Register with the registry your pet’s microchip actually belongs to. Every chip carries a manufacturer prefix, and each manufacturer has an associated registry. A nominal fee is required. Registering there means that when a vet or shelter looks the number up through the standard tools, it resolves to you.
That is the whole answer. The rest of this page is how to work out which one that is, and what to check before you hand anyone your details.
Find your prefix first
Look at your pet’s microchip number. The first three digits — or in some cases the first few characters — tell you who made the chip.
| Prefix | Brand | Registry |
|---|---|---|
| 982, 9A1 | 24 PetWatch | 24 PetWatch |
| 956, 4XXXXXXXXX, TVNXXXXXXX | AKC Reunite | AKC Reunite |
| 977 | AVID | AVID |
| 981, 98102000, 0D0D, 0A1 | Bayer / Banfield / Datamars / Microfindr / ResQ | PetLink |
| 985 | HomeAgain | HomeAgain |
| 7E1 | Microchip ID Systems | Buddy ID |
| 941 | Petkey | Petkey |
| 991, 900, 990, 992 | Animal ID | Peeva |
The full reference, including less common prefixes, is in our microchip prefix guide.
The 900 prefix is the exception
Unlike the prefixes above, 900 is a shared manufacturer code rather than one assigned to a single company. A 900 chip cannot be traced to its maker from the number alone.
That matters because generic 900-prefix chips are widely available to buy in bulk. Some are distributed by companies that operate a real registry behind them. Others are sold by operations with no registry at all — the chip goes in, the number exists, and there is nothing on the other end of it.
The chip itself is not the variable. The silicon is a commodity; the registry is the product. What separates one 900 chip from another is entirely whether someone is funded to answer the phone when a shelter calls at 2am.
If your pet’s number starts 900 and you do not know who supplied it, look it up and find out what it currently returns.
What to check before you register anywhere
- Is it searchable by the people who scan? A vet or shelter has to be able to look the number up and reach you. A database nobody queries will not bring your pet home, whatever it cost.
- Is there a phone number, and when is it staffed? Pets are found at night and at weekends. A web form answered on Monday is not a recovery service.
- How does it verify ownership? Ask what stops someone else registering a chip already enrolled to you, and whether you would be told if they tried.
- Can you update your own details, free, without an email chain? Most failed recoveries are not failed scans. They are old phone numbers.
- What does the privacy policy permit? Two minutes of reading tells you whether your contact details can be shared or sold onward.
Can I register in more than one place?
Yes, and there is an argument for it. Free aggregating services will accept a chip number and add it to a general pool, which is a reasonable backstop.
What they are not is a substitute for a current, verified record in the registry your chip is actually enrolled with. Start there, then add whatever else you like.
Where Peeva fits
Peeva is the registry of record for the 991, 900, 990 and 992 prefixes, distributed under Animal ID, and accepts registrations for any brand of chip. $54.95 a year or $249 for the life of the pet, which covers the support line, ownership verification and keeping the record current.
If your chip belongs to one of the other registries in the table above, register it there. That is the answer regardless of who it benefits.
Register your pet’s microchip · Look up a number first
Common questions
Is microchip registration free?
Some services charge nothing and some charge an annual or lifetime fee. A registry that answers the phone around the clock and verifies ownership has running costs, and those are funded either by a fee or by something else. The privacy policy tells you which.
What happens if I never register the chip?
The scan works, the number displays, and the trail stops. The finder has an identifier and no way to reach you. This is the single most common reason a chipped pet is not reunited.
Do I need to re-register after moving?
The chip number never changes, so you update rather than re-register. Do it the same week you change address or phone number — a stale record fails exactly like no record at all.
How do I find out where my pet is already registered?
Run the number through a lookup. It will tell you which registry holds it, or that none does.
