Missouri Dog Breeder Licensing Requirements

In Missouri, the Animal Care Facilities Act (ACFA) sets the rules for who must be licensed. Under RSMo 273.325 and 273.327, any person who keeps more than three intact female dogs for breeding purposes and sells the offspring must get a commercial breeder license from the Missouri Department of Agriculture, no matter how the puppies are sold. Missouri law also defines a 'hobby or show breeder' as someone with no more than ten intact females (female dogs between six months and ten years old that can be bred) who breeds mainly to exhibit, show, improve the breed, or sell to other breeders or individuals; these breeders must register with the state but are exempt from commercial licensing and inspection. A separate federal USDA license under the Animal Welfare Act may also apply to breeders who keep more than four breeding females and sell dogs sight-unseen, such as online, by phone, or to pet stores and brokers. Breeders should check whether both state and federal rules apply to them, since the thresholds are different. These thresholds come from the Animal Care Facilities Act itself (RSMo 273.325, 273.327, and 273.342) and the Department's ACFA program page. Breeders with three or fewer intact females are exempt. To register as a hobby or show breeder, a breeder must also show proof of competing at a public, competitive show within the past year and may not sell to pet shops, auctions, dealers, or brokers.

Breeders apply for a license or registration through the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Animal Care Facilities Act (ACFA) Program, part of its Animal Health Division. The Department has an animal care staff, including inspectors, that reviews applications and conducts facility checks. Applicants generally need to provide details about their operation, the number of dogs kept, and their facility conditions. Breeders who sell wholesale to dealers or pet stores must also certify their wholesale sales and provide an active USDA license number as part of the state's tax compliance process. To apply, a breeder must be at least 18, submit the ACFA application online or on the paper form, show Missouri tax compliance, provide a written program of veterinary care signed by an attending veterinarian, pay the $125 fee, and pass a prelicense inspection scheduled by the district Animal Health Officer. Hobby or show breeders register on the same form each year by January 31 and must include proof of show. Questions go to the ACFA office at (573) 751-3076 or [email protected].

Missouri breeder license fees are set by statute and regulation (RSMo 273.327; 2 CSR 30-9.020). A new applicant pays $125, which is the $100 base license fee plus the required $25 annual Operation Bark Alert fee. At each yearly renewal, a licensed breeder pays $125 plus $1 for every dog or cat sold, traded, bartered, brokered, or given away during the previous calendar year, with total payments capped at $2,525. Registered hobby or show breeders pay no fee. All licenses expire on January 31 each year. The variable part of the fee is based on how many animals the breeder sold or gave away the previous year, not on how many dogs are kept. Breeders should verify the current fee schedule directly with the Missouri Department of Agriculture's ACFA Program at (573) 751-3076 or [email protected] before applying.

Missouri commercial breeders are inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture's ACFA Program before a license is issued and at least once a year after that, plus whenever a valid complaint is received (RSMo 273.331). The Department says its ACFA program has eighteen dedicated field staff. Inspectors check that facilities meet care standards for space, shelter, veterinary care, and nutrition, which were strengthened after voters passed Proposition B (the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act) in 2010. The legislature amended it in 2011 and renamed it the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act (RSMo 273.345); its stricter standards apply to breeders with more than ten intact female dogs. Federal USDA inspectors may also visit licensed breeders to confirm facilities meet Animal Welfare Act standards for housing, food and water, veterinary care, sanitation, and handling. Breeders who fail an inspection are told in writing what to fix and by when. A facility that fails two consecutive reinspections for the same original violation is charged a $100 fee before its next inspection or renewal (RSMo 273.338), and the Department can also refuse or revoke a license or assess penalties of up to $1,000 per violation (RSMo 273.329 and 273.333).

Commercial dog breeders regulated under state and federal law are generally required to keep records on their animals, including where dogs come from and where they are sold. Missouri breeders who sell wholesale to dealers or pet stores must provide an active USDA license number as part of the state's tax compliance process. Under 2 CSR 30-9.020(10), licensed breeders must record, for every dog acquired, born, sold, or otherwise disposed of, the name and address of the seller and buyer and their USDA or ACFA license numbers, the dates and method of disposition, the official tag or tattoo number, and a description of the dog (APHIS Forms 7005 and 7006 or similar forms may be used). They must also keep individual medical records. Records must be kept for one year, and breeders with more than ten intact female dogs must keep all veterinary and sales records for the most recent two years (RSMo 273.345). Breeders should confirm exact record-keeping rules with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and, where USDA licensing applies, with APHIS.

Operating as a commercial breeder without a valid license is a class A misdemeanor (RSMo 273.329), punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 (RSMo 558.011 and 558.002). The Department can refuse, revoke, or decline to renew a license and, after a hearing, assess an administrative penalty of up to $1,000 per violation (RSMo 273.329 and 273.333), and a court can impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation (RSMo 273.347). Repeated violations that put animals at substantial risk are the crime of canine cruelty, a class C misdemeanor, or a class A misdemeanor for a repeat offender (RSMo 273.347). Violating the care, record, and quarantine rules in RSMo 273.344 to 273.348 is also a class A misdemeanor. Missouri's 2010 Proposition B originally capped breeders at 50 breeding dogs, but the legislature removed that cap in 2011 before it took effect. The current Canine Cruelty Prevention Act (RSMo 273.345) sets no limit on the number of dogs; instead, breeders with more than ten intact female dogs who sell puppies as pets must meet extra care standards, including yearly veterinary exams, more space, regular exercise, and rest between breeding cycles. Breeders should contact the Department of Agriculture for the current penalty schedule and enforcement procedures.