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USDA Violation Types

Every documented animal welfare violation across licensed facilities

Search Facilities 15,926 USDA-licensed breeders & dealers Browse by State All 50 states with facility counts Violation Database 47,295 violations documented A+ to F Grades Every facility rated by inspection history
47,295 Total Violations
781 Critical
1,307 Direct
32,799 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 7,213 1,341
2 3.125(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 2,497 842
3 2.40(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 2,083 578
4 2.75(b)(1) RECORDS: DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS. Non-Critical 1,141 266
5 2.40(a)(1) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Non-Critical 983 165
6 2.40(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Direct 884 378
7 3.131(c) SANITATION. Non-Critical 873 235
8 3.127(d) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 863 245
9 3.131(a) Sanitation. Non-Critical 707 212
10 3.131(d) SANITATION. Non-Critical 611 143
11 2.40(b)(3) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 574 104
12 3.130 WATERING. Non-Critical 502 110
13 3.1(c)(3) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 442 107
14 2.75(a)(1) RECORDS: DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS. Non-Critical 428 86
15 2.131(c)(1) Handling of animals. Non-Critical 422 90
16 3.154 Environment enhancement to promote psychological well-being. Non-Critical 404 43
17 3.1(a) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 403 77
18 3.11(a) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 397 76
19 3.125(c) Facilities, general. Non-Critical 361 65
20 3.13(a)(3) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 340 29
21 2.40(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Direct 332 108
22 3.11(b)(2) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 306 68
23 3.1(c)(2) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 305 65
24 2.126(a)(2) Access and inspection of records and property; submission of itineraries. Non-Critical 293 26
25 2.31(c)(3) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 292 41
26 3.127(b) Facilities, outdoor. Non-Critical 283 60
27 2.1(a)(1) REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION. Non-Critical 279 34
28 3.11(c) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 276 50
29 2.38(b) MISCELLANEOUS. Non-Critical 269 25
30 3.127(c) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 262 47
31 3.129(a) FEEDING. Non-Critical 260 51
32 3.31(a)(1) SANITATION. Non-Critical 251 67
33 3.11(d) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 250 49
34 2.131(d)(2) Handling of animals. Non-Critical 249 80
35 2.134(a) Contingency planning. Non-Critical 248 12
36 3.81 ENVIRONMENT ENHANCEMENT TO PROMOTE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. Non-Critical 247 50
37 2.50(a)(1) TIME AND METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION. Non-Critical 228 47
38 3.1(e) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 228 23
39 3.31(b) SANITATION. Non-Critical 222 48
40 3.125(a) Facilities, general. Critical 197 45
41 3.75(a) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 182 22
42 2.31(c)(7) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 179 30
43 2.131(b)(1) HANDLING OF ANIMALS. Non-Critical 176 15
44 2.33(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE. Non-Critical 172 28
45 2.40(a)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 170 21
46 2.131(b)(1) HANDLING OF ANIMALS. Critical 163 5
47 3.84(d) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 162 34
48 3.129(b) FEEDING. Non-Critical 160 35
49 3.128 SPACE REQUIREMENTS. Non-Critical 159 25
50 3.1(f) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 157 24
51 2.50(a)(2) TIME AND METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION. Non-Critical 155 21
52 3.53(a)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 153 25
53 3.56(a)(1) SANITATION. Non-Critical 151 22
54 3.4(b) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 151 16
55 3.28(a)(1) Primary enclosures. Non-Critical 148 35
56 3.13(a) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 145 5
57 3.125(d) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 142 42
58 2.75(a)(2) Records: Dealers and exhibitors. Non-Critical 138 17
59 2.38(f)(1) MISCELLANEOUS. Critical 138 23
60 2.126(c) ACCESS AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS AND PROPERTY; SUBMISSION OF ITINERARIES. Non-Critical 136 35
61 3.132 EMPLOYEES. Non-Critical 136 54
62 3.13(b)(3) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 134 10
63 3.75(c)(3) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 132 41
64 2.31(e)(3) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 131 12
65 2.31(c)(1) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 128 17
66 2.31(c)(2) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 127 9
67 3.84(c) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 125 17
68 3.8 Exercise for dogs. Non-Critical 123 8
69 3.1(c)(1)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 123 32
70 3.25(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 122 44
71 3.84(a) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 117 30
72 3.6(a)(2)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 117 26
73 3.30 WATERING. Non-Critical 116 23
74 3.127(a) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 115 16
75 3.75(e) Housing facilities, general. Non-Critical 114 12
76 2.134(b) Contingency planning. Non-Critical 112 3
77 3.9(b) FEEDING. Non-Critical 112 24
78 2.33(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. Non-Critical 111 12
79 3.4(b)(3) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 110 24
80 3.75(c)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 109 23
81 3.1(b) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 109 29
82 3.6(a)(2)(i) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 104 10
83 2.31(e)(2) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 103 8
84 3.1(c)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 103 14
85 2.134 Contingency planning. Non-Critical 100 10
86 3.13(a)(4) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 99 4
87 3.4(b)(4) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 98 13
88 2.40(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Critical 97 20
89 3.4(c) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 96 20
90 2.38(f)(1) MISCELLANEOUS. Non-Critical 96 12
91 3.6(a)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 95 10
92 3.1(c)(1)(i) Housing facilities, general. Non-Critical 94 16
93 2.131(c)(1) Handling of animals. Critical 94 15
94 3.78(d) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 93 26
95 2.40(b)(2) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Critical 92 21
96 3.50(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 92 14
97 3.13(a)(2) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 92 5
98 2.1(b)(1) Requirements and application Non-Critical 92 14
99 3.130 Watering. Direct 91 30
100 2.40(b)(1) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Non-Critical 91 7

Understanding Violation Severity

USDA classifies violations into three severity levels

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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.

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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.

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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 3,212 Missouri 3,204 Florida 3,115 Ohio 2,906 Pennsylvania 2,879 Texas 2,738 California 2,508 New York 1,840 Michigan 1,777 Kansas 1,640 Wisconsin 1,532 Indiana 1,412 Tennessee 1,379 Oklahoma 1,335 Georgia 1,218 Illinois 1,145 Minnesota 981 Virginia 904 Colorado 902 Alabama 888 North Carolina 734 Arizona 732 Massachusetts 715 Arkansas 688 South Carolina 641 Maryland 611 Washington 551 Nebraska 474 New Mexico 474 Oregon 455 New Jersey 429 Louisiana 407 Mississippi 373 Nevada 358 South Dakota 319 Connecticut 281 Utah 200 Kentucky 182 Puerto Rico 147 New Hampshire 130 Hawaii 125 Maine 106 Rhode Island 90 Alaska 74 Idaho 73 Wyoming 72 West Virginia 67 Montana 61 Vermont 43 North Dakota 20 Delaware 18 District of Columbia 15 Guam 10 U.S. Virgin Islands 3

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