LEWISTON — The City Clerk’s office sent a reminder this week that residents must renew dog licenses by Jan. 31 to avoid a late fine.

City Clerk Kathy Montejo said in a recent news release that according to state law, dog licenses expire Dec. 31, and a $25 fine is added for all dogs licensed after Jan. 31.

According to Montejo, only about 70 percent of the dogs licensed in Lewiston in 2018 have been relicensed for the new year.

“We do not want our residents to have to pay the $25 late fine, but it is a state requirement,” she said in the news release.

In December, the city sent letters to all owners of dogs licensed in 2018 to remind them that the licenses expire Dec. 31 and the late fine is effective Feb. 1.

Dog license fees are $11 for a male or female dog and $6 for a spayed or neutered animal, “which means the late fine is more than the cost of the license itself,” Montejo said.

“We have almost 650 dogs that still need to be relicensed, which means that we will be doing a lot of dog licensing during the next few weeks, before the late fine begins, or many of our residents will have to pay the state-mandated late fee,” she said.

The late fine is assessed per dog and not per household.

Montejo guessed that many dog owners may not have relicensed their pet because they may have misplaced the animal’s rabies certificate, which is required to be shown at the time of licensing.

The City Clerk’s office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Questions can be directed to the City Clerk’s office at 207-513-3124.