Information About Livestock & Pet Movement
Do You Want to Bring Animals into California? Visit the CDFA Animal Health Entry Requirements interactive website to find the latest requirements needed to bring livestock and other animals into California.
Fact Sheets for California Entry Requirements
Livestock, Poultry and other Animal Entry Information
Most livestock and poultry have entry permit and Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) requirements to enter California (horses and other equidae do not require a permit but do require a CVI). California entry permits are issued to accredited licensed veterinarians from the state of origin by the Animal Health Branch by calling the Permit Line at (916) 900-5052. If a CVI is required for the shipment, it must be completely filled out prior to calling for the permit. The CVI must include the complete physical origin and destination address along with phone numbers. In certain circumstances, special movement documents may be allowed in lieu of a 30-day CVI and/or permit, such as Pasture-to-Pasture Permits. Please refer to CDFA’s Animal Disease Traceability webpage or call (916) 900-5052 for more information.
Horses Entering California through Border Stations
Border station personnel are required to document all horses crossing into California. This includes California horses returning to California. Thus, all horse trailers are required to stop at the border station crossings to provide destination information and required entry documentation. To facilitate prompt, efficient transition through the station, an Equine Only - California Entry Document has been developed. This document can be completed in advance and provided to the border personnel for verification.
Emergency Requirements
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease
Due to the ongoing outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) in the U.S., California has implemented a statewide quarantine with movement restrictions for rabbits and hares entering California.
No rabbits, hares, or their products (meat, pelts, hides, carcasses, etc.) and equipment or other items or associated materials may enter California from states or countries where Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) has been diagnosed in the prior 12 months unless they meet the following requirements.
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All live rabbits and hares require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, and must be inspected by an accredited veterinarian within 72 hours prior to shipping to California. The CVI must include a statement by an accredited veterinarian certifying that:
- All rabbits and hares in the shipment have been examined for and found free of communicable diseases, and
- All rabbits and hares have originated from a single premises that has no signs of a communicable disease, and
- There have been no movements of rabbits and hares onto the premises over the prior 30-days, and
- The animals have had no contact with wild rabbits or hares in the past 30 days.
- No rabbits and hares or rabbit and hare products (meat, pelts, hides, carcasses, etc.) and equipment or other items or associated materials may enter California from a premises known to be affected with RHD.
Vesicular Stomatitis
Based on the international delisting of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) and recent scientific evidence, California is revising the VS entry requirement statement on Certificates of Veterinary Inspection from VS affected states.
Currently, all horses, cattle, swine, sheep, and goats from a state where VSV has been diagnosed, or visiting an infected state and then returning to California, except those moving directly to slaughter, must be accompanied by a CVI that includes the statement:
“I have examined all the animals identified on this certificate within seven (7) days of shipment date and found them to be free from signs of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS). During the last fourteen (14) days, these animals have not been exposed to VS nor located on a VS confirmed or a VS suspected premises.”
Note The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for California horses returning to California from a VS Affected State must include the VS statement written by an Accredited Veterinarian in the VS Affected State.
Livestock and Poultry Leaving California
Accredited licensed veterinarians may order California Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for Livestock and Poultry (Form 77-010) from the Animal Health Branch by calling (916) 900-5002. Alternatively, veterinarians can utilize an electronic CVI service. Please refer to our page on Electronic CVIs (eCVIs) for information on CVI options for small animals and large animals and links to eCVI providers.
Effective January 1, 2020, CDFA will accept Global Vet Link's Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (EECVI) for equine interstate movement. Through the GVL software system, veterinarians can create an EECVI online, submit it to their state animal health official electronically, and provide owners with online access to retrieve the required travel permits for each interstate movement. For more information, visit Global Vet Link’s EECVI webpage.
For information on moving animals from California to other states, check the USDA Interstate Travel webpage and call the state of destination. The websites InterstateLivestock.com and AnimalRegs.com are other resources for veterinarians and contain information on entry requirements for states.
Cervidae, Camelidae, Primates, and Other Animals
Leporidae (Rabbits, Hares)
Due to the ongoing outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) in the U.S., California has implemented a statewide quarantine with movement restrictions for rabbits and hares entering California.
No rabbits, hares, or their products (meat, pelts, hides, carcasses, etc.) and equipment or other items or associated materials may enter California from states or countries where Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) has been diagnosed in the prior 12 months unless they meet the following requirements.
