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-0628 Class A Verna and Daniel Byler DBA: — MC ALISTERVILLE, PA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6963 Class A Verna Hostetler DBA: — Chillicothe, MO Exp: 5/12/2029 Active
31-A-0717 Class A VERNA RABER DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
73-A-2821 Class A Verna Schrock DBA: — Coalgate, OK Exp: 11/30/2027 Active
31-A-0806 Class A VERNA YODER DBA: — MILLERSBURG, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
58-A-0310 Class A VERNELL STOCK DON STOCK DBA: — LITHIA, FL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6670 Class A Vernetta Brengman DBA: — Anderson, MO Exp: 5/3/2028 Active
43-A-0608 Class A Vernetta Brengman Dorenda Nunnally DBA: — ANDERSON, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1598 Class A Vernon Kauffman DBA: — DRAKESVILLE, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0500 Class A VERNON KNEPP DBA: — MONTGOMERY, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
35-A-0434 Class A VERNON BONTRAGER DBA: — MARKESAN, WI Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0424 Class A VERNON BURKHOLDER DBA: — BALTIC, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0540 Class A VERNON BURKHOLDER DBA: — MILLERSBURG, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1654 Class A Vernon Detweiler DBA: Hillcrest Kennels Seymour, IA Exp: 3/12/2027 Active
31-A-1029 Class A Vernon E Miller DBA: — Millersburg, OH Exp: 9/5/2028 Active
31-A-0996 Class A Vernon E Miller DBA: — Millersburg, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0253 Class A Vernon Lambright Kathryn Lambright DBA: — Wolcottville, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
31-A-0836 Class A Vernon M Raber DBA: Star Bright Kennels Sugarcreek, OH Exp: 3/30/2027 Active
32-A-0968 Class A Vernon M. Miller DBA: — Goshen, IN Exp: 6/3/2028 Active
73-A-2811 Class A Vernon Miller Verda Miller DBA: — Coalgate, OK Exp: 4/7/2027 Active
31-A-0770 Class A VERNON RABER DBA: — DUNDEE, OH Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6338 Class A Vernon Reiff Rachel Reiff DBA: — BARNETT, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1469 Class A Vernon Troyer DBA: — BLOOMFIELD, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0695 Class A Vernon Troyer DBA: — BRUSHY PRAIRIE, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0610 Class A Vernon W. Miller DBA: — LaGrange, IN Exp: 3/29/2027 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.