Clinton County Auditor Terence G. Habermehl is reminding dog owners that the last day to purchase a 2018 dog license without a penalty is Wednesday, Jan. 31.

“Everybody is really busy this time of year, and it is easy to forget about buying your dog license,” said Habermehl. “The end of January snuck up on us,” he joked.

The cost of a single dog license is $14. After Jan. 31, the Ohio Revised Code requires the Auditor to charge a penalty equal to the fee of the license for late registration. Thus, regular tags will be $28 each starting Feb. 1.

Regular dog licenses can be purchased in the Clinton County Auditor’s Office in person any time the office is open. Habermehl is reminding residents that the Auditor’s office closes at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays for training, so dog owners planning to buy their license in the office on Wednesday, Jan. 31 need to be in the office before 3 p.m.

The Auditor’s Office has contracted with Fairfield Licensing to offer a convenient method of purchase for Clinton County residents through online registration. There is an additional $2 charge per license for this service. Please visit www.doglicenses.us/oh/clinton to take advantage of this service.

Residents can also access the service via a link on the Clinton County Auditor’s home page.

Now through Jan. 31, Habermehl has also authorized the following local retailers to sell dog licenses for an additional 75-cent fee: Buckley Brothers Drive Thru; Brown’s Distributing; BDK Feed & Supply; Village of New Vienna Water Department; and D&G’s Paws and Claws Snack Shack

If you are unable to make it to any of the listed locations above, you may mail your dog and owner information to the auditor’s office (preferably your renewal application), and a tag will be issued and mailed back to you. Mail must be postmarked on or before Jan. 31, 2018 to avoid the penalty, according to Habermehl. Mail renewals must include an additional $1 processing fee to cover postage and mailing costs.