The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) sets standards of care 

and treatment for animals bred for commercial sale, 

used in research, exhibited to the public, or transported 

in commerce. One of these standards is that dogs and 

cats must be a certain age before they are transported 

in commerce. If you own or operate an AWA-regulated 

business, you need to know about the age requirement 

and how it applies to your animals. Below is a summary 

of the requirement and related information to help you 

comply with the law. 

What Is the Age Requirement?

Dogs and cats must be at least 8 weeks old and weaned 

before you, a commercial carrier, or an intermediate 

handler can transport them for commercial purposes.

Exception: This requirement does not apply if you are 

transporting dogs or cats to a registered research facility.

For More Information

To view the full text of the AWA and the Animal Welfare 

Regulations, refer to the United States Code, Title 7, 

Chapter 54, Sections 2131–2159 and the Code of Federal 

Regulations, Title 9, Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Parts 1–4. 

If you have questions, contact the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) Animal Care staff at (970) 494-7478 

or animalcare@usda.gov. 

Minimum Age Requirements for Transporting

Dogs and Cats in Commerce

Animal Care Tech Note

Age Chart

Use the chart on the back of this page to determine whether 

the dogs or cats you want to transport are old enough:

1. Find the month the animal was born on at the top of 

the chart.

2. Find the day of the month the animal was born on the 

left side of the chart.

3. Move down from the month and across from the day 

until the column and row intersect. This date is when 

the dog or cat is 8 weeks old, and you can transport 

them legally under the AWA.

Example: A cat or dog born on August 18 can be 

transported in commerce on or after October 13.

What if the animal was born in a leap year?

During a leap year, you can transport animals born from 

January 4 to February 28 one day earlier than indicated 

in the chart on the back of this page. Animals born on 

February 29 can be transported on April 25.

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

APHIS-22-029 ▪ Issued June 2022 
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