A bill that would have required Colorado residents to pay an annual pet registration fee, or face steep penalties for not doing so is dead, according to its sponsor. 

Under the legislation, registering every pet, including fish, would have cost residents $8.50 per animal a year.

House Bill 1163 would have required the Department of Agriculture to develop, implement, and maintain an online pet registration system. In Colorado, with upwards of 60% of households owning a pet, many of them with multiple animals, the cost can increase quickly.

While Rep. Regina English, D-Colorado Springs, who sponsored the bill, did not answer questions on why she proposed the measure, she confirmed that she plans to postpone it indefinitely. That means the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee will kill the measure later this month.

Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, criticized the measure on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Some of us take our jobs seriously and apparently some of us want you to pay $8.50-$25 EVERY YEAR to register your pet,” she said. “I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP.”

Others called it just another way to tax Colorado residents.

“Liberals in CO have found a new way to tax you! Own a dog, cat, rat or hamster? Great!” said Kristi Burton Brown, a former chair of the Colorado Republican Party.

“If this bill passes, you’ll need to register your pet, pay a tax to the state for owning the pet, & choose a ‘caregiver’ to register for your pet.”

Supporters insisted the idea of licensing pet animals is not new, and that Colorado’s statutes already allow counties to do so. 

“Only Republicans could twist this into victimization,” one X user replied to Burton Brown.

According to the bill, pet owners must register pets in the state’s online system every year, paying up to $8.50 per pet and up to $16.50 annually for a dog or cat that is not neutered or spayed.

In registering pets, the bill would also require pet owners to designate an official “caregiver” for the animal. A caregiver must agree to be responsible for the animal in case of an emergency or issues that may arise. The state will charge $25 per pet if a caregiver is not designated.

According to the bill, a pet means a dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, mouse, rat, gerbil, ferret, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, invertebrate, or any “other species of wild or domestic or hybrid animal six months of age or older that is sold, transferred or retained for the purpose of being kept as a household pet.”

Failure to comply with registration policies could come with a steep penalty. Pet owners could face a $100 fine per animal. If the fine is not collected, the state can sue residents to force payment against those who refuse to register or renew each year.

Pet ownership is high in Colorado and nationwide. According to a Forbes analysis, more than 66% of U.S. households own pets, with dogs being the top choice. Forbes estimated the annual cost to the household to own a dog for food, veterinary care, and other necessities is about $1,533.

Besides paying the state registration fee if the proposed bill passes, residents would also need to comply with fees and requirements set by local municipalities at the city and county levels in Colorado.

Under the legislation, the revenue generated through the pet registration system will be used to develop, implement, maintain, and administer the “system” and reimburse animal shelters for the cost of taking custody of a pet when a caregiver cannot be located or has refused to take custody of an animal.

Only first responders and the Department of Public Health and Environment can use the pet registration system, according to the bill.