Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Boone County’s dog licensing fee could still be voluntarily paid. The article has been updated to state that the fee and mandatory registration were eliminated entirely.
Boone County will eliminate its decades-old dog license requirement after nearly 30 years.
On June 17, the Boone County Fiscal Court voted to amend an ordinance, which requires dog owners to pay a $15 licensing fee to Boone County Animal Services and register their dog with animal control. The ordinance was initially passed into law in 1995.
The county’s dog licensing fee will no longer be in effect. Residents can still register their dogs with Boone County, but the registration will not be mandatory, and no payment will be required.
In 2003, the state’s General Assembly amended a state law to allow each county or municipality to establish its own licensing program. Until 2004, dog licensing was mandatory in the state of Kentucky. However, Boone County’s ordinance contains language that requires licensure to be compulsory.
Within Boone County, the cities of Florence, Union and Walton have ordinances that require dogs to be registered with the county. Dog licensing is also mandatory in Kenton and Campbell counties.
Amending the ordinance was first proposed by Commissioner Chet Hand during a fiscal court meeting on March 11. From Hand’s perspective, the mandatory nature of the registration fee is unnecessary, citing a low compliance rate among residents.
Hand requested that county staff and the animal control department report back to the fiscal court regarding the communication strategy for informing residents of the change, following the passage of the motion on June 17.
“I would like to see, once all the dust settles, so we’ve transitioned from a mandatory fee to a voluntary fee, just kinda see an update from animal control on what does that new program look like,” Hand said.
Boone County dog licenses expire on January 31st each year. Fees are $15 for unaltered dogs, $9 for spayed or neutered dogs, and $5 for dogs owned by senior citizens aged 65 or older. To register a dog, owners must ensure it is current on its rabies vaccinations. This helps ensure dogs remain up to date on vaccinations.
Additionally, registering dogs enables Boone County Animal Control to add their information to a countywide registry, facilitating reunions between owners and their lost pets and preventing impoundment by animal control.Â
Boone County has issued over 2,000 dog licenses in 2025, generating approximately $21,602 in the current 2024-2025 Fiscal Year, which ends in June. The county typically sees around $28,000 in annual sales from these fees, with altered dog owners representing the largest cohort for fee collection.
Throughout April, May and June, the legislative body debated the change, consulting with Boone County Animal Care & Control Director Colleen Bray regarding the intricacies of the policy.
Bray’s department developed and presented a list of pros and cons for amending the ordinance. The low compliance rate and time-consuming nature of the licensing fee were among the presented pros.Â
Conversely, Bray stated that the fee serves several key purposes: it ensures up-to-date rabies vaccinations, simplifies owner reunification, keeps ownership information current, and aligns practices with those of Boone County and the broader Northern Kentucky region.
After the first reading on June 3, Boone County resident Paul Lageman questioned why the fiscal court was considering amending the regulation.
“I’d like to know why we’re eliminating the licensing fee,” he said. “There are dog parks and other things that are provided for these people with dogs. There is expenses for these things somebody’s gotta pay for.”
Lageman stated that he believes the fee adequately covers the services it funds.
