How to Update Your Dog's Microchip Contact Info (and Whether It Costs Anything)

A microchip only works if the registry has your current phone number. The chip is registered with a microchip company's database, not with your vet or one central database, so you have to update it with that company yourself (AAHA). It takes about ten minutes.

Step by step

Find the chip number on your adoption, breeder or vet paperwork. If you can't find it, any vet clinic can scan your dog.
Find the registry. Enter the number at the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup. It tells you which company has the chip on file. Our guide: how to read the lookup results.
Log in or create an account with that registry and update your phone, email and address. AAHA suggests adding an alternate contact, such as a family member, and your vet's details (AAHA).
Got the dog from someone else? The chip may still be in the breeder's, rescue's or prior owner's name. Ask the registry how to transfer it to you.
Check it worked. Run the AAHA lookup again, and ask your vet to scan the chip at your next visit.

Do registries charge to update?

Registry	Updating your info	Source
AKC Reunite	No annual fees and no record-update fees for as long as you own the pet. Enrolls any brand of chip. Updates through its Online Records System or 800-252-7894.	AKC Reunite FAQ, Online Records FAQ
HomeAgain	Free unlimited updates online or by phone after initial registration.	HomeAgain
Other registries	AAHA says enrollment is typically free or a small one-time fee, and updating contact info is then free for the pet's lifetime. Check each company's own terms.	AAHA

Watch for upsells. Some registries bundle optional yearly plans or subscriptions with registration. You don't need a paid plan for your contact info to show when a shelter scans the chip, but read the terms before you buy anything.

When to check

Right after you move or change phone numbers.
Before a trip, and before Halloween, New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July, when more dogs get loose (AAHA).
On Check the Chip Day, August 15 each year.

If your dog does go missing, see Lost Dog Help. Boarding or traveling soon? Kennels and hotels may ask for the chip number: see our dog boarding checklist.

Sources (checked Oct 29, 2026): AAHA: how to update microchip details, AKC Reunite recovery service FAQ, AKC Reunite online records FAQ, HomeAgain. We didn't list registration prices because the figures we found disagreed; check the registry's site.

Info may be outdated. Verify with the source.

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