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 4,277 inactive results (expired or formerly licensed). Active only

USDA licensee search results
Certificate # Type Name DBA City State Expires Inspections
23-A-0682 Class A JOSEPH BYLER DBA: — WOODWARD, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0676 Class A JOSEPH MILLER DBA: — MILLERSBURG, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0789 Class A Joseph A Miller DBA: — Millersburg, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0894 Class A Joseph A Schlabach DBA: — Dundee, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0810 Class A Joseph A Yoder DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0798 Class A JOSEPH A. YODER DBA: — LOOGOOTEE, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-5790 Class A Joseph and Ann Miller DBA: — HOUSTONIA, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
23-A-0576 Class A Joseph B Fisher DBA: — KIRKWOOD, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0421 Class A Joseph Borkholder DBA: — HILLSBORO, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0651 Class A JOSEPH BOWMAN DBA: — SUGARCREEK, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0498 Class A Joseph D Erb DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6391 Class A Joseph D Troyer DBA: — Clark, MO Exp: 2/21/2027 Active
31-A-0938 Class A Joseph D Wengerd DBA: — Sugarcreek, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0951 Class A Joseph D. Barkman DBA: — Baltic, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-5905 Class A JOSEPH DETWEILER DBA: — PRINCETON, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0978 Class A Joseph E Yoder DBA: — Millersburg, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
23-A-0650 Class A JOSEPH FISHER DBA: — KIRKWOOD, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6395 Class A Joseph Gardner DBA: — LAMAR, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1547 Class A Joseph Gingerich DBA: — DRAKESVILLE, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0793 Class A JOSEPH GRABER DBA: — GRABILL, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
48-A-2254 Class A Joseph H and Bernita M Berntsen Living Trust DBA: — La Harpe, KS Exp: 11/29/2028 Active
43-A-5977 Class A Joseph Hershberger DBA: — SPICKARD, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0528 Class A JOSEPH HERSHBERGER DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0410 Class A Joseph Hochstetler DBA: Sideline Kennel Soldiers Grove, WI Exp: 12/20/2027 Active
43-A-6378 Class A JOSEPH HOSTETLER DBA: — JAMESPORT, MO 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.