The Atlas/Transport & Border Crossing/Animal transport regulations
LawUS
Animal transport regulations
CDC import rule & USDA APHIS · United States
The US federal controls on bringing a dog into the country and transporting dogs commercially, tightened in 2024 to keep rabies out.
01 What It Is
Bringing a dog into the United States, and transporting dogs commercially within it, is governed by federal rules split between two agencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the primary authority for dog imports, keeping canine rabies out under a rule substantially tightened in 2024, while the Department of Agriculture’s inspection service regulates commercial import and transport.
02 What It Covers
Since August 2024 every dog entering the United States must have a microchip and be at least six months old, with a CDC dog-import form submitted online and rabies vaccination required, and stricter documentation and designated airports for dogs arriving from high-rabies-risk countries. Commercial or resale dogs additionally need a USDA import permit, with microchip verification and bathing at the point of entry, on top of the agency’s rules for humane transport.
03 How It Is Checked
The requirements are checked at the border: airlines and entry officials inspect the CDC import-form receipt, and the dog’s microchip is scanned. Commercial imports are handled under USDA permit and inspection at designated entry points. A dog that does not meet the rules can be refused entry or returned, so the controls bite at the port rather than after.
04 Why It Matters
The United States eliminated dog-maintained rabies decades ago, and the 2024 tightening is aimed at keeping it out as dog movement grows. For a dog the rules mean a microchip, an age threshold and a valid rabies vaccination before travel; for the public they are the barrier between a fatal disease and the domestic dog population.