Dog tax in Hesse 2027: What your dog costs in the largest cities

Print my Pet · 05.11.2026 · 3 min read·Updated 06.11.2026

In Hesse you will pay between 80 euros in Hanau and 180 euros in Wiesbaden for your first dog in 2027. For listed dogs, the range is from 500 euros in Hanau to 900 euros in Frankfurt am Main, while Wiesbaden, Kassel, Offenbach and Gießen do not have their own rate for this.

City	1. Dog	2. Dog	List dog	2027	Source
Frankfurt am Main	102 €	102 €	900 €	no change known	frankfurt.de
Wiesbaden	180 €	180 €	no separate sentence	no change known	wiesbaden.de
Kassel	90 €	120 €	no separate sentence	no change known	kassel.de
Darmstadt	120 €	156 €	600 €	no change known	darmstadt.de
Offenbach am Main	90 €	180 €	no separate sentence	no change known	offenbach.de
Hanau	80 €	150 €	500 €	no change known	hanau.de
Pouring	84 €	120 €	no separate sentence	no change known	giessen.de
Marburg	84 €	132 €	504 €¹	no change known	marburg.de

¹ Marburg: For the second dangerous dog €516, for each additional dog €540. All amounts per year, accessed on November 5th, 2026 from the cities themselves; We have adopted the values from our nationwide city table as of October 20, 2026 unchanged.

What applies to dangerous dogs in Hesse

In Hesse, the Hazard Prevention Ordinance on Keeping and Driving Dogs (HundeVO) of January 22, 2003 regulates the handling of dangerous dogs. The link leads to the originally announced version. We have not checked which breeds are named in the regulation in its current version in the current text of the regulation, which is why we do not provide a state list here.

The statutes of your city count towards the tax. Hanau and Marburg keep their own lists of breeds that are suspected to be dangerous, including pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and bull terriers. Hanau charges 500 euros for a dangerous dog, Marburg 504 euros for the first, Darmstadt 600 euros and Frankfurt am Main 900 euros.

Shelter dogs and exemptions

Hessian cities almost all reward shelter dogs, just for different lengths of time. Darmstadt and Gießen release dogs from an animal shelter in the city until the end of the second calendar year after acquisition. Kassel waives the tax until the end of the following year if the dog comes from the Wau-Mau-Insel animal shelter, and Offenbach waives the tax for dogs from the Offenbach animal shelter. Marburg releases dogs for 24 months, Wiesbaden releases dogs from an animal shelter in the city upon request.

Gießen has two special features: The exemption is also available if you have had purchase or adoption advice from a dog trainer certified by the Veterinary Association before purchasing. And if you pass the companion dog test, the tax is halved.

This is how you calculate your dog tax

Two dogs in Offenbach cost 90 plus 180 euros, i.e. 270 euros per year. In Wiesbaden you pay 180 euros twice, i.e. 360 euros. Between two major cities in Hesse, it costs 90 euros per year for two dogs.

It's quicker with our dog tax calculator: You choose your city, the number of dogs, whether there is a listed dog, and the year 2026 or 2027.

Frequently asked questions

How high is the dog tax in Frankfurt am Main in 2027? In Frankfurt am Main, each dog costs 102 euros per year, a listed dog costs 900 euros. We are not aware of any changes for 2027.

Where is the dog tax in Hesse the cheapest? Among the eight largest cities, Hanau is the cheapest at 80 euros for the first dog. Wiesbaden is the most expensive at 180 euros for each dog.

Is an animal shelter dog tax-free in Hesse? In many cities yes, upon application and for a limited period of time: Marburg 24 months, Darmstadt and Gießen until the end of the second year after acquisition, Kassel and Offenbach until the end of the following year.

The statutes of your community are always binding. This article is not tax advice.

Sources, accessed on 05.11.2026: Frankfurt am Main: frankfurt.de; Wiesbaden: wiesbaden.de; Kassel: kassel.de; Darmstadt: darmstadt.de; Offenbach am Main: offenbach.de; Hanau: hanau.de; Gießen: giessen.de; Marburg: marburg.de; Gefahrenabwehrverordnung über das Halten und Führen von Hunden, Verkündungsfassung 2003: starweb.hessen.de.