Skip to content

USDA Violation Types

Every documented animal welfare violation across licensed facilities

48,146 Total Violations
799 Critical
1,330 Direct
33,357 Non-Critical

What Are USDA Animal Welfare Violations?

Understanding what inspectors look for and what citations mean

Every USDA-licensed animal facility in the United States is subject to unannounced inspections by federal veterinary medical officers and animal care inspectors employed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). These inspections are mandated by the Animal Welfare Act, first signed into law in 1966 and amended multiple times since. Inspectors evaluate dozens of specific standards covering housing, feeding, watering, sanitation, veterinary care, ventilation, lighting, temperature control, structural integrity of enclosures, and the handling and transportation of animals.

When an inspector finds a condition that does not meet the minimum federal standard, they issue a citation, commonly called a violation. Each violation is assigned a specific regulatory code (such as 3.1(a) for housing standards or 2.40(b)(2) for veterinary care) and categorized by severity. The three severity levels are Critical, Direct, and Non-Critical, each carrying different implications for animal welfare and different urgency for corrective action.

The table below shows the most frequently cited violation codes across all USDA-inspected facilities in our database. Understanding which violations occur most often helps buyers and advocates identify systemic issues in the commercial breeding industry rather than isolated incidents at individual facilities. Some codes appear thousands of times across hundreds of breeders, pointing to industry-wide challenges in meeting basic animal welfare standards.

Most Common Violations

Top 100 violation codes ranked by how often they appear in USDA inspection reports

# Code Description Severity Occurrences Repeat
1 2.126(b) ACCESS AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS AND PROPERTY; SUBMISSION OF ITINERARIES. Non-Critical 7,316 1,444
2 3.125(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 2,539 884
3 2.40(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 2,103 598
4 2.75(b)(1) RECORDS: DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS. Non-Critical 1,174 299
5 2.40(a)(1) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Non-Critical 1,000 182
6 2.40(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Direct 895 389
7 3.131(c) SANITATION. Non-Critical 889 251
8 3.127(d) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 873 255
9 3.131(a) Sanitation. Non-Critical 728 233
10 3.131(d) SANITATION. Non-Critical 627 159
11 2.40(b)(3) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 587 117
12 3.130 WATERING. Non-Critical 507 115
13 3.1(c)(3) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 449 114
14 2.75(a)(1) RECORDS: DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS. Non-Critical 433 91
15 2.131(c)(1) Handling of animals. Non-Critical 427 95
16 3.154 Environment enhancement to promote psychological well-being. Non-Critical 411 50
17 3.1(a) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 406 80
18 3.11(a) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 401 80
19 3.125(c) Facilities, general. Non-Critical 367 71
20 3.13(a)(3) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 360 49
21 2.40(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Direct 341 117
22 3.11(b)(2) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 313 75
23 3.1(c)(2) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 306 66
24 2.31(c)(3) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 300 49
25 2.126(a)(2) Access and inspection of records and property; submission of itineraries. Non-Critical 297 30
26 3.127(b) Facilities, outdoor. Non-Critical 288 65
27 2.1(a)(1) REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION. Non-Critical 281 36
28 3.11(c) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 280 54
29 2.38(b) MISCELLANEOUS. Non-Critical 274 30
30 3.127(c) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 264 49
31 3.129(a) FEEDING. Non-Critical 262 53
32 3.31(a)(1) SANITATION. Non-Critical 256 72
33 2.134(a) Contingency planning. Non-Critical 255 19
34 3.11(d) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 254 53
35 2.131(d)(2) Handling of animals. Non-Critical 253 84
36 3.81 ENVIRONMENT ENHANCEMENT TO PROMOTE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. Non-Critical 248 51
37 3.1(e) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 235 30
38 2.50(a)(1) TIME AND METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION. Non-Critical 231 50
39 3.31(b) SANITATION. Non-Critical 224 50
40 3.125(a) Facilities, general. Critical 201 49
41 3.75(a) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 185 25
42 2.31(c)(7) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 183 34
43 2.131(b)(1) HANDLING OF ANIMALS. Non-Critical 179 18
44 2.33(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE. Non-Critical 176 32
45 2.40(a)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 172 23
46 3.84(d) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 170 42
47 2.131(b)(1) HANDLING OF ANIMALS. Critical 168 10
48 3.128 SPACE REQUIREMENTS. Non-Critical 161 27
49 3.129(b) FEEDING. Non-Critical 160 35
50 3.53(a)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 157 29
51 2.50(a)(2) TIME AND METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION. Non-Critical 157 23
52 3.1(f) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 157 24
53 3.4(b) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 153 18
54 3.56(a)(1) SANITATION. Non-Critical 152 23
55 3.28(a)(1) Primary enclosures. Non-Critical 150 37
56 3.13(b)(3) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 148 24
57 3.13(a) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 147 7
58 3.125(d) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 144 44
59 2.38(f)(1) MISCELLANEOUS. Critical 142 27
60 2.75(a)(2) Records: Dealers and exhibitors. Non-Critical 140 19
61 3.132 EMPLOYEES. Non-Critical 138 56
62 2.126(c) ACCESS AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS AND PROPERTY; SUBMISSION OF ITINERARIES. Non-Critical 137 36
63 3.75(c)(3) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 134 43
64 2.31(e)(3) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 133 14
65 2.31(c)(2) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 132 14
66 2.31(c)(1) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 129 18
67 3.84(c) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 129 21
68 3.8 Exercise for dogs. Non-Critical 124 9
69 3.25(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 124 46
70 3.1(c)(1)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 123 32
71 3.84(a) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 121 34
72 2.134(b) Contingency planning. Non-Critical 120 11
73 3.6(a)(2)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 117 26
74 3.30 WATERING. Non-Critical 117 24
75 3.127(a) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 116 17
76 3.75(e) Housing facilities, general. Non-Critical 116 14
77 2.33(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. Non-Critical 115 16
78 3.9(b) FEEDING. Non-Critical 112 24
79 3.75(c)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 111 25
80 3.1(b) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 111 31
81 3.4(b)(3) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 110 24
82 2.31(e)(2) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 106 11
83 3.6(a)(2)(i) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 106 12
84 3.1(c)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 105 16
85 3.13(a)(4) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 103 8
86 2.134 Contingency planning. Non-Critical 103 13
87 2.38(f)(1) MISCELLANEOUS. Non-Critical 100 16
88 2.40(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Critical 99 22
89 3.4(b)(4) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 98 13
90 3.4(c) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 97 21
91 3.1(c)(1)(i) Housing facilities, general. Non-Critical 96 18
92 3.6(a)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 96 11
93 3.13(a)(2) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 95 8
94 3.78(d) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 95 28
95 2.40(b)(2) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Critical 95 24
96 2.131(c)(1) Handling of animals. Critical 94 15
97 2.1(b)(1) Requirements and application Non-Critical 94 16
98 3.130 Watering. Direct 94 33
99 2.40(b)(1) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Non-Critical 93 9
100 3.50(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 92 14

