If you are a dog owner and forgot or didn’t get a chance to purchase a license for your pet, read on. Philadelphia’s Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT Philly) has issued an alert prompting residents to get their dogs licensed to avoid penalties:

“Although required by law, dog licensing in Philadelphia has been largely voluntary over the years. That is about to change. In an effort to improve rates of lost dogs being reunited with their owners, ACCT Philly is getting serious about dog licensing. If you are one of Philadelphia’s approximately 300,000 thousand dog owning households in Philadelphia, now is the time to purchase a license or be subject to violation notices and fines.”

Under the law, all dogs over the age of 4 months old must be licensed in the City of Philadelphia within the first 30 days of ownership or moving into the city. Besides being the law, additional benefits for licensed dogs include a longer stay at the shelter if the owner cannot be reached right away, waived holding fees and even a free ride home, reads ACCT Philly’s reminder.

In an effort to make the licensing process easier, ACCT Philly has recently launched the Philadelphia Dog Licensing Online Service Center where you can purchase or renew your dog’s license in the matter of a few minutes. An annual license for altered dogs costs $16 ($8 for senior dog owners). Unaltered dogs will cost you more – $40 ($20). A $2 fee will also apply if you’re using the online service.

In addition, ACCT’s dog licensing center offers information on where you can purchase a license in your neighborhood, how to order a dog license by mail, what to do if you found a pet wearing a license tag, and Q&A.