How Much Does a Shelter Microchip Cost? $15 in Los Angeles, $20 in Longview, $25 in the San Gabriel Valley and $35 in Las Vegas

These are five examples, not a national average. Each number comes from one organization's own page, and fees change, so treat them as a way to judge a quote rather than a promise. If you want the general picture of clinic pricing and registry fees, our guide to what it costs to microchip a pet covers that side.

Los Angeles Animal Services: $15, no appointment

LA Animal Services says residents of the city can have a pet microchipped at any of its six animal services centers for $15. The page says no appointment is needed. It is the lowest of the five prices here, and it is a walk-in service for city residents rather than a clinic booking.

Humane Society of Western Montana: $20, with 24PetWatch

The Humane Society of Western Montana lists the cost as $20 per pet for the community. It uses 24PetWatch microchips, which it says any universal microchip scanner can read, and says 24PetWatch recovery specialists are available around the clock to help find lost pets. The price is the same flat figure whatever the animal, and the page does not add a separate registration charge.

Longview, Texas: $20, and it is the law

Longview Animal Control charges $20 per animal and registers the ID number in the owner's name to a national database. The city page also says all dogs and cats four months or older are required to have a microchip, and that no appointment is necessary during weekday business hours. Anyone who moves or gives a pet away is told to update the shelter. For an owner in a mandatory-chip city, a $20 shelter chip is the cheapest way to comply.

Inland Valley Humane Society: $25 for a dog or a cat

IVHS and SPCA in California lists $25 for dogs and the same $25 for cats. The chip is linked to your contact information in a database so a lost pet can be matched with its owner. Two details change the real bill. The page says the microchip cost is separate from surgery costs, and that appointments are limited to one pet each. It also notes that California requires pets redeemed from the shelter to be microchipped before they go home, which is where many owners first pay for one. That requirement is one reason a lost dog reclaim bill often includes a chip charge.

The Animal Foundation, Las Vegas: $35, and a city rule

The Animal Foundation's low-cost clinic charges $35 per microchip, implanted and registered with the owner's information, with no separate registration fee mentioned. It points out that, starting August 1, 2024, all dogs and cats over four months old living in the City of Las Vegas must have a microchip. It also warns that a chip does not help if the ownership information is not kept current. At $35 this is the highest of the five, which is still below what many private practices charge.

Mandatory chips change who is paying

Two of the five pages tie the price to a local rule. Longview requires a chip for every dog and cat four months or older, and Las Vegas has required one since August 1, 2024. In places like these the chip stops being an optional extra and becomes a compliance cost, so it is worth comparing the shelter price with a private quote before booking. The IVHS page adds that California shelters must chip a pet before releasing it to its owner. The practical point is that an owner who redeems a lost pet pays the chip fee on top of any boarding fee, while an owner who chips in advance pays it once, on a calm day, at the posted price.

Side by side

• Los Angeles Animal Services: $15, walk-in.
• Humane Society of Western Montana: $20 per pet, 24PetWatch chip.
• Longview, TX Animal Control: $20 per animal, mandatory at four months.
• IVHS and SPCA, CA: $25 for dogs or cats, one pet per appointment.
• The Animal Foundation, NV: $35, mandatory in Las Vegas from August 1, 2024.

The spread between the lowest and highest is $20, and the average of the five is $23 (my arithmetic). Nothing on these pages suggests an annual registry fee, but a quote from any other provider should be checked for one.

Why the chip price is not the whole cost

A chip is only worth what its database record is worth. Two points matter for the bill. First, ask whether registration is included or sold separately, because several providers bundle it and others do not. Second, a chip does nothing about the rest of a pet's legal paperwork. A city that requires microchips often requires a license too, and the fees stack, as covered in our look at dog license fees by county and cat licenses. Some places also run chip clinics next to low-cost rabies vaccine clinics, so one trip can cover both.

What to ask before you pay

• Is registration in the database included in this price?
• Who owns the database, and is there any renewal or update fee?
• Is the price different for members, residents or non-residents?
• Do I need an appointment, and is it one pet per visit?
• Does my city require a chip, and do I need proof for a license?

This guide is about costs only, not veterinary advice or legal advice. Figures were taken from the published pages of LA Animal Services, the Humane Society of Western Montana, the City of Longview, IVHS and SPCA, and The Animal Foundation, and can change at any time, so confirm the current fee and ordinance with the provider before paying.