Breeders in Illinois

Federal licensing through the USDA is required for any breeder who sells animals wholesale, maintains more than a threshold number of breeding females, or sells animals sight-unseen over the internet or by mail. Breeders who sell directly to buyers from their own premises, and who maintain four or fewer breeding females, are generally exempt from federal licensing under the retail pet store exemption — although this exemption was narrowed significantly in 2013.

In addition to federal requirements, Illinois may impose its own state-level breeder regulations. These can include state licensing requirements, limits on the number of intact breeding animals, mandatory spay/neuter provisions for sold animals, lemon laws that guarantee buyer recourse for undisclosed health problems, and required veterinary health certificates at the time of sale. State laws vary enormously — some states have comprehensive breeder protection statutes while others have virtually no state-level oversight beyond what the USDA provides.

The facilities shown on this page are those with active or recently expired federal USDA licenses in Illinois. Breeders operating below the federal threshold or selling only within the state may not appear in this database. If you are buying a pet from any breeder in Illinois, we recommend checking both federal records here and any applicable state licensing databases.