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

558 results found in IA

Including 392 inactive results (expired or formerly licensed). Active only

USDA licensee search results
Certificate # Type Name DBA City State Expires Inspections
42-A-0796 Class A MELVIN JENNINGS DBA: — MITCHELLVILLE, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1579 Class A Melvin Miller DBA: — CINCINNATI, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1470 Class A Melvin Nisley DBA: — Seymour, IA Exp: 5/14/2028 Active
42-A-1605 Class A Melvin Yoder DBA: — Seymour, IA Exp: 10/17/2027 Active
42-A-1668 Class A Menno Gingerich DBA: — Albia, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0776 Class A MERI VIERKANT DBA: — BELMOND, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1694 Class A Merlin Yoder DBA: — Drakesville, IA Exp: 9/14/2028 Active
42-A-1686 Class A Mervin E Yoder DBA: — Bloomfield, IA Exp: 5/16/2028 Active
42-B-0303 Class B MG Cattle Inc DBA: — SALEM, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0925 Class A Michael & Beverly Kooiker DBA: — Boyden, IA Exp: 12/11/2028 Active
42-A-1149 Class A MICHAEL KNUDTSON DBA: — LAKE MILLS, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1085 Class A Mike and Sharon West DBA: Hillside Kennel Unionville, IA Exp: 12/1/2028 Active
42-A-0568 Class A Mike Decker DBA: M-J Kennels Cherokee, IA Exp: 5/18/2027 Active
42-B-0336 Class B Miriam and Emanuel Nisley DBA: — Chariton, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1076 Class A Misti and Jason Fykstra DBA: — Boyden, IA Exp: 11/4/2026 Active
42-A-1562 Class A Misty Crane DBA: — BLOOMFIELD, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1630 Class A MK Acres DBA: — Hillsboro, IA Exp: 10/3/2029 Active
42-A-1489 Class A Molly Campbell DBA: — HUMBOLDT, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1578 Class A Molly Francy DBA: — MOUNT PLEASANT, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1647 Class A Monroe Herschberger DBA: — Bloomfield, IA Exp: 10/10/2027 Active
42-B-0343 Class B Murray McMurray Hatchery DBA: — Webster City, IA Exp: 9/16/2028 Active
42-A-0954 Class A Nancy Carlson and Thomas Carlson DBA: — Rockwell City, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1637 Class A NANCY KINDRED DBA: — PALO, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0752 Class A NANCY MAGNUSSON KEN MAGNUSSON DBA: — LANSING, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1720 Class A Nancy Van Holland DBA: — Sioux Center, IA Exp: 10/7/2029 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.