN) or a rehoming organisation number.
• This covers websites, social media, newspapers, flyers and noticeboards. You must be able to give these numbers before the sale.
• An ad without the required number is an offence.

Breeder identification number (BIN)

• Anyone responsible for a dog that becomes pregnant needs a BIN, even if it was an accident.
• Apply within 14 days of knowing about the pregnancy, or within 7 days after the birth.
• Cat owners and cat breeders do not need a BIN.

Rescue and rehoming

• Rescue groups can be a designated rehoming organisation under guidelines from the Office of Local Government (OLG).
• They can use a rehoming organisation number (RON) in ads.
• From 1 December 2025, a designated rehoming organisation that breeds dogs for profit must apply for a BIN.

Not confirmed: desexing rules, and penalty amounts.

Official pages: NSW: sell or give away a pet · NSW: breeder responsibilities · NSW: rescue organisations

Microchip and registration

• There is no statewide microchip law. It is compulsory in the City of Darwin under council by-laws. Other councils may set their own rules.
• City of Darwin: registration is required by law, and a microchip is needed to register.
• City of Darwin: desexing is recommended, not required.
• City of Darwin: keeping more than two cats or dogs needs a licence.
• Allowing a pet to become a nuisance is an offence.

Native animals

• A permit is needed to keep protected or prohibited wildlife.

Not confirmed: rules for breeders, selling and advertising; the rules of other NT councils. Ask your council before you sell.

Official pages: City of Darwin: animal management · RSPCA: is microchipping mandatory?

Main law for dogs and cats: Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008.

Microchip

• Dogs and cats must be microchipped before 12 weeks, unless there is a reasonable excuse.

Dog breeders

• For any dog born on or after 26 May 2017, a breeder needs a Supply Number before they give away, sell, supply or advertise the dog or puppies.
• Or the breeder needs an exemption.
• A Supply Number is not needed when a primary producer breeds puppies to keep as working dogs.

Native animals

• Many native animals need a recreation wildlife licence. See Birds, Reptiles and Turtles below.
• A permit holder cannot breed, sell or give away wildlife held under a basic recreation permit.

Banned pets

• Rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils and more cannot be kept as pets. See Prohibited species below.

Not confirmed: registration fees and how to apply; cat breeder rules; penalty amounts; rehoming rules.

Official pages: QLD: dog breeder registration and standards · QLD: exotic animals as pets · QLD: licences to keep native animals

Main law: Dog and Cat Management Act 1995. Run by the Dog and Cat Management Board.

Microchip

• Dogs and cats must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age, or at the point of sale.
• A vet can exempt an animal for medical reasons.

Desexing

• Dogs and cats born after 1 July 2018 must be desexed by 6 months of age, or within 28 days of purchase by the new owner.
• Working livestock dogs and animals owned by registered breeders are exempt. They still need a microchip.

Breeders and advertising

• Anyone breeding dogs or cats for sale must register with the Dog and Cat Management Board.
• Ads for dogs and cats must show the breeder registration number.
• Give the buyer your registration number and the required information at the point of sale.
• The Board publishes breeding standards.

Native animals

• Animals are grouped as Basic, Specialist, Exempt or Unprotected. See Birds and Reptiles below.

Not confirmed: penalty amounts; the minimum age to sell; rehoming rules.

Official pages: SA: changes to the Dog and Cat Management Act · SA: keep and sell native animals

Main law for cats: Cat Management Act 2009.

Cats: microchip and desexing

• Every cat over 4 months must be microchipped and desexed.
• A vet must do the desexing. A vet can give a certificate if a microchip or desexing may harm the cat.
• Cats kept for breeding by a registered breeder or permit holder do not have to be desexed.
• Dogs: the RSPCA lists microchipping by 6 months.

