License By Mail

Licensing Ordinance

All dogs 4 months of age and older must be licensed with Costa Mesa annually. All dogs within the City for over 30 days must also be licensed with Costa Mesa.

View the complete Costa Mesa ordinance

Mailing Address

To license by mail:

1. Enclose copies of all required paperwork. The license application below may be downloaded and included, but it is not required.
2. Determine the correct license fee for each of your pets.
3. Make your check or money order payable to “City of Costa Mesa.” Please do not send cash.
4. Mail your paperwork and payment to:
   
   

   Costa Mesa Pet Licensing
   c/o PetData
   PO Box 141929
   Irving, TX 75014-1929

Download License Application (PDF format) *To use as an electronic fillable form, open in Adobe Reader.

Required Paperwork

1. A current rabies vaccination certificate is required to be submitted for all new licenses, and for renewal licenses if the rabies vaccination on file has expired or will expire soon. Please check your certificate for correct address and pet information.
2. Proof of spay/neuter, such as a signed statement from a veterinarian or an invoice for services, is required if the dog has been altered since the last licensing period and you are applying for the lower spayed/neutered license fee. Proof of spay/neuter may also be indicated on rabies vaccination certificate.
3. Proof of age, such as a copy of a driver’s license or government ID, is required to receive the discounted fees for senior citizens age 62 and over.

Your paperwork will not be returned to you, so please retain a copy of your documents for your records.

License Fees

Fees effective 7/1/2025

Standard License Fees	1-Year	3-Year	Late Fee
Spayed/Neutered Dog	$25.82	$77.46	+$12.91
Unaltered Dog	$82.64	$247.92	+$41.32
Senior citizens age 62 and over	1-Year	3-Year	Late Fee
Spayed/Neutered Dog	$10.00	$30.00	+$5.00
Unaltered Dog	$40.00	$120.00	+$20.00
Other Fees
Replacement Tag Fee	$5.00

The cost for licensing unaltered pets is higher than for licensing spayed or neutered pets in order to promote sterilization and to reduce pet overpopulation.

Download License Application (PDF format) *To use as an electronic fillable form, open in Adobe Reader.

Due Date

Payment for your license is due within 30 days of the expiration of your current license.

A late fee is due 30 days after the license expiration date. The late fee is 50% of the applicable one-year license fee.