How to Transfer Microchip Ownership in the UK: Dogs and Cats
Who updates the chip record when a pet changes hands, how the transfer works, and what the law expects of the new keeper and the old one.
Taking on a dog or cat from someone else, or passing yours on, comes with a job that's easy to miss: the microchip record needs to move too. The chip stays put, of course, but the name, address and phone number on the database have to change, or the record points at the wrong person. The transfer is a job the new owner starts, through the database the chip is registered with.
Why the record needs to change when a pet changes hands
The chip itself holds only a number. Your details sit on a database linked to that number, and that record is what has to point at the person the pet now lives with. When a pet changes hands and nobody updates the record, a vet or warden who scans the chip can only reach the previous owner.
How to change ownership of a microchipped dog or cat
GOV.UK lists 24 databases that meet government standards, and Pet Database is one of them. Your pet's chip could be registered on any of them, so the first job is to find out which one. On Pet Database, the new owner starts the transfer.
- Find out which database holds the record. Pet Database's chip checker searches multiple UK databases at once and shows whether the chip is registered and which database holds the record, though not the registered owner's contact details. It's free and needs no account.
- Find the chip number. It's on the pet's paperwork, such as their vaccination card or rehoming documents. If you can't find it, a vet or rescue can scan the pet to read the number.
- On that database, open its transfer page and enter the chip number.
- Confirm you're the new owner.
- Add your full name, address and phone number, and confirm.
If the record sits on another database, a chip registered elsewhere can be moved to Pet Database without re-chipping.
If you've taken on a puppy from a breeder, in England the breeder was the puppy's first keeper. That's because the keeper of a puppy still with its mother is the owner of the mother. Ask for the chip number and the breeder's paperwork, then start the transfer in your name. From a rescue, the handover usually includes the transfer paperwork. Ask which database the chip is registered on, and check the record is in your name before you leave.
Once it's done, the record shows your details, so if your pet is ever scanned as a stray, the call comes to you. If the pet already lives with you and the record was never updated, you start the transfer yourself with the chip number. If your name is already on the record but your address or phone number has changed, that's an update rather than a transfer. Pet Database's guide to updating your pet's microchip details covers that side.
Taking on a pet from a friend, family member or neighbour
The cat welfare charity Cats Protection reported in 2025 that 16% of cats are taken on from a neighbour, family member or friend. With no breeder or rescue involved, the transfer can get missed.
If you're taking on a cat or dog in this way, ask the person you're taking them from for the chip number and any paperwork they have, then start the transfer yourself. It's worth asking for vet records at the same time, so you have the pet's history in one place. If the pet was never chipped at all, the next step is to get the pet chipped and registered in your name.
Rehoming your dog or cat
If you're the one rehoming your pet, the kindest thing you can do is leave the record tidy. You can record the new owner's details on the database yourself. If you'd rather the new owner did it, hand them the chip number and paperwork and tell them where the chip is registered.
If you're giving your dog up to a rescue, the rescue will usually handle the transfer as part of its intake. You'll be asked to bring vet records, vaccination certificates and microchip details to the assessment, and you'll sign paperwork to transfer ownership at the end.
One caution: if someone disputes who a pet belongs to after a handover, the chip record alone won't settle it. Pet Database's guide to resolving microchip ownership disputes explains how those situations get sorted.
What the law says across the UK
In England, you can't transfer a dog or cat to someone else unless it's been microchipped. The only exception is a vet's exemption certificate. The duty then falls on the new owner, who must record their full name, address, phone number and any change to the pet's name on the database. The exception is where the previous owner has already done so. In law the term is "keeper", meaning the person the animal normally lives with, though "owner" is the more common word.
The rules differ a little across the UK. In Wales, a dog can't be transferred before it's chipped, and the new owner has to record their name, address and phone number unless the previous owner already has. A Welsh dog only counts as microchipped while its details are on a database.
Scotland goes further. No owner may transfer a dog until it's microchipped and their own details on the database are correct. The new owner must then record their name, address and phone number unless the previous owner has.
Northern Ireland adds a step before any of this. It's an offence to take possession of a dog, whether you paid for it or not, before a dog licence has been issued for it. A council can't issue a licence unless the dog is microchipped. Northern Ireland's government guidance says owners are responsible for making sure the contact details on the chip record are accurate, and that if they're not, the dog isn't considered microchipped and the licence won't be valid.
Why an accurate microchip record matters
The dog and cat charity Battersea Dogs and Cats Home reported in 2023 that 72% of microchipped strays had an inaccurate chip record. Of those inaccurate records, 83% came from new owners who never updated or registered the chip when they took the dog on. So if you're taking a pet on, the chances are the record needs sorting, and it's worth doing as part of the handover. The quickest fix is to find out which database holds the record and put your own details on it.
Common questions
My pet's chip was registered with Anibase: how do I transfer it?
Anibase was renamed identibase by 2017 and is listed on GOV.UK today as Identi, so a pet once registered on Anibase is handled by identi now.
How much does it cost to transfer microchip ownership?
On Pet Database, updates to your details are free for the life of the pet. Other databases can set their own charges.
Where do I find the change of owner form?
There's no single national form, because there's no single national database. Each database has its own process. First find out which database holds the record using a chip checker, then use that database's transfer process.
Does the microchip record prove I own my pet?
A microchip isn't proof of ownership, though it may be one factor taken into account if ownership is disputed. Being the registered keeper doesn't on its own legally denote ownership. In England, the regulations record a keeper (the person the animal normally lives with) and say nothing about ownership.
If you've just taken a dog or cat on, start the transfer today so a call about them comes to you, not the previous owner. You can transfer the record on Pet Database with the chip number.