Cat breeders

• You must be a registered breeder or hold a Cat Breeding Permit.
• A registered breeder is a member of an approved cat organisation, or holds a State registration issued before 1 March 2022. The State no longer takes new registrations.
• Permits come from NRE Tas or your council.
• If your cat has an accidental litter, you still count as a breeder.
• Breeding without registration or a permit, or falsely claiming to be registered, can lead to prosecution.

Before you sell, give away or rehome a cat

• The cat must be at least 8 weeks old.
• It must be microchipped, unless a vet certifies it may cause harm.
• It must be desexed, unless a vet certifies it may cause harm, or it is sold to a registered breeder or permit holder.
• It must be free of external parasites, and have had at least one worm treatment.
• It must be vaccinated to F3 (Feline 3) level.
• "Sell" includes giving away. These rules do not apply to transfers to or from a cat management facility.

Advertising

• You do not need to be a registered breeder to sell or rehome a cat.
• Anyone with a State breeder registration from before March 2022 must show their certificate number in ads.
• Members of approved organisations do not have to show a breeder number by law. Their organisation may ask for one.

Buyers

• Ask the seller for papers that show the rules above were met.
• Move the microchip into your name.

Not confirmed: dog breeder and selling rules; penalty amounts.

Official pages: TAS: breeding, selling and buying cats · TAS: desexing and microchipping

Main law: the Domestic Animals Act. Ads are tracked on the Pet Exchange Register (PER).

Advertising: two numbers in every ad

• Every ad to sell, rehome or give away a dog or cat must show the seller's valid source number and the microchip number of each animal.
• This includes "free to a good home" ads, and ads on Facebook, Gumtree and other sites.
• A vet cannot exempt a puppy or kitten from this.
• Ads for a future litter are fine if they do not name any animals or say they are for sale.
• Interstate sellers need a source number if they advertise to Victorians.
• Penalty: up to 5 penalty units for the advertiser, and up to 20 penalty units for a company that publishes the ad. The site that runs the ad can be liable too.

Who gets a source number

• Domestic animal businesses (DABs): 3 or more fertile female dogs or cats bred for sale, and not in an Applicable Organisation. The council registers them and gives the number.
• Recreational breeders: members of an Applicable Organisation (such as Dogs Victoria) with up to 10 fertile females. They enrol on the PER.
• Any other seller or giver of a dog or cat enrols on the PER. The fee is yearly, and the number lasts one year.
• Rescue groups and community foster care networks get a number starting with RE. See Rescue.
• A source number is also needed to microchip a dog or cat born after 1 July 2020.
• Not needed for rabbits, horses or birds.

Selling

• Give the buyer the microchip certificate and a signed change of ownership form.
• Registration is compulsory from 3 months of age.
• Pre-sale microchipping applies to domestic animal businesses.

Not confirmed: minimum age to sell; cat desexing rules; the penalty unit dollar value (it changes each year).

Official pages: VIC: pet sale advertisements · VIC: Pet Exchange Register FAQs

Main laws: Dog Act 1976, Cat Act 2011, and the Dog Amendment (Stop Puppy Farming) Act 2021. Some parts are in force and some parts are not yet in force. Check with the department before you breed or sell.

Microchip and registration

• Dogs must be microchipped from 3 months of age. Cats from 6 months.
• The microchip is also needed when an animal goes to a new owner, even if it is younger than that.
• Cats must be registered with the local government.

Breeding dogs (Stop Puppy Farming laws)

• An "approval to breed" is needed if you own an unsterilised dog over 2 years old and plan to breed, or your dog breeds by accident. It is a one-off approval from your local government.
• Refusal reasons include being under 18, certain offences in the past 5 years, poor facilities, or not being a fit and proper person.
• Dogs must be sterilised by 2 years of age, unless exempt (for example a vet certificate, working livestock dogs, or dogs owned under an approval to breed).
• A dog owner number (DON) on puppy microchips is proposed, so puppies can be traced to the breeder.
• A central registration system for dogs is planned.

