The Animal Care program of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) administers Animal Welfare Act (AWA) 

regulations (Title 9, Sections 2.150-2.153 of the Code of 

Federal Regulations) that set requirements for permits to 

legally import dogs into the United States for the purpose 

of resale. Animal Care works with its partners at U.S. ports 

of entry—the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—to ensure that 

these imported live dogs meet the AWA’s health, age, and 

vaccination requirements.

Questions and Answers

What live dog imports are covered by the AWA? 

The AWA and its regulations apply only to live dogs 

imported into the United States for the purpose of resale

(described below). 

What does the term “resale” mean in terms of the 

import permit requirements? 

Resale includes any transfer of ownership of a dog, for 

compensation, after it is imported. Examples include:

 Sales through retail or wholesale channels

 Adoption for a fee or donation 

What live dog imports are not covered by the AWA? 

The AWA and its regulations do not apply when there is no 

resale of a dog after it is imported. Examples include: 

 Pet, service, or working dogs traveling with or being 

delivered to their owners; 

 Dogs participating in shows or events; 

 Dogs that will be used as breeding stock but will 

not be resold; 

 Dogs that will be used or trained as working dogs

but will not be resold; 

 Dogs transiting the United States to be resold in 

another country; and, 

 Dogs purchased or adopted from a foreign source and 

delivered to the new owners who will not resell the dogs.

What is required to import dogs into the United States for 

the purpose of resale? 

All of the following are required. Dogs must be: 

 at least 6 months of age;

 in good health and vaccinated for rabies, 

distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, 

and parainfluenza virus; 

 accompanied by health and rabies vaccination 

certificates that certify the age, health, and vaccination 

requirements and are issued in English by a veterinarian 

with a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the 

country of export; and

 accompanied by an import permit issued by Animal Care. 

Are there exceptions to the age and vaccination 

requirements for dogs imported for the purpose 

of resale? 

Exceptions to the age and/or vaccination requirements may 

be granted for the following: 

 Dogs imported into Hawaii from the British Isles, 

Australia, Guam, or New Zealand; 

 Dogs imported for resale for research purposes; and, 

 Dogs imported for veterinary treatment and subsequent 

resale. 

In such cases, contact Animal Care’s Live Dog Import Team 

for guidance. See contact information on next page.

Live Dog Import Permit Requirements 

Under the Animal Welfare Act

Animal Care Tech Note
www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-welfare USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

APHIS 41-35-081 ▪ Issued April 2021 

How do I obtain an import permit?

You can apply for a live dog import permit online at 

efile.aphis.usda.gov. We require applications to be 

submitted a minimum of 5 business days prior to 

importation to allow enough time for processing. For 

detailed, step-by-step guidance on how to apply for 

permits, contact Animal Care’s Live Dog Import Permit 

Team. See contact information at right.

You will need to obtain a USDA eAuthentication ID and 

password to gain access to the system. You may learn 

more about obtaining an eAuthentication ID online at 

www.eauth.usda.gov/home. There is no fee to obtain a permit. 

Are there other requirements for importing dogs? 

Multiple agencies have requirements for importing live dogs. 

As an importer, you are responsible for complying with all 

Federal, State, and local regulations and requirements. We 

have links on our website to other agencies to assist you with 

understanding all requirements. 

 For APHIS Veterinary Services requirements, visit 

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel.

 For CDC requirements, visit www.cdc.gov/importation/

bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/dogs.html 

 To find contact information for the State of destination, 

visit www.usaha.org/saho. 

 For U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s customs 

requirements, contact the Customs and Border 

Protection (CBP) office at your port of entry. You can find 

contact information online at www.cbp.gov/contact/ports. 

For More Information

Contact Animal Care’s Live Dog Import Permit Team: 

USDA Animal Care 

Live Dog Import Permit Team

2150 Centre Avenue, Building B

Mailstop #3W11

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117

Phone: (816) 737-4223 

Email: ac.dogimport.mailbox@usda.gov

Website: www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/

animalwelfare/ct_awa_import_live_dogs_regulation