Pet Advertising Source Number Victoria: 7 Rules

Selling or rehoming a pet in Australia involves more than writing an appealing advert. In Victoria, the pet advertising source number Victoria requirement works alongside the animal’s microchip number. NSW uses different identification numbers, while minimum-age and transfer rules also vary by jurisdiction.

In Victoria, adverts for dogs and cats must show a valid microchip number and Pet Exchange Register source number. NSW adverts must show a microchip number plus a breeder identification number or rehoming organisation number. Before publishing, an advertiser must verify every number, confirm the animal's age and keep ownership records ready.

A Victorian dog or cat advert must include the animal’s valid microchip number and a Pet Exchange Register source number. In NSW, an advert must include the microchip number and a relevant breeder identification number (BIN) or rehoming organisation number (RON). Therefore, the correct details depend on where the animal is advertised.

Victoria’s rule has applied since 1 July 2019. It covers animals advertised for sale or rehoming, including adverts placed by individuals, breeders, businesses and shelters. Agriculture Victoria operates the Pet Exchange Register and provides a search tool for validating source numbers.

In NSW, the rule applies to newspapers, websites, social media, community forums and flyers. The NSW Department of Primary Industries also states that a dog must not be rehomed until it is over eight weeks old. Both states also set separate dog and cat registration and microchipping obligations that apply once the animal changes hands.

The core purpose is traceability: an identification number links an advertised animal to the person, breeder, business or organisation responsible for it. A number does not replace responsible screening, accurate health information or a proper ownership transfer.

Each dog or cat needs its own correct microchip number, and the source number, BIN or RON must belong to the responsible advertiser — a generic number, an incorrect digit or another person's registration can make the advert non-compliant. Agriculture Victoria's official search tool lets sellers validate a Victorian source number before publishing, not after a buyer raises a concern; save a screenshot of the result and keep it with the advert copy and animal records.

The NSW requirement applies regardless of whether the litter was planned, accidental, professional or hobby-related, according to legal commentary on the 2019 Companion Animals Act amendment. A Victorian source number does not work in NSW, and a NSW BIN does not satisfy Victorian requirements — advertisers should check the jurisdiction and platform before posting. The Victorian Government states that omitting a valid microchip number and source number from an advert is an offence.

NSW adverts follow a separate identification model. Anyone advertising a puppy or dog for sale or transfer must include the animal’s microchip number and a relevant BIN. Where a rehoming organisation places the advert, the applicable RON may be used under the state’s advertising framework.

The requirement covers all advertising channels, including social media, online community groups, newspapers and flyers. Consequently, moving an advert from a dedicated pet website to a private group does not remove the obligation.

The NSW rules also address young puppies. If a dog is sold or transferred under eight weeks of age, the mother’s microchip number may appear instead, but the advert must clearly identify it as the female parent. The advert still needs the BIN or RON. The NSW Department of Primary Industries states that a dog must not be rehomed until it is over eight weeks old.

A retired greyhound may use the relevant Greyhound Racing NSW participant number instead of a BIN, although the microchip number remains necessary. This is a narrow exception, so do not apply it to other dogs.

NSW breeders must also register puppies and kittens in their own name if an animal remains in their care at 12 weeks, though adopting a desexed pet from a council pound or subsidised desexing programme can waive that registration fee. Ownership transfer can then occur through the NSW Pet Registry or a paper Change of Owner form submitted to council.

For NSW, the bottom line is clear: a dog must be over eight weeks old before it is rehomed, sold or transferred. Advertising and transferring are related but separate issues, so check both the advert details and the proposed handover date.

The age rule matters even when a buyer offers a suitable home or the litter resulted from an accidental mating. The NSW advertising identification requirement also applies regardless of the seller’s experience or the platform used.

Before arranging collection, a seller should record the puppy's date of birth and the date it turns over eight weeks old, its microchip number (and the mother's, if the under-eight-week exception applies), the applicable BIN or RON, and the buyer's details with the intended transfer date.

A mother's microchip number should never stand in as though it identifies the puppy. The advert must clearly describe it as the female parent's number, and the legal transfer still cannot occur before the permitted age.

Victoria's supplied sources establish the advertising identifiers but do not provide a matching minimum-age rule, so NSW's eight-week rule should not be imported into Victoria without checking current Victorian guidance or obtaining veterinary and regulatory advice. If a listed animal later goes missing before handover, the same microchip record is also what a council or lost pet search will rely on to reunite it with the right owner.

In NSW, advertising without the required identification number, or falsifying one, can attract a maximum penalty of A$5,500. The amount comes from Australian legal commentary on the 2019 Companion Animals Act amendment and should not be treated as a standard fee or automatic penalty in every case.

Victoria's supplied government information states that an advert without a valid microchip number and Pet Exchange Register source number is an offence. The available source does not state a penalty amount, so a guessed Victorian fine should never be published.

A number can also fail in practice even when the advert displays digits. Common problems include an incorrect microchip digit, a source number or BIN/RON that cannot be validated, a mother's microchip number presented as the puppy's own, and identifiers missing from an image, flyer or social-media repost.

Every version of the advert should be treated as a compliance document: if it is reposted, cropped, translated or moved to another platform, the required numbers must stay visible and accurate. Rules and enforcement can change, so advertisers should check the relevant Victorian or NSW government register directly rather than relying on an old template.

The safest method is a short “TRACE” check: Territory, Record, Age, Check, Exhibit. This gives sellers a simple memory hook without treating different state rules as interchangeable.

• T — Territory. Identify where the advert is published and where the sale or transfer will occur. Victoria and NSW use different identification systems, so check each state's requirements separately if the advert targets more than one.
• R — Record. Gather the animal's microchip record and the advertiser's own source, BIN or RON details from official documents rather than memory.
• A — Age. For NSW, confirm the dog will be over eight weeks old before rehoming, and record the date of birth and planned handover date.
• C — Check. Validate the Victorian source number through Agriculture Victoria's official search tool, or confirm the correct microchip number and BIN/RON for a NSW advert.
• E — Exhibit. Place the numbers where a buyer can read them, review the final advert on phone and desktop including any flyer or social-media version, and keep a dated copy of the published text.

A compliant advert should also describe the animal honestly, including age, sex, breed and known health information, without unsupportable claims. Compliance numbers help traceability, but they do not prove an animal is healthy or suitable for a particular home.

The pet advertising source number Victoria requirement is straightforward once the animal's microchip number is separated from the advertiser's source number. Victoria requires both for dog and cat sale or rehoming adverts. NSW instead uses a microchip number with a BIN or RON, alongside its own age and transfer rules.

Advertisers should use the TRACE check before publishing: confirm the territory, copy official records, verify age, validate the relevant number and inspect the final advert. If a number fails validation or the state position seems unclear, the listing should be paused and the relevant government register or council contacted. A careful check takes less time than correcting an unlawful or misleading advert after publication.