Pet shops

• Since 26 May 2025, a pet shop needs approval from its local government to sell puppies or dogs.
• Approved pet shops can only sell dogs from a refuge or dog management facility that holds a dog supply approval.
• Refuges and dog management facilities can still sell or supply dogs directly to the public.

Birds and wildlife

• A permit is needed to keep more than 80 exotic (restricted) bird species. See Birds below.
• A licence is needed for some native animals. See Reptiles below.

Not confirmed: advertising rules; exact start dates for the parts not yet in force; penalty amounts.

Official pages: WA: stop puppy farming · WA: dog and cat regulations · WA: restricted birds and permits

Pet birds are covered by state laws, not one national law. Many native birds need a licence. Some exotic birds need a permit.

New South Wales

• Captive-bred native birds can be bought and sold as pets. Many need a biodiversity conservation licence under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
• 41 native species can be kept without a licence.
• Buy from a licensed pet shop or dealer. Get a receipt and the seller's licence details. Keep them as proof.
• Buying from another state needs a NSW Native Animal Keeper Licence and a licence to transport animals interstate.
• You can return the bird to the shop, sell it to a licensed keeper, or give it to a licensed care group. Releasing a native bird is an offence.
• Housing must meet the NSW Code of Practice for the Keeping and Trading of Birds.

Queensland

• Native birds need a recreation wildlife licence. The classes are Standard, Specialised and Advanced. Each lasts 5 years.
• Standard: up to 10 Class 1 animals, no breeding, and trading is limited for 6 months after you get an animal.
• Specialised: up to 50 Class 1 and 2 animals. Breeding is allowed within that limit.
• Advanced: unlimited Class 1 and 2 animals, breeding allowed, no trading limit.
• Before you buy, ask for a copy of the seller's licence and check it has not expired. Buying from an unlicensed seller can lead to the animal being seized.

South Australia

• Animals are Basic, Specialist, Exempt or Unprotected.
• Selling or giving away even one Basic animal needs a permit.
• Hold an animal for at least 6 months before you sell it (hobbyists).
• Ads must show the permit number. Sell only from the address on the permit. Sell only to someone with the right permit.

Western Australia

• More than 80 exotic bird species need a restricted bird permit. The application fee is $84.34, and an inspection fee may apply.
• A permit lasts 5 years.

Other places

• ACT: some species are exempt. Others need a Nature Conservation licence.
• NT: a permit is needed for protected wildlife.
• VIC and TAS: some native birds need a licence. Check with your state wildlife agency.
• Parrots can get beak and feather disease. It is often fatal. Ask the seller about testing.

Not confirmed: licence details for VIC, TAS, ACT and NT; leg band rules.

Official pages: NSW: native birds · QLD: native animal licences · SA: keep and sell native animals · WA: restricted birds

RSPCA guidance (Smart Kitten and Cat Buyer's Guide 2024)

• Check RSPCA and other rescue groups first.
• Visit where the kittens and their mother live. Do not buy from a "shop front" or accept "delivery".
• Do not sell kittens before 8 weeks old, and only when fully weaned.
• Mother cats should be fully grown, not bred on the first heat, and have vet health checks before each litter.
• Desex kittens at or before 16 weeks if they are not for breeding. Cats can get pregnant from about 16 weeks.
• Ask for FIV and FeLV test proof for the cattery, and vet screening for breed disorders.
• Core vaccines cover cat flu (calicivirus and herpesvirus) and panleukopaenia.
• Breeders should offer a take-back guarantee, accept returns for inherited disorders at any time, and keep or rehome retired breeding cats.
• The RSPCA says Scottish Folds should not be bred.
• The RSPCA encourages keeping cats inside their owner's property.
• Being "registered" with a cat club does not prove a breeder is responsible.

Microchip ages by place

• ACT, NSW, SA: before sale, and by 12 weeks.
• QLD: before 12 weeks.
• TAS: cats over 4 months, and kittens sold or given away at any age.
• WA: cats by 6 months, and when they change owner.
• VIC: as a condition of registration. Pre-sale chipping applies to domestic animal businesses.
• NT: no statewide rule. Compulsory in the City of Darwin.

