License Requirements

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

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.

License Term

Licenses are valid for 1 or 3 years from date of vaccination (or more recent anniversary of vaccination) until the next anniversary or expiration of the rabies vaccination. The license may not be valid beyond the expiration of the rabies vaccination.