BMC dog licence in Mumbai: apply, renew, cancel

In Mumbai you need a BMC licence to keep a dog; BMC's guidelines say keeping a dog without one is illegal under section 191B of the MMC Act, 1888 ⁴. You apply, renew, change or cancel it only online on the BMC portal, with your address proof and the dog's rabies and leptospirosis vaccination certificates ¹². BMC approves the application within 7 working days, you then pay online, and the licence arrives as a PDF by email ¹.

Where

Online only, on the BMC portal; no ward office visit²

Documents

Address proof, plus rabies and leptospirosis vaccination certificates signed and stamped by a registered vet¹

Approval

Within 7 working days, by email; you pay only after approval¹²

Licence

A computer-generated PDF sent by email; no official's signature needed¹²

Fee

Not published in BMC's documents; the portal shows the amount after approval¹

Aadhaar or PAN number

Not needed on the form²

How to apply for a new licence

1. Open the BMC portal and go to For Citizens, then Apply, then License-Dog, then Apply ¹².
2. Choose Individual and select your BMC ward ¹.
3. Fill in your details. Give an email address you check, because the acknowledgement, approval and licence all come by email ¹².
4. Fill in your dog's details, your vet's details and the vaccination dates. When working out the dog's age, count both the birth month and the current month as full months ¹.
5. Say how you got the dog: bought, adopted, transferred and so on ¹.
6. Upload your address proof (for example Aadhaar) and the dog's recent rabies and leptospirosis certificates. Each file must be PDF or JPG and under 2 MB ¹².
7. Check everything, accept the terms and submit. Note the 9-digit reference number shown on screen ¹.
8. Wait for the approval email, which BMC says comes within 7 working days ¹.
9. Then go to For Citizens, then Pay, then Online Payment. Enter the reference number and pay. Allow pop-ups in your browser, because the payment page opens as a pop-up ¹².
10. The licence PDF and the payment receipt come to your email ¹².

Renew, change or cancel

• Renew: For Citizens, then Apply, then License-Dog, then Renew ².
• Change details: choose Alteration in the same menu ².
• Cancel, for example when your dog has died: choose Cancel ²³.
• Documents rejected or missing: choose Re-upload ².

If renewal or payment gets stuck

• Payment will not go through: wait for BMC's approval email first, then unblock pop-ups in your browser ².
• "Renewal no. … is already generated": a renewal from an earlier year was never finished. Call BMC's helpline for the next step; BMC asks you not to cancel the licence in this case ².
• "License Fees Not Paid": the original licence (number starting 7921) was never paid. Pay that first, then renew ².
• Documents will not attach: use PDF or JPG files under 2 MB ².
• Checking status: BMC's Veterinary Health Department site links to the dog licence application status page on the BMC portal ³.

Why keep the licence current

• Housing societies cannot ban pets, but BMC's guidelines say they may insist on the BMC dog licence ⁴.
• BMC's guidelines ask pet owners to keep the society updated on the licence and vaccinations ⁴.
• BMC's pet cremation (incineration) booking asks for a municipal licence when the pet is a dog ³.

Help

Sources

1. Manual for application for dog license (PDF) · Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation · seen 4 Oct 2026
2. Frequently asked questions: dog license applications (PDF) · Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation · seen 4 Oct 2026
3. FAQs, dog licence and incineration booking terms · BMC Veterinary Health Department · seen 4 Oct 2026
4. BMC guidelines on pet dogs, street dogs, feeders, RWAs and AOAs (PDF, final sign-off 20 Mar 2025) · BMC Veterinary Health Department · seen 4 Oct 2026
5. Responsible pet ownership in Mumbai: what the new BMC drive says (12 Jan 2022) · Citizen Matters (news) · seen 4 Oct 2026