Desexing

• ACT: cats over 3 months must be desexed before sale.
• SA: cats born after 1 July 2018 by 6 months, or within 28 days of purchase.
• TAS: cats over 4 months.

See each state above for advertising numbers and breeder rules.

Official pages: RSPCA: Smart Kitten and Cat Buyer's Guide 2024 · RSPCA: microchipping

RSPCA guidance (Smart Puppy and Dog Buyer's Guide 2024)

• Check RSPCA and other rescue groups first.
• Puppies must not leave their mother before 8 weeks and must be fully weaned.
• Visit where the puppies are born and kept, and meet the mother. Avoid a puppy whose home you cannot visit.
• Ask for the puppy's history, vet records, and proof of microchip, vaccination, worming and flea treatment.
• Ask what health screening the parents had, and ask for copies of the results.
• Do not breed a bitch on her first heat. Check your state's limits on litters and breeding age.
• Check the pedigree for close-relative matings. Avoid breeding for extreme features such as very flat faces.
• Core vaccines cover distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus.
• A responsible breeder gives a take-back guarantee, takes back dogs with inherited disorders at any time, and gives ongoing support.
• Red flags: no visit allowed, a house used as a "shop front", puppies under 8 weeks, no vet papers, no references.

Microchip ages by place

• ACT, NSW, SA: before sale, and by 12 weeks.
• QLD: before 12 weeks.
• TAS: by 6 months (RSPCA list).
• WA: by 3 months, and when they change owner.
• VIC: as a condition of registration. Registration is compulsory from 3 months.
• NT: no statewide rule. Compulsory in the City of Darwin.

Breeder numbers

• NSW: breeder identification number (BIN).
• QLD: Supply Number (dogs born on or after 26 May 2017).
• SA: breeder registration number.
• VIC: source number.
• WA: approval to breed from your local government.
• ACT: breeding licence number for licensed breeders.

See each state above for the full rules.

Official pages: RSPCA: Smart Puppy and Dog Buyer's Guide 2024 · RSPCA: microchipping

Rules to know

• Noxious (pest) fish are banned. Each state has its own list. Do not sell, keep or move them.
• Never release a pet fish or aquatic plant into a creek, dam, river or sea.
• Only fish allowed under the national live import list can be brought into Australia as ornamental fish.

Western Australia

• Heavy penalties apply for having any fish on the noxious fish list.
• Moving live fish for aquaculture, stocking farm dams and similar uses needs a translocation approval.

Queensland

• The banned and restricted fish are listed in Schedule 1 and Schedule 1A of the Biosecurity Regulation 2016.
• Noxious freshwater fish cannot be brought into Queensland. Keeping or releasing them carries a fine.

Not confirmed: noxious fish lists for the other states, and rules for selling ornamental fish. Check your state fisheries agency.

Official pages: WA: keeping fish as a hobby · QLD: invasive fish

These apply in every state and territory.

• No live imports as pets. Only dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and some birds from approved countries can be imported, under strict rules. No other vertebrate animal is approved as a pet.
• No imported reptiles or amphibians as pets. Turtles, tortoises, snakes, lizards, frogs and other amphibians can only come in for zoos and research.
• No imported insects or other invertebrates as pets. This includes beetles, spiders, snails, crabs, and hatching kits with eggs.
• Pet fish cannot be imported. Live fish can come in only for the ornamental (aquarium) trade or research.
• No selling Australian native animals overseas. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 makes exporting native mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians for commercial use illegal.
• Wildlife smuggling is illegal. To report it, call the Wildlife Trade Office on 1800 075 065.
• No wild-caught natives. Do not take native animals from the wild to keep as pets in any state or territory.
• Do not release pets. Escaped and released pets are a main cause of new pest animals.

Official pages: Dept of Agriculture: unique and exotic pets · AVA: exotic pet and wildlife trade

Australian native mice and rats are protected wildlife. They are not the same as pet fancy mice and rats.

