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-1279 Class A CHRIS VANDERVEER DBA: — KNOXVILLE, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1507 Class A Christa Mathews DBA: — BLOOMFIELD, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-B-0342 Class B Christine A Snakenberg DBA: — West Point, IA Exp: 9/12/2028 Active
42-A-0642 Class A Cindy Essary Dave Essary DBA: — Melcher-Dallas, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1606 Class A Cindy Wellman & Miles Wellman DBA: Rafter W Farms West Point, IA Exp: 10/17/2028 Active
42-B-0307 Class B Circle S Auction Company LLC DBA: — Correctionville, IA Exp: 4/5/2028 Active
42-A-1474 Class A Clara Mast Samuel Mast DBA: — BLOOMFIELD, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1000 Class A CLAYTON YODER DBA: — KALONA, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1498 Class A CLAYTON YODER DBA: — KALONA, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0118 Class A CLIFFORD GROEN VERLA GROEN DBA: — LITTLE ROCK, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1515 Class A Cloveridge Kennel LLC DBA: — Corydon, IA Exp: 7/14/2029 Active
42-A-1522 Class A Coat Of Many Colors Kennel DBA: — Newton, IA Exp: 1/27/2029 Active
42-A-1642 Class A Cody Mertens DBA: — Salem, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1382 Class A Colleen Beatty DBA: — CRESTON, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1590 Class A Colleen Beatty DBA: — Creston, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0950 Class A Colleen Ries DBA: — RYAN, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-B-0079 Class B CONNIE JOHNSON HAROLD JOHNSON DBA: — MELVIN, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-B-0226 Class B CONNIE JOHNSON HAROLD JOHNSON DBA: — MELVIN, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0970 Class A CONNIE TELFER DBA: — SELMA, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0884 Class A CONNIE ZIMMERMANN DBA: — TAMA, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1152 Class A CORNER KENNELS L.L.C. DBA: — HARDY, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1659 Class A Country Road Kennels DBA: — Bloomfield, IA Exp: 6/2/2027 Active
42-A-1693 Class A Country Road Kennels LLC DBA: — Fairbank, IA Exp: 9/8/2028 Active
42-A-1699 Class A County Side Kennels DBA: — Inwood, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-1506 Class A Crane Canines DBA: — WESLEY, IA 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.