Interstate Health Certificate for Dogs: What It Is and How to Get One

An interstate health certificate for dogs is an official veterinary document—commonly called a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) or Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI)—that records a licensed veterinarian’s exam findings, identification, and vaccination or treatment history for a dog moving between U.S. states or territories. As of September 2026, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) states that it does not regulate interstate movement of pets by their owners; the receiving state or territory sets entry rules such as a health certificate, rabies vaccination, testing, or treatments. Check the destination state’s animal health official before you travel, and ask your veterinarian which form that state or your airline will accept.

This guide is published by Animal Passport for owners, transporters, and shelters who need a clear, source-backed explanation of U.S. official forms in the USDA/APHIS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) landscape—without confusing those documents with biometric livestock identity tools.

What is an interstate health certificate for dogs?

In U.S. practice, an interstate health certificate for dogs is the paperwork a licensed veterinarian issues after examining the animal and certifying exam findings needed for movement. On APHIS Form 7001, the issuing veterinarian certifies that the animals described have been inspected and appear free of any infectious or contagious diseases and, to the best of the veterinarian’s knowledge, exposure thereto that would endanger the animal, other animals, or public health, and that the animals originated from an area not quarantined for rabies and have not been exposed to rabies.

USDA APHIS publishes APHIS Form 7001, titled the United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals (APHIS Form 7001, NOV 2010). That form covers dogs, cats, and other listed small animals; records owner and destination details, identification, rabies and other vaccination or test history; and states on its face: “This certificate is valid for 30 days after issuance.” Destination states may still require their own Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) format, an electronic CVI (eCVI), or a shorter validity window than the printed Form 7001 period.

Who sets the rules: USDA APHIS vs. the destination state

USDA APHIS pet-travel guidance for state-to-state movement is explicit. On its page “Take a Pet From One U.S. State or Territory to Another (Interstate),” APHIS says destination jurisdictions may require a health certificate, updated vaccinations, diagnostic testing, or treatments, and that owners should contact a local veterinarian early. APHIS also states that it does not regulate the interstate movement of pets by their owners and that domestic movement requirements are set by the receiving state or territory. APHIS does regulate businesses that transport pets on behalf of owners.

In Frequently Asked Questions for accredited veterinarians (last modified July 30, 2025 on the APHIS FAQ page), APHIS again states that it does not set requirements or endorse health certificates for pets moving across state or territorial lines, including Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and that each jurisdiction establishes its own rules. For international export, by contrast, APHIS may endorse country-specific certificates; that federal endorsement step is generally not part of ordinary owner interstate travel.

APHIS Form 7001 vs. state CVIs vs. airline paperwork

APHIS tells accredited veterinarians that if an airline does not require specific boarding paperwork for international trips, Form 7001 may be used for the pet to board the plane—and that airline needs can differ from destination-country certificates. The same practical lesson applies domestically: confirm both the destination state’s entry document and the carrier’s boarding window before you book the exam.

Commercial transport under the Animal Welfare Act (9 CFR 2.78)

Owner-driven road trips and commercial shipments are not the same under federal animal-welfare rules. Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR) § 2.78 requires that dealers, exhibitors, auction operators, brokers, and certain government agencies not deliver dogs, cats, or nonhuman primates to an intermediate handler or carrier for transportation in commerce—or transport them in commerce—unless accompanied by a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian. That certificate must state that the veterinarian inspected the animal on a date not more than 10 days before delivery for transportation, and that the animal appeared free of infectious disease or physical abnormality that would endanger the animal, other animals, or public health. Paragraph (d) of 9 CFR 2.78 states that the U.S. Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals (APHIS Form 7001) may be used for that health certification.

That 10-day commercial inspection window can be tighter than Form 7001’s printed 30-day validity and tighter than some state entry windows. Rescues, breeders, and brokers should plan exams against the stricter of federal Animal Welfare Act timing, destination-state CVI rules, and airline policies.

How to get an interstate health certificate for dogs: step-by-step

1. Identify destination rules first. Use the APHIS state-to-state pet travel directory or contact the state animal health official (usually the state veterinarian) in the destination jurisdiction. Requirements can include a CVI, rabies proof, parasite treatment, entry permits, or special statements during disease emergencies.
2. Confirm purpose of movement. Personal travel with the owner, exhibition, sale, adoption, or commercial carrier shipment can trigger different rules—as California and Florida examples below show.
3. Schedule a licensed veterinarian—and, when the destination or airline requires it, a USDA-accredited veterinarian—close enough to travel for the shortest applicable validity window.
4. Bring identification and records. Microchip numbers, rabies certificates, and prior medical records help the veterinarian complete Form 7001 or a state eCVI accurately.
5. Complete the exam and certificate the same day the form is dated. The veterinarian certifies exam findings and listed vaccinations or tests.
6. Carry originals or accepted electronic copies as required by the destination state, and keep copies for yourself and any airline or ground carrier.
7. Recheck airline timing separately. FDACS notes that most airlines require a health certificate within seven to 10 days of travel—often shorter than a 30-day state window.

