Florida Pet Dealer Law (Section 828.29): Who Counts as a Dealer and What Changed on July 1, 2026

Start by counting. Section 828.29(13) defines a pet dealer as "any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other association which, in the ordinary course of business, engages in the sale of more than three litters, or 30 dogs or cats, per year, whichever is greater, to the public." The next sentence settles the direct-sale question: "This definition includes breeders of animals who sell such animals directly to a consumer." Selling to families instead of to a store does not take you outside the law.

The 2026 statute also says the definition "does not include not-for-profit entities that do not purchase dogs or cats from a breeder or broker." Separately, subsection (15) exempts county-operated and city-operated animal-control agencies and registered nonprofit humane organizations.

So, write down how many litters and how many dogs or cats you expect to sell to the public this year. If you are near the line, or sell both dogs and cats, have a Florida attorney apply "whichever is greater" to your real numbers.

CS/SB 1004 passed both chambers unanimously, was approved by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 12, 2026, became Chapter 2026-76 and took effect July 1, 2026. Its history is on the Florida Senate CS/SB 1004 bill page.

The act amended section 828.29(5), (6), (7), (8), (10), (12), (13) and (17) and added subsections (18) and (19). The dealer threshold rose from more than two litters or 20 animals to more than three litters or 30 dogs or cats. The illness window grew from 14 days to 30, and the buyer's notice period from two business days to seven. New duties cover records, financing terms, a separate signed notice and seven-year retention, the cap on veterinary reimbursement is gone, and a violation now also counts under Florida's consumer-protection law.

Subsections (1) through (4), covering the exam, tests, vaccines, parasite control, the official certificate and the eight-week minimum, were not amended. If an older checklist in your files says "two litters or 20 animals" or "14 days," update it to the 2026 figures.

Section 828.29 requires tests, vaccines and anthelmintics (dewormers) given by or under the direction of a Florida-licensed, USDA-accredited veterinarian, who issues the official certificate of veterinary inspection (OCVI).

The statute lists canine distemper, leptospirosis, Bordetella, parainfluenza, hepatitis, canine parvo, rabies for dogs over three months (subject to section 828.30), and treatment for roundworms and hookworms. The timing depends on age. For a dog under four months, those procedures must be given no more than 21 days before the sale. For a dog four months or older, they must be given at or after three months of age and no more than one year before the sale. Your veterinarian chooses the products; your part is booking early enough that the timing works.

The examination itself must happen no more than 30 days before the sale and include a fecal test for internal parasites. Dogs over six months must also be tested for heartworms.

The certificate must show the animal's age, sex, breed, color and health record, the seller, buyer and veterinarian, the veterinarian's license number, the vaccines and deworming medications given, and the veterinarian's statement about contagious or infectious disease and internal or external parasites. The buyer gets a copy.

FDACS says Florida OCVIs may be completed only by currently licensed Florida veterinarians accredited under the USDA National Veterinary Accreditation Program, and that accredited veterinarians order the certificates from FDACS, on paper or electronically. The intrastate sale form, Form FDACS-09085, is listed on the FDACS Animal Industry forms page. Get the current version through your examining veterinarian or the FDACS dog and cat movement page.

A dog or cat less than eight weeks old may not be offered for sale in Florida or transported into Florida for sale. For animals entering Florida to be sold, FDACS says ordinary interstate movement generally requires a certificate issued within 30 days and current rabies vaccination at three months or older, with listed exceptions, and section 828.29 applies on top of that. For questions, the State Veterinarian's Office is at (850) 410-0900, and Animal Permits is at AnimalPermits@FDACS.gov.

New subsection (7) reads: "Before the sale of an animal, a pet dealer must provide to the consumer copies of records of all medical examinations or tests that were conducted on the animal or any medication given before the purchase of the animal." Keep every exam note, test result and medication record in one folder per animal, so copying it for the buyer takes minutes.

New subsection (6) says: "All financing terms must be disclosed by the pet dealer to the consumer before the sale of the animal." If a buyer pays over time, every term goes in writing before the sale.

The buyer-rights notice must now be printed in 14-point boldface type, signed by the buyer, and kept separate from the purchase contract, and the contract itself should not contradict the buyer's statutory rights.

If the dealer identifies a specific congenital or hereditary disorder in writing before the sale, and the buyer signs that notification, the buyer has no refund or exchange right for that disclosed disorder. The 2025 waiver procedure, with its 48-normal-business-hour examination period, was deleted, so remove it from any old template.

Section 828.29(5) gives the buyer three claim windows. Within 30 days after the sale, the buyer's chosen licensed veterinarian can certify that the animal was unfit at the time of sale because of illness, disease, symptoms of contagious or infectious disease, or internal or external parasites, excluding fleas and ticks. Within one year after the sale, that veterinarian can certify a congenital or hereditary disorder that adversely affects the animal's health. Also within one year, the buyer can claim that the breed, sex or health was misrepresented.

The clock then runs under subsection (8). The buyer must notify the dealer within seven business days after receiving the veterinarian's determination. The buyer presents the written certification within three business days after receiving it. The dealer must make the refund or exchange within 10 business days after receiving the signed certification.

As a seller, log the date every notice and certificate reaches you, since those dates start the deadlines.

The buyer chooses the remedy: return the animal for a refund of the purchase price, accrued interest, sales tax or fees, plus qualifying veterinary costs; exchange it for an animal of equivalent value plus those costs; or keep it and be reimbursed for necessary veterinary services, treatment or emergency care received within one year after purchase.

