Indiana Dog Breeder Licensing Requirements

In Indiana, you must register as a commercial dog breeder with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) if your operation maintains more than 19 unaltered (sexually-intact) female dogs that are 12 months of age or older. This is spelled out on BOAH's official pages and in Indiana Code 15-21. A separate category, the commercial dog broker, applies if you sell at least 500 dogs or puppies in a calendar year, or if you are licensed with the USDA. Effective July 1, 2024, IC 15-21 also expanded registration requirements to cover retail pet stores, animal care facilities, and animal rescue operations. BOAH notes that some kennels may also need a separate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) license, and animal care facilities that keep more than 9 dogs and three unweaned litters of puppies may fall under registration rules.

Applications are handled by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH). You can find the Commercial Dog Breeder and Broker program information and application on BOAH's official website at https://www.in.gov/boah/commercial-dog-breeder-and-broker/. The application for a commercial dog breeder differs from the one for a commercial dog broker, so choose the form that matches your operation. Available state sources describe the program and its thresholds but do not lay out every step of the application process in this run's results, so contact BOAH directly to confirm required documents and submission details. Retail pet stores, animal care facilities, and rescue operations should also register with BOAH under the July 1, 2024 changes.

Prior on-file data indicates that registration fees range from $75 to $500 annually, based on the number of breeding females kept. This run's search results do not restate the exact fee schedule, so the specific amounts should be confirmed directly with BOAH. Available state sources in this run do not specify separate inspection or renewal fee amounts. Breeders should check the official BOAH commercial dog breeder page for the current fee tiers before applying.

Indiana's commercial dog breeder rules under IC 15-21 include a chapter on Board inspections, indicating that BOAH has authority to inspect registered operations. The rules also set out duties of commercial dog breeders covering care and handling. One non-government summary suggests Indiana does not require an inspection to grant the registration, but this is not confirmed by an official source in this run's results and should be verified with BOAH. Facilities may also be subject to USDA inspection standards (9 CFR part 3, subpart A) if federally licensed.

The Indiana commercial dog breeder regulations under IC 15-21 include a dedicated chapter on records, which means registered breeders and brokers must maintain records of their operations. Available state sources in this run do not detail exactly which records must be kept, in what format, or for how long. Breeders should review the records chapter of the BOAH rules and contact the agency to confirm current requirements. USDA-licensed breeders must also follow federal record-keeping rules.

The Indiana commercial dog breeder rules under IC 15-21 include an enforcement chapter, giving BOAH authority to act against operations that fail to register or that violate the requirements. Available state sources in this run do not specify exact fine amounts or criminal charges for breeding without registration. Because the law was strengthened effective July 1, 2024 as part of Indiana's broader anti-puppy-mill measures, breeders should confirm current penalty provisions directly with BOAH. Operating without required registration can expose a breeder to enforcement action under the statute.