How to Check Your Pet's Microchip Details Are Up to Date

Why an up-to-date microchip matters as much as having one

Checking your pet's microchip details are up to date takes about five minutes — and it could be the single most useful thing you do for their safety this year. Recent research from Direct Line pet insurance found that around 1.1 million cats in England (13% of owners) have a microchip fitted, but out-of-date contact details on file. That is almost as risky as having no microchip at all, because a chip is only useful if whoever scans it can actually reach you.

Since cat microchipping became compulsory in England in June 2024 (dog microchipping has been mandatory since 2016), most owners have ticked the legal box. Far fewer have gone back to check the details are still correct after a house move, a new phone number, or a change of vet.

Step 1: Find your pet's microchip number

Your chip number is usually 15 digits long, though some older chips use a 9 or 10-character format. You'll find it on:

• Your pet's original microchipping certificate
• Vet records or your pet's clinical history
• Pet insurance documents
• Pet travel paperwork, often labelled "transponder code"

If you can't locate any paperwork, your vet, a local rescue centre, or a dog warden can scan your pet and read the number off in seconds, free of charge in most cases.

Step 2: Work out which database holds your details

Here's where it gets confusing: the UK doesn't have one single microchip database. There are currently 22 Defra-approved databases, including Petlog (run by the Kennel Club) and PETtrac, among others — and your pet could be registered with any of them, especially if they were rehomed or chipped by a previous owner.

Rather than guessing, use a free lookup tool like [checkachip.com](https://www.checkachip.com), which takes your pet's chip number and tells you exactly which database holds their record. This one step saves most owners a lot of wasted phone calls.

Step 3: Update anything that has changed

Once you know the right database, updating your details is usually free and takes a few minutes online, by phone, or via a paper form. Make sure the following are current:

• Your phone number and email address
• Your home address, especially after moving house
• Your pet's keeper status, if ownership has changed (a rehomed or rescued pet needs the "keepership" transferred, not just the contact details edited)
• Your vet practice, if you have switched

A change of registered keeper usually cannot be done over the phone and needs a short form — worth doing promptly, since an unmicrochipped or incorrectly registered cat can mean a compliance notice and a fine of up to £500 under the law.

When to double-check

Build a quick check into your routine rather than waiting for a problem. Good moments to verify your pet's microchip details:

• Whenever you move house or change your number
• After adopting, rescuing, or rehoming a pet
• Once a year, alongside a [vaccination booster or annual check-up](/safety-hub)
• Before travelling abroad with your pet

Beyond the microchip: instant, visible ID

A microchip is essential, but it has one limitation: it is invisible, and only works once a vet, shelter or warden scans it — which can take hours a finder does not have. That is the gap [PawLink](/#features) is built to close. Your pet's NFC tag lets anyone who finds them — a neighbour, a dog walker, a stranger in a park — tap their phone and see your contact details and any medical notes immediately, no scanner required. You can also log your microchip number directly in your pet's PawLink profile, so a finder or vet has both forms of ID in one place, and switch on Lost Mode the moment you realise they are missing.

Keeping your microchip details current and [getting your PawLink tag](/#pricing) set up together give your pet the best possible chance of a fast, safe reunion — whether the first person who finds them has a scanner or just a smartphone.