Biggest Pet Fines Across Australia

Here’s how much you could be fined for pet-related offences in each state

When we get a new pet, it can be easy to get lost in the excitement and forget some of the paperwork that comes with having a new furry family member. But little mistakes sometimes come with big bills if you’re caught committing a pet-related offence.

Compare the Market’s pet insurance comparison experts have collected pet fine data from across the country to see which states have the costliest pet penalties.

Here’s how each state compares.

How pet fines differ across Australia

Depending on where you live, the penalty for pet-related offences can vary. Let’s look at how fines change per state.

Queensland

Queensland has some of the highest pet fines in Australia, compared to other Australian states.

If you haven’t microchipped your dog, you could be fined $345, the heftiest fine for this offence in Australia. You’ll pay the same amount for failing to register your pet too. Training your pets can help you avoid copping a fine of $863 for not effectively controlling your dog in a public place ($345 for other animals), the highest of any Australian state.

It’s particularly important to be picking up after your pet or you could be set back $345. In QLD, you could also pay an extra $86 for not carrying spare bags or containers for your pet’s droppings.

Northern Territory

Pet fines in Northern Territory are also higher than other Australia states for certain offences. For example, unregistered pets could cost owners $378, although other offences like letting pets outside without identification markers or failing to microchip costs less, with a minimum fine of $189.

The NT also has the highest penalties for pets being a nuisance at $567, and for pets escaping their enclosures at $378. If you let your dog chase cars (or just being a menace), that could also cost you $567 per offence.

New South Wales

If you get a pet fine in NSW, it may not cost as much compared to the more expensive locations like Queensland or the Northern Territory. NSW has the cheapest fine for failing to microchip your pet at $180, with failing to register your pet being a heftier cost at $330. Additionally, if you have a restricted breed that you haven’t declared at registration, you could be paying another $1,320.

Leaving your pet’s droppings could set you back $275, as could allowing your pet to be a nuisance. You should also take care in public, as letting your dog into a playground or allowing them to be off leash in prohibited areas could incur a penalty of $330 for each offence.

Victoria

Of the Australian states we looked at, Victoria was the most expensive for not registering your pet, costing $418 per pet. You’ll also pay the same amount for forgetting to renew their registration each year.

Not looking after your pet appropriately in public can also put you at risk for fines. This includes failing to have your dog on a lead ($209), not picking up their faeces ($261), and failing to control them in public ($209).

Victoria has the cheapest penalty for pets being a nuisance at $105, less than half the cost of New South Wales, the next cheapest state, at $275.

South Australia

South Australia fell on the cheaper side when it came to pet fines. Unregistered pets could cost the average pet owner $170 per pet, with an additional $170 fine if you also haven’t microchipped them.

If your pet is caught wandering at large, you could pay a minimum penalty of $210, the lowest across Australia. Not disposing of your dog’s waste could cost $100 for each offence, while pets being a nuisance costs a little extra at $210.

Western Australia

Western Australia had some of the lowest fines across Australia for a number of pet-related offences. At only $100, WA tied with SA on having the lowest penalty for not picking up after your pet and $100 for letting your pets be off-leash.

Failing to register your pet, failure to microchip your pet, or your pet causing excessive noise and becoming a nuisance will all incur a $200 fine. Western Australia also had a $500 fine for having more than the maximum number of allowed pets (e.g. two dogs) at one address without a permit.

Tasmania

In Tasmania, many minimum pet fines are set to $213, including not registering or microchipping your pet, letting them be off-leash in public and failing to pick up after them.

Some exceptions to this include dogs creating a nuisance ($426), and dog attacks, which can have a minimum penalty of $426 to $1,278, depending on the severity of the attack.