-
All live rabbits and hares require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, and must be inspected by an accredited veterinarian within 72 hours prior to shipping to California. The CVI must include a statement by an accredited veterinarian certifying that:
- All rabbits and hares in the shipment have been examined for and found free of communicable diseases, and
- All rabbits and hares have originated from a single premises that has no signs of a communicable disease, and
- There have been no movements of rabbits and hares onto the premises over the prior 30-days, and
- The animals have had no contact with wild rabbits or hares in the past 30 days.
- No rabbits and hares or rabbit and hare products (meat, pelts, hides, carcasses, etc.) and equipment or other items or associated materials may enter California from a premises known to be affected with RHD.
For more information regarding RHD, please refer to: Pets & Other Species Not Regulated by AHB
Restricted Species
Animals that are not regularly domesticated or that are potentially detrimental to California’s native wildlife are regulated by California’s Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 14, section 671 and administered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Anyone importing species that are restricted under this law should contact CDFW's License and Revenue Branch at (916) 928-5805, (916) 902-9107, or LRB@wildlife.gov. Permits are not issued to import or possess any wild animal for pet purposes.
Restricted species may include, but are not limited to, the following animals (contact CDFW’s Licensing and Revenue Branch to confirm a species is restricted):
- Amphibians
- Crustaceans
- Ferrets
- Fish
- Mammals not regulated by CDFA Animal Health Branch (check the Restricted Species List)
- Reptiles
- Rodents
- Wild Birds
Artiodactyla
Artiodactyla (even-toed animals), including cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou, and exotic species), some camelids (vicuñas), and peccaries among others, have additional CDFW requirements before they can enter California including:
- Official identification
- A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection
- Testing for bovine tuberculosis
- Testing for brucellosis
Primates, New World Cats (Ocelots, Jaguar, Margay, Spotted Cat, Pampas), Ring-Tailed Cat, Foxes (Arctic, Red, Kit, Gray), Skunks & Bats
Contact the California Department of Public Health Veterinary Public Health Section at (916) 552-9740 for more information.
Biologics Micro Parasites
If transporting biologics, microorganisms, or parasites into California, contact the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Animal Health Branch for additional information and/or a permit.
California Entrance Requirements for Cats
All domestic cats must be healthy. Neither a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, nor a rabies vaccination is required to import a cat into California; however, if traveling into California via airplane, please call the airline as they may have additional requirements.
California Entrance Requirements for Dogs
All domestic dogs must be healthy. Dogs over four (4) months of age must have documentation proving current rabies vaccination. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, is not required for privately owned dogs entering California. Dogs imported into California for the purpose of being sold or changing ownership require a health certificate issued by a licensed and accredited veterinarian within 10 days prior to importation. It is the responsibility of the person importing the dogs into California to submit a copy of the health certificate to the local public health department where the dogs will live or be sold. If transporting dogs via commercial air, additional requirements may apply. Health certificates should not be sent to the California Department of Food and Agriculture or the California Department of Public Health.
Small Animals Leaving California
The United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals (APHIS Form 7001) is available as a fillable PDF form from the United States Department of Agriculture. The accredited veterinarian should maintain a photocopy of each document issued in an appropriate hospital file. To be valid for international travel or export, USDA APHIS VS area office endorsement is required. Obtain endorsement from:
United States Department of AgricultureAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Services
Veterinary Services
10365 Old Placerville Road, Suite 210
Sacramento, CA 95827
Phone: (916) 854-3950
Fax: (916) 363-1125
Many states are no longer accepting the USDA APHIS form 7001 for interstate travel of small animals. The current APHIS form 7001 is easily downloadable off the internet and does not contain a unique, traceable identifying number. Because of some fraudulent use, the form has come under scrutiny and is being denied by a growing number of states. Accredited veterinarians are encouraged to check with the destination state to determine what forms are accepted. As an alternative to the APHIS form 7001, accredited practitioners can use an electronic Certificate of Veterinary Inspection available through a number of providers. Providers of electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection can be found on our page: Electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (eCVIs).
International Importation or Exportation of Animals
For information on importing animals to California from other countries or exporting animals from California to other countries, check the USDA Veterinary Services website for animal import and animal export.
If the species to be exported is not listed, contact the appropriate ministry in the destination country and apply for an import permit that will include the entry requirements. Foreign consulate information may be found at the US Department of State website. If additional assistance is needed, accredited veterinarians may contact Veterinary Service Export Staff at (916) 854-3900, Fax: (916) 363-1125, email: sacramento.vs.import.export@usda.gov.
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CDFA Animal Health and Food Safety Services,
Animal Health Branch
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: 916-900-5002
Fax: 916-900-5333
Email: ahbfeedback@cdfa.ca.gov
