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-6966 Class A Menno AA Schwartz DBA: — Seymour, MO Exp: 5/28/2029 Active
41-A-0485 Class A MENNO BONTRAGER DBA: — SAINT CHARLES, MN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6948 Class A Menno C. M. Schwartz DBA: — SEYMOUR, MO Exp: 1/22/2029 Active
43-A-6947 Class A Menno F. M. Schwartz DBA: — Seymour, MO Exp: 1/9/2029 Active
43-A-6831 Class A Menno F. M. Schwartz DBA: — Seymour, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1668 Class A Menno Gingerich DBA: — Albia, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-1162 Class A Menno Graber DBA: — Odon, IN Exp: 2/10/2029 Active
32-A-0341 Class A MENNO SCHWARTZ DBA: — MONROE, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0360 Class A MENNO WAGLER EMMA WAGLER DBA: — BLOOMINGTON, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
41-A-0472 Class A Menno Yoder DBA: Sunny Acres Kennel Saint Charles, MN Exp: 3/28/2028 Active
31-A-0357 Class A MENNO YODER DBA: — SUGARCREEK, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-5731 Class A MENNO ZOOK DBA: — SPICKARD, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6506 Class A Mercedes Thompson DBA: — Cainsville, MO Exp: 8/26/2029 Active
51-A-0036 Class A MERCER SMITH DBA: — EDGEMERE, MD Exp: — Formerly Licensed
57-A-0192 Class A MERCER WILLIAMS DBA: — MADISON, GA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0776 Class A MERI VIERKANT DBA: — BELMOND, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0626 Class A Merle Coblentz DBA: — Baltic, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0429 Class A MERLE MILLER DBA: — MIDDLEBURY, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0463 Class A MERLE MILLER DBA: — HOLMESVILLE, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
33-A-0510 Class A MERLE SCHLABACH DBA: — CAMPBELL HILL, IL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0608 Class A Merle Yoder DBA: — Apple Creek, OH Exp: 8/10/2028 Active
73-A-2820 Class A Merlene Johnson DBA: — VINITA, OK Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0511 Class A MERLIN MILLER DBA: — LIGONIER, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0665 Class A Merlin Bontrager DBA: M K B Kennel Topeka, IN Exp: 12/28/2029 Active
33-A-0624 Class A Merlin J Yoder DBA: — Arthur, IL Exp: 8/5/2029 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.