How Much Does It Cost to Microchip a Pet?
Microchipping a dog or cat usually costs about $25 to $70 at a veterinary clinic, and often less at shelters, vaccine clinics and store-based vet clinics. Registration in a pet recovery database is often included; if not, it typically costs about $20, and free registries also exist. It's a one-time cost: chips are designed to last about 25 years.
A microchip is one of the cheapest and longest-lasting things you can buy for your pet: a single implant, usually under $70, designed to work for decades.
Microchip costs at a glance
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Microchip implant at a vet | about $25–$70 |
| Microchip at a store-based vet clinic | $25 at Tractor Supply PetVet clinics at their 2021 launch |
| Microchip at a shelter | Often included in the adoption fee |
| Microchip at free/low-cost vaccine events | Sometimes included free or discounted |
| Registration | Often included; otherwise about $20 |
| Free registries | Available; Humane World for Animals notes completely free registration exists |
Sources: Money.com, Hip2Save and Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States).
What you're paying for
The fee covers the chip itself (a sterile, single-use implant about the size of a grain of rice in its own needle), the implantation and usually a scan to confirm the chip reads. Some clinics include registration in the manufacturer's database; others hand you the paperwork to register yourself.
Registration: the step people skip
A chip only stores an ID number. When a shelter or vet scans a lost pet, they look up that number in a registry to find you. In a study of more than 7,700 stray animals published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the most common reason microchipped animals weren't returned was incorrect or missing owner information. Register the chip, and update it whenever you move or change your phone number.
Registration options:
- Free: Some registries register chips at no cost.
- One-time fee: About $20 with some manufacturers.
- Annual membership: Optional extras such as lost-pet alerts.
Is it worth the cost?
The same JAVMA study found that 52.2% of microchipped stray dogs were returned to their owners, compared with 21.9% of dogs without chips, and 38.5% of microchipped cats compared with just 1.8% of cats without chips. See should I microchip my dog or cat.
Ways to microchip for less
- Get it done at the same time as spaying or neutering, when your pet is already under anesthesia.
- Watch for shelter vaccine and microchip events.
- Adopt from a shelter or rescue; most microchip before adoption.
Does pet insurance cover microchipping?
Standard accident-and-illness policies don't; some wellness add-ons do. Money.com notes some wellness plans may cover it.
Find veterinarians and shelters near you that offer microchipping.
Sources
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This article is general information for pet owners, not veterinary, legal or financial advice. Prices vary by city and clinic; always ask your veterinarian or provider about your own pet.
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