Must Puppies Be Microchipped Before Sale?
The law is clear that puppies must be chipped before they change hands, and it puts that duty on the breeder. Sellers and buyers alike need to know where they stand.
If you’re selling or rehoming a litter, you may be wondering whether the law says the puppies must be chipped first. The short answer, in England, is yes: a puppy can’t be handed over to a new owner unless it’s been microchipped. Scotland has a similar transfer rule for dogs.
Who has to chip a puppy before it's sold
In England, the law talks about the “keeper”: the person the animal normally lives with. For a puppy that hasn’t yet left its mother, the keeper is the owner of the mother, which in practice means the breeder.
That matters because the duty to chip falls on the keeper. A keeper of a dog older than eight weeks must make sure it’s microchipped, unless it’s a certified working dog. Even then, docked working dogs must be chipped by a vet before they’re three months old.
In the regulations, “breeder” means any keeper of a bitch that has a litter, whether or not they run a business. So if your own dog has had puppies, you’re the breeder in law, and the chipping duty is yours.
Our breeder’s guide to microchipping a litter walks through the practical side. If you’d like to know what the appointment itself involves, our page on what to expect at the microchipping appointment takes you through it.
The rule on handing over an unchipped puppy
The rule here is straightforward: in England, all puppies must be microchipped before they’re sold. The one exception to the no-handover rule is a vet’s certificate. While a certificate runs, the duty to chip doesn’t apply, and the vet must state the period on it. The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) notes this is how very small toy breed puppies are sometimes handled while they grow. There’s more detail in our guide to microchipping law exemptions.
Does the same rule apply to kittens?
In England, the same no-handover rule now covers cats. Since 10 June 2024, an owner must not transfer a cat to a new owner unless it has been microchipped. The one exception is a vet’s certificate saying it shouldn’t be chipped for health reasons.
The ages differ, though. Where the duty for dogs starts at eight weeks, an owner must make sure a cat is microchipped once it’s older than 20 weeks.
How old a puppy must be before it's sold
In England, a business licensed to sell pets must not sell a puppy under eight weeks old. A licensed dog breeder must not sell a puppy under eight weeks or permanently separate it from its mother before then. Our guide to the best age to microchip a puppy or kitten covers the timing in more detail.
What to check when you buy a puppy
If you’re on the buying side, there are two things worth checking before you pay.
First, the chip itself. Ask to see the puppy scanned and the paperwork, and check the registration is in place, not just the chip. You can check a chip number on our chip checker, which shows whether a chip is registered and which database holds the record. As proof the chip has been fitted, GOV.UK says you can ask to see a microchip certificate, the puppy’s vet records or a pet passport.
Second, what the record shows. In England, the database record for a dog must include the owner’s full name and address. It also shows whether the owner is the breeder, and the breeder’s licence number and issuing authority if they’re licensed.
GOV.UK’s buying guidance also says a responsible seller will provide medical records such as vaccination and microchip records, and have a puppy microchipped and registered from eight weeks old. If you’re concerned about the health or welfare of cats or dogs advertised for sale, report it to your local authority Trading Standards.
Put the record in your name once the puppy's home
Once the puppy is yours, you take over the record. In England, the new owner must record their own name, address and phone number on the database unless the breeder has already done it for them. The chip itself holds only a number, so the record on the database is what links it to a reachable owner. A chip left in the breeder’s name after the puppy goes home doesn’t do the job it was fitted to do. Our guide to transferring microchip details shows how a transfer works, and our dog microchipping page covers how registration itself works.
If the chip isn’t registered yet, you can register the microchip in your name now. A record that points to the new owner from day one is what gets a lost puppy home, so register your pet with Pet Database as soon as the puppy is with you.
