The objective of this study was to evaluate associations of dry-off management factors and production data with SCC before dry off and in the subsequent lactation of cows milked in robotic systems. Milk data were collected for a 2-yr period for 342 multiparous (2.9 ± 1.1 lactations) dairy cows from 5 farms in Ontario, Canada. Parity, DIM at dry off, dry period length, and daily milk yield were recorded for each cow. Producers were surveyed about dry off management protocols including products and gradual milking cessation (tapering) methods used. Two years of SCC data were collected from DHI tests for each farm, for 2 tests before dry off and 2 tests post-calving. On average, cows were dried off at 350 ± 67 (mean ± SD) DIM and were dry for 64 ± 50 d. Before dry off (mean of 2 d before), cows were producing 15.8 ± 0.4 (mean ± SE) kg/d, however before any tapering occurred, cows were producing 18.3 ± 0.4 kg/d. The median pre-dry off SCC was 66,500 and 93,000 cells/mL at the 2nd and 1st test before dry off. In the subsequent lactation, median SCC was 52,500 and 46,000 cells/mL at the 1st and 2nd test post-calving. In logistic regression models, milk yield before dry off was positively associated with the risk of being tapered; each 1 kg/d increase in milk yield was associated with a greater risk (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.09–1.20) of being tapered (P < 0.001). In mixed linear regression models, 1st test post-calving SCC was associated with SCC at the test before dry off (P = 0.02). Post-calving SCC at the 2nd test was associated with whether cows were tapered before dry off (P = 0.05), and SCC at the test before dry off tended (P = 0.09) to be associated with tapering. Milk production before tapering was also associated with SCC at the test before dry off (P = 0.02), such that cows producing ≥ 20 kg/d before tapering also had lower SCC before dry off. There were no associations of post-calving SCC with parity, antibiotic use, sealant use, dry period length, or DIM at dry off. These results show that producers with robotic milking systems are using some form of gradual milking cessation when drying off their higher producing cows, and that the resultant reduction in milk and pre-dry off SCC are associated with SCC in the subsequent lactation.