State examples: Florida, California, and Hawaii

State rules disagree in important ways. The examples below illustrate why destination-first research matters; they are not a 50-state checklist.

Florida (FDACS)

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) states that a dog or cat entering Florida must have an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health certificate) within 30 days of issuance, unless the pet is privately owned and traveling with its owner or meets another exception in Rule 5C-3.009, Florida Administrative Code, and must have documentation of a current rabies vaccine if three months of age or older. FDACS also notes that Florida has no requirements for moving dogs or cats within the state, and that dogs and cats four months and older in Florida must have a current USDA-approved rabies vaccination. For dogs entering to be sold, Florida’s Pet Law (Section 828.29, Florida Statutes) adds further standards.

California (CDFA)

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Animal Health Branch states that CDFA does not have additional import requirements for cats or dogs not changing ownership, and refers rabies questions to the California Department of Public Health. Effective January 1, 2025, under SB 312, CVIs are required to be submitted to CDFA for all dogs imported into California for sale, resale, adoption, or any other change of ownership. CDFA says the CVI must be issued by a licensed and accredited veterinarian and submitted electronically to both CDFA and the buyer within 10 days prior to entry, with submissions to smallanimalcvi@cdfa.ca.gov. For dogs leaving California, CDFA states that destination state or country rules control.

Hawaii (Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity)

Hawaii is rabies-free and applies Chapter 4-29 Hawaii Administrative Rules to dogs, cats, and other carnivores. The Animal Quarantine Information page states that all dogs and cats, regardless of age or purpose, must comply with Hawaii import requirements; animals meeting specific pre- and post-arrival conditions may qualify for a 5 Day Or Less quarantine program with a path to direct release at Honolulu, while animals that do not meet those conditions may be quarantined for up to 120 days. Hawaii’s January 17, 2024 Neighbor Island checklist states that an original health certificate in English issued within 14 days before arrival will be collected on arrival, that some airlines require the certificate within 10 days, and that tick treatment with an accepted long-acting product within 14 days must be recorded on the certificate. Direct-release pathways also require microchip identification, two lifetime rabies vaccinations on a required schedule, and a passing FAVN rabies antibody result (≥ 0.5 IU/ml) with a 30-day waiting period after the lab receives the sample. As of the quarantine page’s 2026 updates, Hawaii also notes New World screwworm detections in the United States and related CVI certifying-statement requirements for animals that need a CVI for importation.

Interstate travel is not the same as CDC dog importation

CDC regulates dogs entering or returning to the United States from other countries. As of April 28, 2026 CDC guidance on the Dog Import Form, each dog brought into the United States needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt; the form system was updated on February 5, 2026 without changing importation requirements. That international pathway is separate from destination-state CVIs for mainland state-to-state trips. Do not treat a CDC import receipt as an interstate health certificate, and do not assume a state CVI satisfies CDC entry when a dog has been abroad.

How Animal Passport differs from official travel certificates

Animal Passport publishes practical livestock- and animal-identity explainers on its blog. The Animal Passport product is a digital animal and livestock passport that uses muzzle biometrics (a nose print unique like a fingerprint), with phone-based capture that can bind owner, breed, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history. Age can be estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and body condition can be scored 1–5 from a side-profile photo. In August 2025 flood rescue work in Pakistan, the approach helped farmers reclaim animals when paper tags washed away.

That biometric identity record is not a USDA APHIS Form 7001, not a state CVI/OCVI, not a CDC Dog Import Form, and not a government-issued travel document. Keep official veterinary certificates for legal movement, and treat Animal Passport as complementary identity documentation where appropriate—never as a replacement for destination-state or airline health paperwork.

Practical timing tips before you travel

• Start with destination-state rules, then overlay airline windows and, for commercial shippers, the 10-day Animal Welfare Act exam limit in 9 CFR 2.78.
• Do not assume every state accepts Form 7001; many prefer their own paper or eCVI systems.
• Rabies certificates must usually show product, date, and veterinarian details matching what the CVI lists.
• Hawaii and other high-barrier destinations can require months of sequential vaccinations and titer waiting periods before the health certificate step.
• During animal-disease emergencies (for example, screwworm-related movement statements noted by Hawaii and Florida authorities in 2026), expect extra CVI language or prior permission numbers.

Last updated September 2026 by Animal Passport. This article summarizes publicly posted government and veterinary guidance for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice or a veterinary diagnosis. Confirm current requirements with the destination state animal health official, your veterinarian, and your carrier before travel.