New South Wales

• Only two native mammals can be kept as pets: the spinifex hopping-mouse and the plains rat.
• They must be bred in captivity.
• You need a Native Animal Keeper Licence, class M1 Basic Mammal. You must be 16 or older. The fee is $63 for 2 years or $143 for 5 years.
• Keep a record book of purchases, births, deaths and disposals. Lodge records each April.
• Keepers cannot buy and sell as a business. They can sell surplus animals they bred to other licence holders.
• Buying from another state needs a NSW licence and a transport licence.
• Taking native mammals from the wild, or releasing them, is not allowed.

Other places

• NT: a permit is needed to keep protected wildlife. The spinifex hopping mouse is native NT wildlife.
• QLD: a recreation wildlife licence may be needed for native animals. A permit holder cannot breed, sell or give away wildlife held under a basic permit.
• Queensland lists mice and rats (pet fancy mice and rats) as allowed pets.

Not confirmed: native rodent rules for VIC, SA, TAS, WA and ACT. Ask your state wildlife agency.

Official pages: NSW: mammal keeper licence · RSPCA: can native animals be kept as pets?

Each state keeps its own list. Only the Queensland list was checked for this page.

Queensland: cannot be kept as pets

• Rabbits, ferrets, hamsters and gerbils.
• Red-eared slider turtles and Hermann's tortoises.
• Iguanas, chameleons, anoles, boa constrictors, Burmese pythons, ball pythons and American corn snakes.
• Exotic gecko species (such as leopard, tokay and Madagascar geckos).
• Fire-bellied newts and toads, and poison arrow (dart) frogs.
• Monkeys, squirrels, foxes, stoats, weasels, dingoes, wild dogs and feral pigs.
• Pit vipers.

Queensland: allowed

• Cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rats, mice and axolotls.

Everywhere

• See National prohibitions for imports.
• Check the state list before you advertise any unusual animal. Ask your state biosecurity or wildlife agency.

Not confirmed: prohibited species lists for the other states and territories.

Official pages: QLD: exotic animals as pets

Exotic reptiles cannot be imported or kept as pets. Native reptiles cannot be taken from the wild. Most keepers need a state or territory licence. Buy only from a licensed keeper or dealer.

By state

• ACT: most reptiles are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1980. Some species are exempt.
• NSW: a licence is needed for native reptiles. The type depends on the reptile and how many you keep.
• NT: usually a permit. Some species are exempt.
• QLD: a recreation wildlife licence (Standard, Specialised or Advanced). Check the seller's licence before you buy.
• SA: native reptiles are Basic, Specialist, Exempt or Unprotected. Ads must show the permit number.
• TAS: a permit for most reptiles. Private keeping of imported reptiles, including natives, is not allowed.
• VIC: one of four licence types. Some species, such as the Eastern blue-tongued lizard, can be kept without a licence. Check the Wildlife Regulations 2024.
• WA: a licence for reptiles, amphibians and some birds, from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Good practice

• Some places ask to see the seller's photo ID.
• Keep your receipt and the seller's licence details.
• Exporting Australian reptiles is illegal.

Not confirmed: selling rules in most states. Check with your wildlife agency.

Official pages: RSPCA: do I need a licence to keep a reptile? · QLD: native animal licences

Red-eared slider turtle: banned

• It is illegal to import and keep this American turtle.
• Queensland: a restricted invasive animal under the Biosecurity Act 2014. It is illegal to move, keep, feed, give away, sell or release one.
• If you see one, report it to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

Native turtles

• Native turtles are covered by the native reptile rules in each state. See Reptiles.
• Do not take turtles from the wild.
• Do not release any pet turtle.

Tasmania

• Private keeping of imported reptiles is not allowed, so this includes any imported turtle.

Not confirmed: separate licence rules for native turtles in each state.

Official pages: QLD: red-eared slider turtle · RSPCA: reptile licences