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USDA Violation Types

Every documented animal welfare violation across licensed facilities

Search Facilities 15,900 USDA-licensed breeders & dealers Browse by State All 50 states with facility counts Violation Database 47,067 violations documented A+ to F Grades Every facility rated by inspection history
47,067 Total Violations
780 Critical
1,304 Direct
32,670 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 7,203 1,344
2 3.125(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 2,489 839
3 2.40(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 2,076 575
4 2.75(b)(1) RECORDS: DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS. Non-Critical 1,135 268
5 2.40(a)(1) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Non-Critical 977 166
6 2.40(b)(2) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Direct 882 378
7 3.131(c) SANITATION. Non-Critical 871 235
8 3.127(d) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 859 244
9 3.131(a) Sanitation. Non-Critical 704 212
10 3.131(d) SANITATION. Non-Critical 607 140
11 2.40(b)(3) ATTENDING VETERINARIAN AND ADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE (DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS). Non-Critical 572 102
12 3.130 WATERING. Non-Critical 499 110
13 3.1(c)(3) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 442 107
14 2.75(a)(1) RECORDS: DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS. Non-Critical 426 85
15 2.131(c)(1) Handling of animals. Non-Critical 420 90
16 3.1(a) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 401 79
17 3.154 Environment enhancement to promote psychological well-being. Non-Critical 401 44
18 3.11(a) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 397 76
19 3.125(c) Facilities, general. Non-Critical 360 66
20 3.13(a)(3) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 335 29
21 2.40(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Direct 331 108
22 3.1(c)(2) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 304 65
23 3.11(b)(2) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 304 68
24 2.126(a)(2) Access and inspection of records and property; submission of itineraries. Non-Critical 292 26
25 2.31(c)(3) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 290 41
26 3.127(b) Facilities, outdoor. Non-Critical 283 60
27 2.1(a)(1) REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION. Non-Critical 278 34
28 3.11(c) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 274 51
29 2.38(b) MISCELLANEOUS. Non-Critical 269 25
30 3.127(c) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 261 47
31 3.129(a) FEEDING. Non-Critical 260 52
32 3.31(a)(1) SANITATION. Non-Critical 250 68
33 3.11(d) CLEANING, SANITIZATION, HOUSEKEEPING, AND PEST CONTROL. Non-Critical 248 49
34 2.131(d)(2) Handling of animals. Non-Critical 247 80
35 3.81 ENVIRONMENT ENHANCEMENT TO PROMOTE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. Non-Critical 246 50
36 2.134(a) Contingency planning. Non-Critical 246 11
37 3.1(e) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 227 23
38 2.50(a)(1) TIME AND METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION. Non-Critical 227 46
39 3.31(b) SANITATION. Non-Critical 222 49
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 174 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 3.129(b) FEEDING. Non-Critical 160 35
48 3.84(d) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 159 35
49 3.128 SPACE REQUIREMENTS. Non-Critical 158 25
50 3.1(f) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 156 24
51 2.50(a)(2) TIME AND METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION. Non-Critical 154 21
52 3.56(a)(1) SANITATION. Non-Critical 151 23
53 3.4(b) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 151 16
54 3.53(a)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 149 26
55 3.28(a)(1) Primary enclosures. Non-Critical 148 35
56 3.13(a) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 144 5
57 3.125(d) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 141 42
58 2.38(f)(1) MISCELLANEOUS. Critical 138 23
59 3.132 EMPLOYEES. Non-Critical 135 53
60 2.126(c) ACCESS AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS AND PROPERTY; SUBMISSION OF ITINERARIES. Non-Critical 135 35
61 2.75(a)(2) Records: Dealers and exhibitors. Non-Critical 135 16
62 3.75(c)(3) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 132 41
63 3.13(b)(3) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 130 10
64 2.31(e)(3) INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE (IACUC). Non-Critical 129 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 126 9
67 3.84(c) Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Non-Critical 125 17
68 3.1(c)(1)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 123 32
69 3.25(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 122 45
70 3.8 Exercise for dogs. Non-Critical 121 8
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 115 23
74 3.127(a) FACILITIES, OUTDOOR. Non-Critical 115 16
75 3.75(e) Housing facilities, general. Non-Critical 113 12
76 3.9(b) FEEDING. Non-Critical 112 24
77 2.33(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. Non-Critical 111 12
78 3.4(b)(3) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 110 24
79 2.134(b) Contingency planning. Non-Critical 109 3
80 3.1(b) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 109 29
81 3.75(c)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 109 23
82 3.6(a)(2)(i) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 104 10
83 3.1(c)(1) HOUSING FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 103 14
84 2.31(e)(2) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Non-Critical 102 8
85 2.134 Contingency planning. Non-Critical 100 10
86 3.4(b)(4) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 98 13
87 3.13(a)(4) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 98 4
88 2.40(b)(3) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Critical 96 19
89 3.4(c) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 96 20
90 3.6(a)(1) PRIMARY ENCLOSURES. Non-Critical 95 10
91 2.38(f)(1) MISCELLANEOUS. Non-Critical 95 12
92 2.131(c)(1) Handling of animals. Critical 94 15
93 3.1(c)(1)(i) Housing facilities, general. Non-Critical 94 16
94 2.1(b)(1) Requirements and application Non-Critical 92 14
95 2.40(b)(2) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Critical 92 23
96 3.50(a) FACILITIES, GENERAL. Non-Critical 92 14
97 2.40(b)(1) Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors). Non-Critical 91 7
98 3.13(a)(2) Veterinary care for dogs. Non-Critical 91 5
99 3.130 Watering. Direct 91 30
100 3.78(d) OUTDOOR HOUSING FACILITIES. Non-Critical 91 26

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

Missouri 3,186 Iowa 3,181 Florida 3,075 Ohio 2,890 Pennsylvania 2,875 Texas 2,716 California 2,496 New York 1,837 Michigan 1,776 Kansas 1,639 Wisconsin 1,519 Indiana 1,396 Tennessee 1,377 Oklahoma 1,321 Georgia 1,212 Illinois 1,141 Minnesota 978 Virginia 904 Colorado 901 Alabama 888 North Carolina 734 Arizona 732 Massachusetts 714 Arkansas 688 South Carolina 641 Maryland 609 Washington 546 Nebraska 474 New Mexico 474 Oregon 455 New Jersey 426 Louisiana 406 Mississippi 373 Nevada 356 South Dakota 318 Connecticut 281 Utah 200 Kentucky 181 Puerto Rico 147 New Hampshire 130 Hawaii 125 Maine 106 Rhode Island 90 Alaska 74 Idaho 73 Wyoming 72 West Virginia 62 Montana 61 Vermont 43 North Dakota 20 Delaware 18 District of Columbia 15 Guam 10 U.S. Virgin Islands 3

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