Declaring your categorized dog
Owners of dogs registered on the 1st and 2nd category dog list must obtain a possession permit from the Mayor of the commune where the dog owner resides.
To obtain the detention permit, the owner must present himself with his dog:
Direction de la Réglementation et de la Tranquillité Publique
Service Surveillance de la Voie Publique et de l'Environnement Urbain
Bureau des chiens dangereux et Animaux mordeurs
8 Boulevard Louis-Blanc 34000 Montpellier
Telephone: 04 48 18 32 01.
Which dogs are concerned?
- Attack dogs:
The Staffordshire terrier, American Staffordshire terrier and Tosa breeds. They fall under the 1st category of dogs not registered in a herd book recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and assimilable by their morphological characteristics to pedigree dogs.
- Guard and defense dogs:
Staffordshire terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler and Tosa. They fall into the 2nd category of dogs registered in the herd book recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Also concerned are dogs resembling Rottweiler breed dogs that are not registered in a herd book recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture.
File creation
To compile your file, you'll need the following documents:
- The pet passport,
- The dog's identification card specifying the tattoo number,
- The up-to-date vaccination record,
- The rabies vaccination certificate,
- The behavioral assessment carried out by a veterinarian registered on a departmental list,
- The attestation of aptitude (training covering canine education and behavior, as well as accident prevention),
- Insurance certificate, which must include the dog's name, date of birth and identification number (chip or tattoo),
- Proof of address less than 3 months old (telephone or electricity bill),
- The owner's national identity card,
- The owner's full birth certificate (from the town hall of the place of birth),
- The Livre des Origines Françaises (L.O.F.),
- The dog's photo.
- For 1st category dogs, be sure to present the sterilization certificate.
Possession permits and possible penalties
If a dog owner or keeper is found to be in possession of an unauthorized license, he or she must regularize the situation within a maximum period of one month. After this deadline, the owner or keeper of the dog may incur a penalty of 3 months' imprisonment and a €3,750 fine, as well as confiscation and/or euthanasia of the animal (the costs incurred by these procedures are borne by the owner or keeper).
The acquisition, transfer and import of Category 1 attack dogs are illegal and punishable by 6 months' imprisonment and a €15,000 fine. Any possession of unsterilized attack dogs is punishable by the same penalties.
Owners or keepers of an animal less than 1 year old must obtain a provisional possession permit, which expires on the dog's first birthday. The number of the permit and its date of issue must appear in the animal's passport.