Understanding Violation Severity

USDA classifies violations into three severity levels

Critical

A violation that poses a serious or imminent threat to the health, safety, or well-being of an animal. These require immediate corrective action and carry the heaviest penalties.

Direct

A violation that is directly related to animal welfare but does not pose an immediate threat. These indicate conditions that could become harmful if not corrected in a timely manner.

Non-Critical

A violation related to record-keeping, documentation, or facility maintenance that does not directly impact animal welfare. Still important for overall compliance and accountability.

Frequently Asked Questions About Violations

The number varies widely depending on how long a facility has been licensed and how many inspections it has undergone. A breeder that has operated for ten years may have accumulated a dozen non-critical citations while maintaining generally good conditions, whereas a newer facility might receive multiple critical violations on its very first inspection. On average, USDA-licensed breeders in our database have between two and five documented violations. However, averages can be misleading, a small number of chronic offenders with dozens or even hundreds of violations pull the average up significantly. What matters most is the severity and recency of violations, not just the count. A single critical violation from last month is far more concerning than five non-critical citations from a decade ago.
Yes, but it rarely happens quickly. The USDA enforcement process typically begins with written warnings, followed by stipulation agreements that may include fines and mandated corrective action plans. If a facility continues to violate standards after these steps, USDA can pursue a formal administrative complaint, which goes before an administrative law judge. Only after this process can a license be permanently revoked. In practice, many chronically non-compliant breeders choose to surrender their license voluntarily before formal revocation. The entire process from first serious citation to license action can take years. Animal welfare advocates have long criticized this timeline as too slow to protect animals from ongoing harm at the worst facilities.
A repeat violation occurs when an inspector documents the same type of violation at a facility that was cited for the identical issue on a previous inspection. For example, if a breeder receives a citation for inadequate veterinary care in January and the same problem is found during a follow-up inspection in June, the second citation is flagged as a repeat. Repeat violations are particularly important because they indicate that the breeder was aware of a problem, was given time to correct it, and either chose not to or failed to do so. On BreederCheck, repeat violations carry an extra penalty in our grading algorithm because they reflect a pattern of negligence rather than a one-time oversight. When researching a breeder, pay close attention to whether their violations include repeat offenses.
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for the care of animals at licensed commercial facilities. It is enforced by the USDA and applies uniformly across all states. However, individual states can and do pass their own animal welfare laws that may exceed federal standards. For instance, some states require breeders to be licensed at the state level even if they fall below the USDA threshold for federal licensing. Other states have enacted laws limiting the number of breeding animals a single facility can house, requiring annual veterinary examinations, or mandating exercise standards that go beyond what the AWA requires. The data on BreederCheck reflects only federal USDA inspections and violations, state-level enforcement actions are handled by different agencies and are not included in our database.

Violations by State

See the worst USDA offenders ranked in each state

Iowa 3,248 Missouri 3,236 Florida 3,174 Ohio 2,991 Pennsylvania 2,909 Texas 2,824 California 2,540 New York 1,869 Michigan 1,790 Kansas 1,644 Wisconsin 1,568 Indiana 1,462 Tennessee 1,393 Oklahoma 1,367 Georgia 1,256 Illinois 1,167 Minnesota 1,001 Virginia 911 Colorado 910 Alabama 893 North Carolina 753 Arizona 736 Massachusetts 722 Arkansas 695 South Carolina 656 Maryland 613 Washington 562 Nebraska 479 New Mexico 478 Oregon 458 Louisiana 454 New Jersey 435 Mississippi 399 Nevada 363 South Dakota 329 Connecticut 288 Utah 207 Kentucky 183 Puerto Rico 154 New Hampshire 134 Hawaii 126 Maine 106 Rhode Island 90 Alaska 76 Idaho 73 Wyoming 72 West Virginia 67 Montana 61 Vermont 48 North Dakota 20 Delaware 18 District of Columbia 15 Guam 10 U.S. Virgin Islands 3
Search Facilities 15,926 USDA-licensed breeders & dealers Browse by State All 50 states with facility counts Violation Database 48,146 violations documented A+ to F Grades Every facility rated by inspection history

Check Any Breeder's Violations

Search for a specific breeder to see their complete violation history and inspection timeline.

Search Breeders Now