Cost of Microchipping Domestic Pets: An Insight by Brittany Chrusciel (Published on July 30, 2025)
Pet owners looking to ensure their furry friends' safety can find affordable microchipping opportunities during National Microchip Month in June and on Aug. 15, National Check the Chip Day.
Microchips, tiny devices about the size of a grain of rice, are injected under a pet's skin and do not track them like a GPS collar. Instead, they can be scanned to reveal a unique microchip number, which is stored in a secure database after proper registration.
The cost of microchipping a pet typically ranges between $25 to $105 in the United States. Veterinary clinics commonly charge around $45 for implantation and $10 to $30 for the microchip device itself. When adding the registration fee ($15 to $30), the total cost usually falls between $70 and $105.
Less expensive options often exist through shelters or community clinics, with some offering microchipping services as low as $20 to $25 plus tax. It's essential to note that microchipping is generally a one-time cost, with no ongoing fees, and the procedure is quick and does not require anesthesia.
In routine vet visits or wellness exams, the average cost including registration and monitoring can be about $105.50. However, the cost may vary depending on factors such as the region and the type of facility chosen.
Microchipped pets are much more likely to be returned to their families than non-chipped pets. According to a study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association, among shelter dogs, microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be returned home than non-chipped dogs. In the cat population, a whopping 40 percent of studied cats with chips were happily reunited with their families, while less than one percent of unchipped felines enjoyed the same fate.
Registering your chip and keeping the information up-to-date is crucial for reuniting with your pet if they get lost. The Microchip Registry Lookup Tool by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is a centralized, online microchip lookup that can search registration information across various databases. Some registries do charge a one-time registration fee or even an annual fee to maintain your pet's place in the system, while others offer free registration.
When traveling overseas, check microchip requirements, as most countries require standardized microchips with 15 numbers that can be read by microchip scanners worldwide.
In conclusion, budgeting roughly $25 to $105 covers most scenarios for microchipping a pet in the U.S., depending on where and how the service is obtained. Seek out lower-cost providers such as local shelters, nonprofit, or low-cost clinics. Some pet insurance plans might include microchipping costs in their pet wellness programs. Mark your calendar for Aug. 15, or Check the Chip Day, to double-check that your pet's microchip is present, functioning, and up-to-date. A professional can use a universal scanner to read a pet's microchip number and look up the associated information to help reunite the pet with its owner.
Considering the importance of pet wellness and fitness-and-exercise for a pet's overall health, pet insurance plans might extend their pet wellness programs to include microchipping, ensuring your furry friend's safety. Furthermore, incorporating science in pet wellness, such as microchips, contributes significantly to promoting health-and-wellness, making it easier to track pets and increase their chances of being reunited with their families if they get lost.
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