How Much Does the Canine Good Citizen Test Cost? AKC's $25 Community Canine and $32 Urban CGC Fees, Plus the Evaluator's Charge
Most dog owners know the Canine Good Citizen test as a ribbon-and-certificate event at a training class. What it costs is split across two payers: the person who runs the test and the American Kennel Club, which records the result. This guide walks through what the AKC's own pages say about each piece, and where the price is simply not published.
Two payers, not one price
The AKC says test-giving organizations and individual evaluators may charge a fee for conducting a test. That fee is set locally, so there is no national price for the test itself. A class that includes the test in tuition, a club that holds an event, and a private trainer who books a session will all quote differently. A separate processing fee goes to the AKC when you want a title or certificate.
What the basic test covers
The Canine Good Citizen test has ten items: accepting a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, appearance and grooming, walking on a loose lead, walking through a crowd, sit and down on cue and stay in place, coming when called, reaction to another dog, reaction to distraction, and supervised separation. Your dog needs to pass all ten, so the real cost is often the preparation, not the test fee.
The certificate and its one-year clock
The AKC states that owners may choose not to purchase a certificate and can use the copy of their test results as proof of passing. If you do want the certificate, the paperwork must reach the AKC within one year of the test date, or the dog needs to be retested. The AKC also says CGC certificates currently have no expiration, though it encourages retesting every few years because behavior changes. I could not confirm the current basic recording fee on the pages I read, so check the AKC's CGC page before you send payment.
AKC Community Canine: $25
The next level, Community Canine, lists a $25.00 processing fee paid by the owner to the AKC. It also has prerequisites: the dog must be registered or listed with the AKC (an AKC number, PAL or Canine Partners number) and must already have a Canine Good Citizen award or title on record. Its ten items move to real-world skills such as loose-leash walking through crowds, a recall at 20 feet with distractions, and a "leave it" around food.
AKC Urban CGC: $32
Urban CGC lists a $32.00 processing fee. The AKC page lists no formal prerequisites and no age limit. Its ten items are built around city life: crossing streets under control, navigating stairs or elevators, ignoring food on the sidewalk, and riding transit. If you live in an apartment, this test mirrors your daily route more closely than the basic one.
Rough budget by path
For a dog that is already well trained, the AKC fee plus a local evaluator charge is the whole bill. For a dog that is not, add classes first; here is what a training class costs. Doing all three levels adds the $25 and $32 AKC fees to whatever the basic recording costs, plus an evaluator charge each time they test you.
Where this connects to other costs
If your goal is volunteer visits rather than a title, see our breakdown of therapy dog registration fees. The Community Canine test also needs an AKC number, which is a different expense from the test: AKC registration fees are covered here.
Questions to ask before you book
- Is the evaluator fee included in class tuition, or charged separately per dog?
- Do I want the certificate, or are my signed test results enough for my landlord or insurer?
- Is my dog already on file with the AKC, if I plan to try Community Canine?
This article covers costs only and is not veterinary advice. Fees come from AKC.org pages for Community Canine and Urban CGC and may change; confirm current prices before you pay.
All content is fact-checked under our editorial standards.