The 2025 limit that reimbursement "may not exceed the purchase price of the animal" is gone. Instead, costs are reasonable "if comparable to the cost of similar services rendered by other licensed veterinarians in proximity to the treating veterinarian." If the buyer financed the animal through the dealer and gets a refund, that financing must end without penalty.

A dealer who contests a claim may require an examination by a veterinarian the dealer designates. Without agreement within 10 business days after the dealer receives the animal, the buyer may sue, including in small claims court, and the court may award punitive damages of at least $2,500. At that point, call a Florida attorney.

New subsection (18) reads: "Any record provided to a consumer pursuant to the sale of an animal under this section must be maintained by the pet dealer for a period of at least 7 years after the sale." That covers the certificate copy, medical and medication records, the financing terms and the signed notice. A scanned, backed-up folder per sale holds up for that long.

FDACS, USDA and law-enforcement officers may inspect animals and certificate copies, and a violation is a first-degree misdemeanor under subsection (17). New subsection (19) makes a violation "an unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or practice" under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The state attorney may also seek an injunction barring a violator from being a pet dealer.

Buyers who suspect a seller is not complying can report it to FDACS at 1-800-HELP-FLA, or in Spanish at 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832), as listed on the FDACS Pet Law page.

Sections 828.29 and 828.291 create no statewide breeder license. Section 828.291, created by Chapter 2026-76, sets up voluntary best-management practices for dog breeding, covering breeding, feeding, housing, health, enrichment, and selling and record keeping under section 828.29. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) must develop the list, publish guidance for identifying participating breeders and provide a buyer's checklist.

Section 828.291(2) says it "may not be construed to prohibit a local jurisdiction from implementing requirements for individuals or entities engaged in the breeding of dogs." Joining the voluntary program does not replace a county or city license.

CS/SB 1356, which proposed mandatory DBPR breeder registration, died in committee on March 13, 2026, according to the Florida Senate SB 1356 bill history. It is not law.

State law covers the sale; where and how many animals you keep is local. Some examples:

The codes and pages: Miami-Dade Chapter 5, Palm Beach County breeder permits, Collier County Domestic Animal Services, Volusia County zoning, Jacksonville's animal code, Hillsborough County's animal-sale rules, Broward County's animal ordinance and Lee County's ordinance. These are examples, not a full list.

Call your animal-services department first, then zoning or planning, the business-tax-receipt office and, if needed, the clerk. Ask:

1. Is my address inside a city or in unincorporated county, and is breeding, selling or keeping animals allowed there?
2. Do I need a kennel, breeder, pet-dealer or animal-business license, or a business tax receipt?
3. Do I need zoning approval, a special exception or a home-occupation permit?
4. Is there a limit on dogs, cats, intact animals or litters, or on outdoor runs and customer visits?
5. Will you inspect the premises?

Check HOA, condominium or deed restrictions too. On the business side, the Florida Division of Corporations says a trade name different from your legal or entity name must be registered before you do business, and the Florida Department of Revenue says a business selling taxable goods or services registers as a sales and use tax dealer first. Ask the Department of Revenue whether a particular animal sale is taxable.

These answers cover the 2026 changes, the basic requirements for selling a puppy, and a buyer's options when a puppy is sick.

It is CS/SB 1004, Chapter 2026-76, in force since July 1, 2026. It raised the dealer threshold, lengthened the illness window to 30 days, added record, financing and seven-year retention duties, and created the voluntary section 828.291 practices.

A covered seller needs a USDA-accredited Florida veterinarian's exam within 30 days of sale, the listed vaccines and dewormers on the statute's timing, and an official certificate with a copy for the buyer. The puppy must be at least eight weeks old. The buyer also gets medical and medication records, financing terms and the separate signed notice before the sale.

If the buyer's licensed veterinarian certifies within 30 days that the puppy was sick or had qualifying parasites at the time of sale, the buyer can choose a refund, an exchange or reimbursement while keeping the puppy. The buyer notifies the dealer within seven business days of that determination. FDACS takes complaints at 1-800-HELP-FLA.

This week, count your expected litters and animals sold to the public for the year, then call your county or city animal-services office with the questions above before you advertise anything. Book the veterinary exam so it falls within 30 days of the sale date, and build one folder per animal for the certificate, medical records, financing terms and signed notice, kept for seven years. If your numbers sit near the threshold, or a buyer files a claim, take the 2026 statute and your sales records to a Florida attorney for advice on your situation.

• broward.org: Broward County's animal ordinance
• collier.gov: Collier County Domestic Animal Services
• discover.pbcgov.org: Palm Beach County breeder permits
• dos.fl.gov: Florida Division of Corporations
• fdacs.gov: FDACS Animal Industry forms page
• fdacs.gov: FDACS dog and cat movement page
• fdacs.gov: FDACS Pet Law page
• fdacs.gov: FDACS
• floridarevenue.com: Florida Department of Revenue
• flsenate.gov: Florida Senate CS/SB 1004 bill page
• flsenate.gov: Florida Senate SB 1356 bill history
• flsenate.gov: Florida Statutes section 828.29
• laws.flrules.org: Chapter 2026-76, Laws of Florida
• leegov.com: Lee County's ordinance
• library.municode.com: Hillsborough County's animal-sale rules
• library.municode.com: Jacksonville's animal code
• library.municode.com: Miami-Dade Chapter 5
• library.municode.com: Volusia County zoning