Colorado Dog Breeder Licensing Requirements

Under the Colorado Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA), any place used to keep pet animals for adoption, breeding, boarding and grooming, or selling must be inspected and licensed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. This covers commercial dog kennels and breeders who operate a "pet animal facility." A dog breeder needs a license if it produces more than two litters of puppies or transfers more than 24 dogs in a 12-month period (PACFA Rule 1.12.8); canine hobby breeders below these limits are exempt (C.R.S. 35-80-103(2)(c)). Licensed breeders are classed as small-scale (up to 99 dogs transferred a year) or large-scale (100 or more). The law applies to facilities used for breeding or selling dogs, not simply to owning dogs. Local cities and counties may also require separate kennel permits or business licenses, so breeders should check with their city or county animal control office in addition to the state.

Applications are handled by the Colorado Department of Agriculture through the PACFA Program in its Division of Animal Welfare. You can find program information on the Department of Agriculture's PACFA licensing pages at ag.colorado.gov. The process, which CDA says can take 2 to 3 weeks, includes applying and paying the fee through the online PACFA Licensing Portal, completing a 3 to 4 hour Qualifying Education course, and passing a pre-license inspection before you can operate or advertise. Pet animals brought into a PACFA-licensed facility from outside Colorado must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued within 10 days before they arrive in Colorado. Contact the PACFA office at (303) 869-9146 or [email protected] to confirm current forms and steps.

PACFA license fees vary based on the size and type of the facility, and the state scales fees between small-scale and large-scale operations. The annual license fee is $450 for a small-scale dog breeder and $550 for a large-scale dog breeder (PACFA Rule 4.4, 8 CCR 1202-15). Applying for more than one category costs the highest category fee plus $50 for each additional category. CDA lists no separate inspection fee. The same fee is due each year at renewal (January 1 to March 1), and a 10% late fee is added after March 1. Breeders should budget for annual renewal and for any additional local kennel or business license fees charged by their city or county.

PACFA requires that any licensed pet animal facility be inspected by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Inspectors check that facilities meet minimum standards of housing, sanitation, ventilation, medical care, and recordkeeping. Pet animals brought into a licensed facility from outside Colorado must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within 10 days before they arrive in Colorado. The USDA has cited several facilities, including some in Colorado, for problems such as extreme temperatures, failing to treat medical conditions, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions, which shows the kinds of issues inspectors look for. If a facility fails to meet standards, it can face enforcement action under PACFA.

PACFA requires licensed facilities to keep records as part of meeting the law's minimum standards, which include recordkeeping along with housing, sanitation, ventilation, and medical care. These records help the state verify where animals come from, how many are transferred, and that care standards are met. Records must be kept for two years after each animal's disposition, at the facility address on the license application, and shown to inspectors on request (C.R.S. 35-80-107; PACFA Rule 19.1). They include acquisition and disposition records (date, breed, sex, description, date of birth, and the source's or recipient's name, address, phone, and signature) and a maintenance record for each dog kept permanently at the facility (Rules 19.2, 19.3, 19.5.1).

Operating a pet animal facility without the required PACFA license, or violating care standards, can lead to enforcement action by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Because PACFA requires licensing and inspection, facilities that do not comply may face penalties and orders to correct violations. Operating or advertising a pet animal facility without a license is a class 2 misdemeanor (C.R.S. 35-80-108 and 35-80-114). The department can also impose civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation (C.R.S. 35-80-113, as raised by HB26-1183 effective August 12, 2026), issue cease-and-desist orders, and deny, suspend, or revoke licenses. Separately, under House Bill 26-1011, pet stores will be barred from selling dogs and cats starting January 1, 2028, which changes how animals may be sold even though it does not replace the breeder licensing rules.