Importation and Exportation of Pet Animals

What do you want to do? 

• Bring a dog/cat into California from another U.S. state or territory
  
• Bring a dog/cat into California from another country
  
• Take a dog/cat from California to another U.S. state or territory
  
• Take a dog/cat from California to another country
  

Interstate Movement

Documents required for pets entering California from another U.S. state or territory  

• Domestic dogs
  

• Current rabies vaccination certificate for dogs over
  four (4) months of age

• Domestic dogs changing ownership in California (including dogs planning to be sold to new owners in California)

• Current rabies vaccination certificate for dogs over
  four (4) months of age, and
• A health certificate (also known as a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (PDF))*
  Health certificates must be:
• Completed no more than 10 days before the date the dog arrives in California
  
• Sent to the county health department before the dog arrives in the county where the dog is to be sold, or in the county of residence of the person who is receiving the dog

• Domestic cats
  

• No documents are required for pet/domestic cats entering California.

• Wildlife and exotic pets (including birds and reptiles)

• Check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's laws and regulations for Restricted Species (PDF) and permits for Restricted Species.

• Livestock and poultry
  

• Check the California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) entry requirements. These requirements also apply to livestock animals often considered pets, such as potbellied pigs and teacup pigs.

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Pet owners who are moving their permanent residence to California should check with the local animal control agency about the requirements for pets (including pet licenses) for the specific city or county in California.​

Documents required for pets leaving California and entering another U.S. state or territory

Contact the state or territory of destination (the state or territory you are traveling to or entering) to determine what documents, if any, are required for a pet entering from another state or territory:

Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas (PDF), Colorado, Connecticut (PDF), Delaware (PDF), District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam (PDF), Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri (PDF), Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey (PDF), New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma (PDF), Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico (PDF), Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia (PDF), Wisconsin, Wyoming (PDF)

International Movement

Documents required for pets entering California from another country

• Domestic dogs
  

• All California entry requirements and documents indicated above, and
• All requirements of federal agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
  

• Domestic cats
  

• No documents are required for pet/domestic cats entering California.
  

• Other animals
  

• Wild animals are regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS), including those animals kept as pets. The FWS website lists regulated species and entry requirements.
• Livestock and poultry are regulated by the USDA. These requirements also apply to livestock animals often considered pets, such as potbellied pigs and teacup pigs.

Documents required for pets leaving California and entering another country

Please visit the USDA website for detailed information about the requirements for pets leaving the United States and entering another country.​