Illinois Dog Breeder Licensing Requirements

In Illinois, you need a state license if you breed dogs and sell them and you possess more than 5 female dogs capable of reproduction. This threshold comes from the Illinois Animal Welfare Act (225 ILCS 605), which excludes anyone who owns or harbors 5 or fewer female dogs capable of reproduction (225 ILCS 605/2). The law also licenses related activities, so no person may work as a pet shop operator, dog dealer, kennel operator, day care operator, dog breeder, or cat breeder in Illinois without a license from the Department. Small hobby breeders who stay at or below the threshold generally fall outside the state breeder license, though they should confirm with the Department. Separately, you may still need a federal USDA license if you have more than 4 breeding females and sell dogs sight-unseen, such as over the internet; this federal rule is in 9 CFR 2.1(a)(3)(iii), and the USDA license costs $120 for 3 years.

You apply through the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare, which has the statutory authority to license and inspect dog and cat breeders, kennel operators, pet shops, and shelters. The Bureau's information is posted on the Department's Animal Welfare page at agr.illinois.gov. You will need to submit a license application and meet the care and facility standards set by the Animal Welfare Act and its rules. Contact the Bureau for the current application packet and instructions. Dogs brought in from out of state to an Animal Welfare Licensee must travel with a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that includes a permit number issued by the Department.

Under 225 ILCS 605/21, an original dog breeder license costs $350, and the fee is not refundable. The annual renewal fee is $100, and renewing after July 1 costs $400. The Act lists no separate inspection fee. Local cities and counties may also charge separate permit or business-license fees.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare has statutory authority to inspect licensed dog and cat breeders, kennels, pet shops, and shelters. Licensed breeders are subject to inspection to confirm they meet the Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Rules, including care, housing, and health standards. Applicants sign a consent statement that lets Department inspectors enter the premises during reasonable business hours or at other times the Department deems necessary (8 Ill. Adm. Code 25.100), and the rules do not set a fixed inspection schedule. The Department may refuse to issue or renew, or may suspend or revoke, a license for violations of the Act or its rules, and it may order a licensee to stop operating for up to 72 hours to correct deficiencies.

Licensed breeders must follow the record and disclosure duties in the Illinois Animal Welfare Act. For every dog offered for sale, a licensed breeder must provide the dog's age, sex, weight, and breed; vaccination and veterinary records; sterilization status; the breeder's name and address; any prior owners; and microchip documentation (225 ILCS 605/3.1). The buyer must also get a written statement at the time of sale (8 Ill. Adm. Code 25.90). Dogs 16 weeks of age and older must be vaccinated against rabies, and the vaccination date and manufacturer must appear on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for all dogs entering Illinois, and a CVI for a dog going to a licensee must also carry a Department permit number. Licensees must keep records of the origin and sale of all dogs (225 ILCS 605/2.2). Sales records must be kept for at least 12 months and must show each animal's source, sale date, description, and sex, plus the buyer's name and address. Licensees report the number of dogs sold when they renew, and any dog used as a sire must be tested each year for canine brucellosis, with results kept for 2 years (8 Ill. Adm. Code 25.90).

The Illinois Department of Agriculture may refuse to issue or renew, or may suspend or revoke, a license for violations of the Animal Welfare Act or its rules and on the other grounds listed in 225 ILCS 605/10. Operating as a dog breeder without the required license is prohibited under 225 ILCS 605. Violating the Act or its rules, including operating without a required license, is a Class C misdemeanor, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense (225 ILCS 605/20). The Department also imposes administrative fines of $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second violation within 3 years, and $2,500 plus mandatory probation for a third violation within 3 years (225 ILCS 605/20.5).