Bengaluru dog licence: what is draft and what applies today

As of October 2026, Bengaluru has no notified pet dog licence rule that we could find: BBMP's 2018 bye-laws were withdrawn within months, and its 2021 draft was never notified ¹³. The city's new corporations are now drafting uniform licence bye-laws; one draft proposes yearly registration at ₹500 a dog, or ₹50 for Indian or mongrel dogs, with compulsory microchips ¹². None of this applies until the Karnataka government approves and notifies it ¹.

Status today: No notified licence rule found; a new draft is not yet notified (Sep 2026)¹³
Draft fee: ₹500 a dog a year; ₹50 for Indian or mongrel dogs (2026 draft)¹
Draft: who: Every pet dog above 3 months, renewed every year¹
Draft: microchip: Compulsory, at the owner's cost¹²
Draft: dogs per home: Linked to home size, up to 3 dogs¹
Earlier rules: BBMP's 2018 bye-laws were withdrawn in June 2018³

What applies today

We found no pet dog licence rule in force for Bengaluru. The 2018 BBMP bye-laws were withdrawn, the 2021 BBMP draft was never notified, and the 2026 draft is still being prepared ¹³. An official of the East Corporation told reporters in September 2026 that the corporation may not enforce it immediately ¹.

The draft makes vaccination compulsory ¹, so keeping your dog's rabies vaccination certificate from a vet current is the step that will matter, whatever the final rule says.

What the 2026 draft proposes

Register every pet dog older than three months with the corporation, and renew every year ¹.
Fee of ₹500 per dog, or ₹50 for Indian or mongrel dogs ¹.
Dogs per home by built-up area: 1 dog up to 581 sq ft, 2 dogs for 581–1,163 sq ft, 3 dogs for 1,453–2,325 sq ft ¹.
Homes with more than two dogs: the extra dogs must be Indian or mongrel ¹.
People caring for rescued, injured or abandoned dogs could keep up to 10, with approval and space and hygiene conditions ¹.
Vaccination, sterilisation and microchipping compulsory; leash, carry bags and clean up on walks ¹.
RWAs and apartment associations could not impose a blanket ban on dogs, but owners would follow set guidelines ¹.
Breeders, pet shops, trainers and groomers would also need to register ¹.

How we got here

28 Feb 2018: BBMP notifies pet dog licensing bye-laws, including a one-dog-per-flat limit ³⁴.
June 2018: after protests and a High Court case, the state government withdraws them ³⁴.
March 2021: BBMP drafts a new pet policy. It is never notified ¹.
February 2026: reports describe a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) proposal with yearly licences and microchips at the owner's cost ².
June 2026: the Urban Development Department asks all five city corporations to frame uniform pet dog licence bye-laws ¹.
September 2026: the East Corporation's draft is reported; it still needs state approval and notification ¹.

Not fully clear yet

Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.

We found no official page from the Greater Bengaluru Authority or the five corporations on pet licensing. Everything above comes from news reports ¹²³⁴. Ask your corporation's veterinary (animal husbandry) office before paying anyone for a "Bengaluru dog licence".
Reports differ on the dog limit: the September 2026 draft ties it to home size ¹; a February 2026 report said no more than three dogs per household, and also mentioned sterilisation for dogs over 12 months and reclaim fees for seized dogs (₹1,000 within 72 hours, then ₹200 a day) ².
It is not yet clear whether all five corporations will adopt the same rules or the same fee ¹.

Last checked 4 Oct 2026. Facts checked against the official sources below by Thapki. Written with AI help from the sources below and checked against them line by line; the Thapki team reads and approves each page before it goes live.

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Sources

Bengaluru reworks pet dogs policy; canines above 3 months may have to be registered (16 Sep 2026) · Deccan Herald (news) · seen 4 Oct 2026
Licence mandatory to keep pet dogs in Bengaluru? New GBA rules (12 Feb 2026) · NewsFirst Prime (news) · seen 4 Oct 2026
Activists cheer as govt withdraws pet dog licensing bylaws (21 Jun 2018) · Deccan Herald (news) · seen 4 Oct 2026
Dog lovers protest against BBMP's new pet dog licensing rule (10 Jun 2018) · Deccan Herald (news) · seen 4 Oct 2026