Scotland
- Who
- Dogs
- By when
- 8 weeks
- Rules
- Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016
One registration, covered for your pet's lifetime
How it worksA Microchip Is
A Microchip Is
Just The Start.
Microchipping is legally required for dogs across the UK and for owned cats in England, and helps identify a pet and their registered keeper. Paired with a Guardian Tag, it provides two complementary layers of protection.
From Lost to Found in Three Steps
The chip is implanted
A trained implanter places the sterile chip under the skin between the shoulder blades, quicker than a vaccination. The implanter registers the chip and your details at the same time.
The record stays current
You keep your name, address and phone number up to date, free, online, any time. Moving house or changing number takes two minutes and is a legal requirement.
A scan finds you
If your pet strays, any vet, rescue or warden scans the chip, searches the number, and the database alerts you, without ever handing your details to a stranger.
Jurisdiction-aware
The Rules Where You Live
Microchipping law is devolved across the UK. Aegis Pet Hub applies the right rules based on where your pet lives.
Northern Ireland
- Who
- Dogs
- By when
- Linked to dog licensing
- Rules
- Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (NI) 2012
England
- Who
- Dogs and owned cats
- Dogs
- 8 weeks
- Cats
- 20 weeks
- Imports
- Within 30 days of entry
- Rules
- Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023
Wales
- Who
- Dogs
- By when
- 8 weeks
- Rules
- Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015
A vet can certify a health exemption where microchipping would risk an animal's health; exempt animals can be transferred with a valid exemption certificate recorded on the database. This page is guidance, not legal advice, and content is reviewed whenever the law changes.
Keeper responsibilities
What the Law Asks of You
Chip on time
Before the age threshold for your nation, or within 30 days of importing an animal into England.
Keep details current
Your name, address and phone number must be correct on the database. This is the duty people forget, and the one that costs reunions.
Never transfer an unchipped animal
An animal can't lawfully change hands unless it's microchipped or a valid exemption is recorded.
New keeper updates the record
When you take on an animal, registering your own details is your responsibility, not the previous keeper's.
Report problems
Adverse reactions, chip migration or chip failure must be reported to the Secretary of State. Aegis Pet Hub gives you a form that files it properly.
Three Things a Microchip Isn't
It isn't a GPS tracker
A chip has no battery and sends no signal. It only responds when a scanner passes within a few centimetres. If you want live location, that's a separate device. The chip is your pet's permanent ID.
It isn't proof of ownership
A registration shows who the registered keeper is. Strong evidence, but not a legal title deed. Disputes are resolved on wider evidence, which is why Aegis Pet Hub keeps a full, immutable record history.
It isn't replaced by a tag
Collar tags (including our Guardian Tag) are brilliant for quick reunions, but they're supplementary. The microchip is the legal requirement. Tags come off; chips don't.
The chip is only half the storyA Chip Waits to Be Scanned.
A Chip Waits to Be Scanned.
The Guardian Tag Doesn't.
A microchip is your pet's permanent legal ID, but it only works once someone gets them to a vet or warden with a scanner. Most lost pets are found by a neighbour first. The Guardian Tag closes that gap: anyone with a phone scans the QR code and reaches you in seconds, no app and no scanner needed.
£20one-off · free UK delivery over £30
Keeping your record current is still what makes any scan work. An out-of-date phone number is the single most common reason a found pet never makes it home. Updates are always free on Aegis Pet Hub.
Ready When They Wander
Register your pet's chip today. It takes about five minutes.