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 4,276 inactive results (expired or formerly licensed). Active only

USDA licensee search results
Certificate # Type Name DBA City State Expires Inspections
43-A-6562 Class A John Wayne Burkholder DBA: — Norwood, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-0739 Class A John Wilson DBA: Wilson Farm Green Forest, AR Exp: 9/26/2029 Active
31-A-0754 Class A JOHN YODER DBA: — LOUDONVILLE, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0732 Class A John Yoder DBA: — MILLERSBURG, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0839 Class A John Yoder DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0367 Class A JOHN YODER AMMON YODER DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0224 Class A JOHN ZEISET DBA: — THORP, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-1123 Class A John Zook DBA: — Marshall, IN Exp: 10/25/2027 Active
23-A-0697 Class A John Zook DBA: — Denver, PA Exp: 7/18/2029 Active
23-A-0606 Class A John Zook DBA: — STEVENS, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0442 Class A John, Mary Jane and James Knepp DBA: — Loogootee, IN Exp: 3/6/2028 Active
43-A-6630 Class A Johnna Gordon DBA: — Anderson, MO Exp: 1/5/2028 Active
32-A-0376 Class A Johnnie Graber Rachel Graber DBA: — Loogootee, IN Exp: 2/25/2029 Active
43-A-3726 Class A Johnny Burkdoll Jr and Phyllis Burkdoll DBA: — SQUIRES, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-4494 Class A JOHNNY DAKE DBA: — STOVER, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0780 Class A JOHNNY HOSTETLER DBA: — HOWARD, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-5292 Class A Johnny J.F. Schwartz DBA: — SEYMOUR, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6618 Class A Johnny K. Schwartz DBA: — Seymour, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
73-A-2490 Class A JOHNNY KENNEDY DBA: — TUSKAHOMA, OK Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-1273 Class A Johnny Mackey Sr. DBA: — GENTRY, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
51-A-0030 Class A Johns Hopkins University DBA: — Baltimore, MD Exp: 1/3/2027 Active
23-A-0654 Class A Jolan L. Martin DBA: — Ephrata, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
21-A-0147 Class A JOLENE MARTIN DBA: — SENECA FALLS, NY Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6017 Class A Jolene Rissler DBA: — BARNETT, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
47-A-0342 Class A Jon Sohl DBA: — NORFOLK, NE Exp: — Formerly Licensed

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.