PawAlarm

Microchip lookupCheck a pet's chip number and find the right registry

Type the number from the scanner, the vet record or the pet passport. We read what its first digits mean and show where a dog's or cat's chip number can be searched.

Most chips have 15 digits. Older chips have 9 or 10 characters. Spaces and dashes are fine.

  • Free
  • Runs in your browser
  • No registry access

PawAlarm doesn't search or access any registry and never sees an owner's details. This check reads the number in your browser and links you to the official searches.

Chip number15-digit ISO chip

Type a number to read it here

The first three digits say who issued the number: a country or the chip's manufacturer. That decides where to search it.

Where to search a chip number

Each link opens the registry's own official search. Registries decide what they show: most keep the owner's details private and pass your message on, or let a vet, a shelter or the police contact the owner.

Links checked on October 19, 2026

Searches that cover many countries

  1. Europetnet

    Searches many databases

    Shows which database holds the number.

    Search Europetnet (opens in a new tab)

  2. AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup

    Searches many databases

    Shows which database holds the number.

    Search AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup (opens in a new tab)

What to do next

Found an animal?

Keep it safe and take it to a vet or an animal shelter to have the chip read. Give the registry your contact details so it can reach the owner, and report the animal where people nearby will see it.

Report it for freeYou Found a Lost Pet — What to Do, Step by Step

Your pet is missing?

A chip only helps once someone finds your pet and has it scanned. Check that the registry has your current phone number, then let people nearby know: a poster in the street and an alert in their social media feeds.

Start a missing pet alertMissing cat posterLost dog poster

Checking your own pet?

Search the number at the registry that holds it and check your phone number and address. If they're out of date, log in or contact that registry to change them. Not registered anywhere? Register now: a chip without a registration can't lead anyone back to you.

My Pet Is Microchipped — Will the Chip Help Find It?

How a microchip number works

Most pet chips follow the ISO 11784 and 11785 standards and carry a 15-digit number. The first three digits say who issued it.

  1. Country code

    Up to 899, the prefix is an ISO 3166 country code: 276 is Germany, 826 the United Kingdom, 840 the United States. A chip may only carry a country code where that country's authority keeps the numbers unique.

  2. Manufacturer code

    900 to 998 are manufacturer codes granted by ICAR, the registration authority for ISO 11784: 981 is Datamars, 985 Destron Fearing, 977 Avid. 900 and 901 are shared by many smaller manufacturers. 999 is reserved for test chips.

  3. The chip's own number

    The other twelve digits number the individual chip. The prefix tells you where the number was issued, not where the animal lives now, so a dog adopted abroad still carries its first country's code.

  4. Older formats

    In the US, older chips at 125 and 128 kHz are still in use. AVID's have a 9-digit number; others have 10 letters and digits. The AAHA lookup accepts 9, 10 and 15 characters.

First three digitsExamples
840
United StatesCountry code
826
United KingdomCountry code
276
GermanyCountry code
981
Datamars SAManufacturer code
985
Destron Fearing / Digital Angel CorporationManufacturer code
977
AvidManufacturer code
900
Several makersShared code

Where to find your pet's chip number

If there's no scanner at hand, the number is usually written down somewhere.

  1. Pet passport

    An EU pet passport records the chip's number, where it sits on the animal and the date it was implanted or read.

  2. Vet and vaccination records

    Your vet keeps the number in your pet's file, and it often appears on vaccination certificates too.

  3. Registration and adoption papers

    The registry's confirmation, the shelter's adoption papers or the breeder's documents usually list it.

  4. A scan at the vet

    A vet or animal shelter can read the chip with a scanner in a few seconds, as long as the scanner reads that type of chip.

If the registry doesn't find the number

A number that isn't found isn't a dead end. Work through these in order.

  1. Check every digit

    Compare it with the scanner or the paperwork. A 15-digit number has no letters, so an O is a 0.

  2. Try a search that covers many databases

    Where several registries exist, the chip may be registered at another one. Check-a-Chip, Europetnet and the AAHA lookup show which database holds it.

  3. Trace it through the seller

    If no registry has the number, the AAHA lookup lists the companies that may have sold the chip. Ask them for trackback information on who bought it: that may lead to the owner.

  4. Your own pet? Register it

    A chip that was never registered can't lead anyone back to you. Register it with a registry in your country, or ask your vet to.

A chip helps only once your pet is found

Someone has to find your pet and take it to a vet or shelter before the chip can do its job. PawAlarm shows your pet's alert on Facebook and Instagram to people living around where it went missing, so they know to look. The alert is paid; this lookup stays free.

How PawAlarm works

Microchip lookup: common questions

How do I look up a pet microchip number?
Enter the number above to see what its first digits mean and which registries to search, then search it there. In the US, the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup shows which participating registry holds a number. In the UK, Check-a-Chip searches the databases that meet government standards. In Europe, Europetnet searches its member databases.
Is this microchip lookup free?
Yes. It's free, needs no account and runs in your browser. PawAlarm doesn't send the number to any registry and never sees the owner's details.
Can I find the owner's name and address from a chip number?
Usually not. Most registries keep owner details private: they pass your message on, or share the details with a vet, a shelter or the police.
What do the first three digits of a microchip number mean?
Up to 899 they're an ISO 3166 country code, such as 276 for Germany or 840 for the United States. From 900 to 998 they're a manufacturer code granted by ICAR, such as 985 for Destron Fearing. The code shows where the number was issued, not where the pet lives now.
Is there a universal microchip lookup?
Not one for the whole world. The AAHA lookup covers participating US registries, Check-a-Chip the UK databases, Europetnet its European member databases and Pet Address the Australian registries that take part. Start with the one for the country where the chip was registered.
How do I do a HomeAgain or 24Petwatch microchip lookup?
Enter the number in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup. HomeAgain, 24Petwatch, AKC Reunite, AVID and PetLink are among its participating registries, and it shows which of them holds the number. 24Petwatch, PetLink and AVID PETtrac also have their own searches, listed above when "Where you are" is set to the United States.

Sources

Manufacturer codes come from ICAR's public register and country codes from ISO 3166-1. Links checked on October 19, 2026.

Each of the 37 registry links on this page was opened on the registry's own site and checked against its own or a government page.

Pet missing right now?

Start an alert in a few minutes. People living around the spot where your pet went missing see it with your photo, and can report a sighting on your pet's search page.

Start a missing pet alert