Search USDA-Licensed Dog Breeders and Dealers

Verify any USDA Class A breeder or Class B dealer against our mirror of the USDA APHIS public database. Search 2,783 active licensees by name, DBA, certificate number, or city. Every result links to a full profile with USDA inspection history since 2014.

What This Tool Does

This lookup mirrors the USDA APHIS Animal Care Public Search Tool (opens in new tab) , refreshed monthly. Use it to confirm a dog breeder holds an active federal license under the Animal Welfare Act before buying a puppy, selling to a dealer, or inspecting the facility's compliance record.

Two USDA license classes appear in results:

  • Class A (Breeder): Breeds and raises dogs on their own premises for sale. Required for breeders with more than 4 breeding females who sell dogs sight-unseen (online, by phone, or by mail).
  • Class B (Dealer): Buys and resells dogs, typically brokers who purchase from breeders and sell to pet stores, research facilities, or directly to consumers.

Certificate format: USDA certificate numbers follow the pattern XX-Y-NNNN: two-digit state code, license class letter (A, B, C, or R), and a sequence number (e.g., 43-A-6252).

Not finding the breeder? They may be exempt from federal licensing (four or fewer breeding females, or face-to-face sales only), licensed only at the state level, or operating without a required license. Check the state-level breeder licensing rules that also apply.

About these licenses: USDA Class A (breeder) and Class B (dealer) licenses are issued under the federal Animal Welfare Act and cover many kinds of animals, not just dogs (for example cats, rabbits, and other regulated species). A licensee shown here holds a USDA license but may breed or deal in animals other than dogs, so inclusion in this database does not necessarily mean the licensee breeds dogs. Always verify a breeder's species, status, and details directly with the licensee and with USDA APHIS (opens in new tab) .

2,163 Class A Breeders
620 Class B Dealers
2026-10-21 Data as of

6,428 results found (Class A)

Including 4,275 inactive results (expired or formerly licensed). Active only

USDA licensee search results
Certificate # Type Name DBA City State Expires Inspections
92-A-0240 Class A JAMES ADNEY DBA: — WOODBURN, OR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
86-A-0087 Class A James Badman DBA: — Mesa, AZ Exp: 11/25/2027 Active
31-A-0761 Class A James Beechy DBA: — Fresno, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-4396 Class A James Bixenman Marilyn Bixenman DBA: — NEW CAMBRIA, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0187 Class A James D Lantz and Linda E Lantz DBA: Lantz's Kennel Rudd, IA Exp: 5/12/2029 Active
47-A-0606 Class A James Dodds Penny Dodds DBA: — GOTHENBURG, NE Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0979 Class A James E Miller DBA: — Millersburg, OH Exp: 4/25/2029 Active
71-A-1098 Class A JAMES E. (EDDIE) SNOW DBA: — BERRYVILLE, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-1057 Class A James G Bontrager DBA: — LaGrange, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0458 Class A James Garman DBA: — Plymouth, OH Exp: 5/14/2028 Active
55-A-0168 Class A James Hayes DBA: — BELEW CREEK, NC Exp: — Formerly Licensed
55-A-0173 Class A James Hayes DBA: — BELEW CREEK, NC Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-0937 Class A JAMES HORN DBA: — MAYNARD, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0376 Class A James L Miller DBA: — HILLSBORO, WI Exp: 3/28/2028 Active
21-A-0196 Class A JAMES LEACH DBA: — MARTVILLE, NY Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-4259 Class A JAMES MARQUIS BETTY LOU MARQUIS DBA: — LAMAR, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-1321 Class A James Mast DBA: — Wesley, AR Exp: 1/28/2029 Active
33-A-0604 Class A JAMES MATKOVICH DBA: — WADSWORTH, IL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
55-A-0178 Class A James Matthew Hayes DBA: HEDGEHOG HAVEN, NC BELEWS CREEK, NC Exp: 3/13/2027 Active
71-A-1350 Class A JAMES MILES DBA: — BERRYVILLE, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-0890 Class A JAMES MILES DBA: — BERRYVILLE, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
16-A-0009 Class A JAMES O NEIL KAREN O NEIL DBA: — STRATFORD, CT Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0516 Class A James Otto DBA: — HILLSBORO, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0466 Class A James Otto DBA: — HILLSBORO, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0877 Class A James R Miller DBA: E. J. Doodles Sugarcreek, OH Exp: 9/30/2027 Active

Data sources: Licensee data comes from the USDA APHIS Animal Care Public Search Tool (opens in new tab) . Inspection reports are sourced from the Data Liberation Project (opens in new tab) (CC BY-SA 4.0), which compiles USDA APHIS inspection data from 2014 to present. Both are updated monthly. For the most current information, verify directly with USDA APHIS. This is not an official USDA tool.