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
43-A-6216 Class A JOSEPH HOSTETLER DBA: — JAMESPORT, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6744 Class A JOSEPH HOSTETLER DBA: — JAMESPORT, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0347 Class A JOSEPH KING DBA: — PLATTEVILLE, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-1066 Class A Joseph Knepp Krista Knepp DBA: — Odon, IN Exp: 8/17/2029 Active
32-A-1154 Class A Joseph Lengacher DBA: — New Haven, IN Exp: 9/16/2028 Active
31-A-0848 Class A Joseph M Nisley DBA: — APPLE CREEK, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0692 Class A Joseph Miller DBA: Hidden Hollow Kennel Apple Creek, OH Exp: 1/31/2029 Active
31-A-0655 Class A Joseph Miller DBA: — Millersburg, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
47-A-0620 Class A Joseph Polt Cee Cee Polt DBA: Brass Ring Kennel Hershey, NE Exp: 3/11/2028 Active
47-A-0592 Class A Joseph Polt Cee Cee Polt DBA: — BRADY, NE Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0736 Class A Joseph R Miller DBA: — Fredericksburg, OH Exp: 12/7/2028 Active
31-A-0724 Class A JOSEPH RABER DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6724 Class A Joseph RL Schwartz DBA: Coachwhip Kennels Fordland, MO Exp: 9/6/2028 Active
32-A-1108 Class A Joseph Schmucker DBA: — New Haven, IN Exp: 7/25/2027 Active
21-A-0231 Class A Joseph Schmucker DBA: — Clyde, NY Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0493 Class A Joseph Schrock DBA: — Cadott, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
21-A-0217 Class A Joseph Schwartz DBA: — Waterloo, NY Exp: 9/17/2027 Active
32-A-0982 Class A Joseph Steury DBA: — Spencerville, IN Exp: 7/22/2028 Active
23-A-0708 Class A JOSEPH STOLTZFUS DBA: — OXFORD, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0470 Class A Joseph Stutzman DBA: — Readstown, WI Exp: 3/4/2027 Active
35-A-0401 Class A JOSEPH SUDBRINK DBA: — AUGUSTA, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6496 Class A Joseph W Gingerich DBA: — JAMESPORT, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
48-A-2245 Class A Joseph Yoder DBA: — Garnett, KS Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0681 Class A JOSEPH YODER DBA: — MILLERSBURG, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0451 Class A JOSEPH ZEHR DBA: — GRABILL, IN 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.