- Short answer
- Yes in the US if you ship warmblooded pets sight unseen; an in-person handoff or a small-seller exemption can spare you the APHIS license.
- Who is covered
- Warmblooded pets, including birds not bred for research; animals kept only for food, feathers, skin or fiber are exempt
- In-person handoff
- Online payment can qualify if buyer, seller and animal meet before handover; wild or exotic warmblooded species excluded
- Small breeders
- Four or fewer breeding females per household or premises, selling only their own offspring born and raised there
- If you need one
- $120 for three years; APHIS inspects before it issues the license
- State and city rules
- A federal exemption doesn't settle them; check state and local law separately
Does selling pets online make you a USDA dealer?
Whether your store may list animals at all is a separate gate — see whether Shopify and Shopify Payments allow live animals. This page covers the federal license.
Under the US Animal Welfare Act, a dealer is anyone who, in commerce and for compensation or profit, sells animals for use as a pet, among other purposes. No one may operate as a dealer without a valid license unless an exemption in 9 CFR 2.1(a)(3) applies. APHIS says the same of breeders: anyone breeding pets for covered sales must be licensed unless an exemption fits.
The definition of an animal covers dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits and any other warmblooded animal. Birds not bred for research came under the Act's protection when Congress amended it in 2002; APHIS's bird standards rule took effect on March 23, 2023, and applies to new licensees and registrants from February 21, 2024. Animals used only for food, feathers, skin or fiber are exempt.
Does an online sale still count as a retail pet store?
Retail pet stores are exempt from licensing, but the definition sets a condition on how the sale happens:
Retail pet store means a place of business or residence at which the seller, buyer, and the animal available for sale are physically present so that every buyer may personally observe the animal prior to purchasing and/or taking custody of that animal after purchase
APHIS's licensing guide applies it directly: anyone selling pets sight unseen to buyers at retail must be licensed. The physical-presence condition has applied since November 18, 2013.
Selling online doesn't remove the exemption by itself. Under APHIS's 2013 rule, an internet seller can still be a retail pet store if seller, buyer and animals have been physically present in one location before the buyer takes custody. Online payment plus an in-person viewing and handoff can qualify; shipping an animal the buyer has never seen cannot.
One limit: selling wild or exotic warmblooded species such as skunks, raccoons or foxes does not make you a retail pet store.
Which small sellers are exempt from licensing?
The exemption list in 9 CFR 2.1(a)(3) has nine items. The rows below can fit a pet seller; the rest cover research sales, transport, exhibition, raptors and buyers who keep animals for their own use.
Federal licensing exemptions that can fit an online pet seller
| Exemption (9 CFR 2.1(a)(3)) | Who qualifies | Does not cover |
|---|---|---|
| (i) Retail pet store | Seller, buyer and animal physically present before purchase and/or custody | Shipping sight unseen; wild or exotic warmblooded animals |
| (ii) Small sales | No more than $500 gross income from such sales in a calendar year | Dogs, cats, wild or exotic animals |
| (iii) Small breeders | Four or fewer breeding females; sells only offspring born and raised on the premises | A household or premises with more than four breeding females |
| (iii) Pet birds | 200 or fewer birds of 250 g or less and/or 8 or fewer over 250 g a year, born and raised on the premises | A household selling more than 200 / 8 birds together |
| (vi) Food and fiber | Animals used only for food, feathers, skin or fiber | Animals sold as pets |
Source: 9 CFR 2.1(a)(3) on eCFR, read October 18, 2026. The size-based exemptions apply only if you are not otherwise required to obtain a license.
The small-breeder exemption doesn't depend on an in-person sale: APHIS's 2018 rule, which consolidated it into 9 CFR 2.1(a)(3)(iii), says it applies to retail sales and wholesales alike. So a breeder with four or fewer breeding females who sells only offspring born and raised on the premises can qualify while shipping.
The count is per household or premises, and females kept by people acting together count too, regardless of who owns them.
If you need a license: class, fee and inspection
In APHIS's November 2018 guidance on dogs, a Class A licensee is a breeder selling animals bred and raised on its own premises; a Class B licensee is a dealer or broker who buys and/or resells them.
- Run the APHIS Licensing and Registration Assistant, a self-service tool that takes about 5 to 15 minutes and helps you determine whether you need a license or a registration.
- Apply with the $120 license fee. The license runs for three years, and APHIS's licensing guide says the fee is non-refundable and the same for every class. Since August 1, 2023, online applications are paid at submission.
- Pass an APHIS inspection before the license is issued; if you fail the first one, you may request up to two more. A license covers increments of 50 animals on hand at any one time.
The Animal Welfare Act lets USDA cooperate with state and local legislation on the same subject, so a federal exemption doesn't answer what your state or city requires. Check them separately, starting with the three levels that can each require a license.
This page was written by AI. Separate AI agents that did not write it check its figures and claims against official sources and test its links and interactive tools. A human editor sets the site's editorial direction, topics and rules and checks that pages are complete and display correctly, but does not check their facts or edit their text. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
Editorial Policy