Why does keeping a microchip record current matter so much?

Last updated August 4, 2026

A microchip can be implanted correctly, registered correctly, and still fail at the one moment it matters, if the phone number or address attached to it is years out of date. The chip doesn't expire and the scan doesn't fail — the call just doesn't reach the owner of the pet.

What counts as a record going stale?

Anything that changes after the record was first created and never gets updated: a new phone number, a move to a different address, a change of email, or the pet changing hands entirely without the record following it. Any one of these is enough to break the chain between a successful scan and an actual reunion.

How often should I update it?

Immediately after anything on the list above changes, rather than waiting for a reminder. The AVMA recommends checking that your registered information is current as one of the three basic things an owner should do after a chip is implanted, alongside registering it in the first place and having a vet confirm the chip is still functioning at an annual checkup.^[1]

The AVMA and AAHA also sponsor Check the Chip Day every August 15 for exactly this purpose.^[2] Registries like mChip.org send an annual reminder notification on August 15 to make sure your contact information stays up-to-date.

What happens during a scan if the info is outdated?

Nothing changes about the scan: it reads the chip's ID number, a lookup returns whatever contact information is on file, and the finder's clinic or shelter tries to reach it. But if that information is stale, the attempt fails — a disconnected number, a bounced email, a house someone else lives in now — and from the shelter's side, there's no way to tell a record is wrong until they've already tried and failed to use it.^[3]

The gap a working record closes is large. Across more than 7,700 stray animals studied at U.S. shelters, dogs with a microchip were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time versus 21.9% without one, and cats 38.5% of the time versus 1.8% without one.^[2][3]

If you're not sure what's currently on file, or need to correct something, see how to fix incorrect information on a chip record. Most registries, mChip.org included, let you edit contact details directly through your account at any time — no need to wait for anything to lapse first.

Sources

Microchipping: FAQs for pet owners American Veterinary Medical Association
Pet owners, shelters, and clinics: Check the chip JAVMA News, American Veterinary Medical Association, August 1, 2017
Characterization of animals with microchips entering animal shelters Lord LK, Ingwersen W, Gray JL, Wintz DJ. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 235(2):160–167, 2009