US Customs for Dogs: What CDC, APHIS, and CBP Require

US customs for dogs means clearing U.S. entry under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dog importation rules, plus any United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) disease controls and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checks. As of September 2026, every dog needs a free CDC Dog Import Form receipt, must appear healthy, be at least 6 months old, and have a universally readable microchip. Extra rabies paperwork applies if the dog was in a CDC high-risk country in the prior 6 months.

This guide explains the official forms travelers show at the border, how low-risk and high-risk paths differ, and where state or commercial rules still apply. It is informational only—not legal or veterinary advice. Always confirm the latest instructions on CDC and USDA APHIS pages before you fly or drive.

Which agencies control US customs for dogs?

Three federal layers matter at the port of entry:

• CDC is the primary authority for dog imports, including U.S.-origin dogs returning home, according to USDA APHIS pet-travel guidance last modified in 2026.
• USDA APHIS Veterinary Services adds requirements when dogs come from countries affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or screwworm, and APHIS Animal Care regulates commercial resale or adoption imports.
• CBP enforces declarations and document checks at airports, seaports, and land borders; CBP’s June 2026 Mexico-border reminder stated officers will strictly enforce CDC and APHIS dog entry rules.

Your destination U.S. state or territory may impose further animal-health rules. APHIS FAQ guidance (June 2026) states the importer is responsible for checking state agriculture requirements.

Universal CDC requirements for every dog

According to CDC importation FAQs updated August 2026 and CDC low-risk entry pages, all dogs entering or returning to the United States must:

1. Travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt (one receipt per dog).
2. Appear healthy on arrival.
3. Be at least 6 months old at entry.
4. Have a microchip detectable with a universal scanner.

CDC states the Dog Import Form itself is free. If the dog is traveling by air, CDC form instructions say you must show the receipt to the airline before boarding and keep it ready for CBP on arrival—printed or on a phone screen.

On February 5, 2026, CDC updated the Dog Import Form web system’s look and receipt formatting; CDC stated that update did not change importation requirements, and previously issued accurate, unexpired receipts remain acceptable.

How to complete the CDC Dog Import Form

CDC Dog Import Form instructions (page updated April 2026) describe this process:

1. Complete the form online as the importer, owner, or shipper (someone may assist if the importer has difficulty).
2. Confirm your email when CDC sends the verification message (CDC notes the verification may come from 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov).
3. Receive the receipt by email after verification—CDC says typically within about 15 minutes of initial submission once email is confirmed.
4. Show the receipt to the airline (air travel) and to CBP at the U.S. port of entry.

Important validity differences, per CDC:

• Dog rabies-free or low-risk travel: the receipt is valid for multiple U.S. entries of that dog from the same country of departure for six months from issuance, unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different departure country.
• High-risk travel: the receipt is generally valid for a single entry on the arrival date listed; if travel details change, submit a new form.

CDC’s Dog Importation Navigator on the “Bringing a Dog into the U.S.” page helps match requirements to vaccination history and countries visited in the prior six months.

Low-risk vs high-risk: which documents do you need?

CDC’s high-risk list names countries and political units with elevated dog-rabies importation risk. If a country is not on that list, CDC treats it as dog rabies-free or low-risk for these rules. Starting August 1, 2024, CDC simplified low-risk documentation to the CDC Dog Import Form alone for dogs that stayed only in low-risk or rabies-free countries for the prior six months.

CDC FAQs (August 2026) also note foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries are not allowed to enter at a land border crossing.

U.S.-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries

Per CDC’s U.S.-vaccinated high-risk page (updated April 2026), you typically need two documents before return:

1. The CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
2. A Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the United States. CDC stresses this is not the same as a routine local rabies certificate.

CDC will accept, as an alternative, a USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025, if it is viewable in USDA’s database and includes age (at least 6 months), microchip number, and current U.S.-issued rabies vaccination details with vaccination after microchip placement. USDA-endorsed export health certificates issued after July 31, 2025, are not accepted for this CDC purpose.

Without those documents, CDC directs travelers to follow the foreign-vaccinated high-risk pathway instead.

Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries

CDC’s foreign-vaccinated high-risk requirements include:

• Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the exporting country (completed no more than 30 days before travel).
• A valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory, or a reservation that includes 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility.
• A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility for examination and U.S.-licensed rabies revaccination.
• Arrival by air at the airport where that facility is located (matching the CDC receipt).
• Microchip placed before rabies vaccination; English documents or certified English translation.

CDC requires a valid (passing) rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory to avoid the 28-day quarantine option. Importers pay facility costs. There are currently no CDC-registered animal care facilities in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories for this pathway, per CDC FAQs.

USDA APHIS add-ons: screwworm and FMD

APHIS states it has Veterinary Services requirements only when dogs come from countries affected by FMD or screwworm—separate from CDC rabies controls.

Screwworm: APHIS requires a certificate signed by a full-time salaried official government veterinarian stating the dog was inspected for screwworm within 5 days before shipment and is free of screwworm (or was treated until free). APHIS does not mandate a fixed form template; the statement may stand alone or appear on an export health certificate. For Mexico, APHIS notes certain authorized clinical veterinarians may issue screwworm freedom certification on behalf of the official veterinarian. CBP’s June 26, 2026 media release reiterated these screwworm certificate rules for dogs crossing from Mexico, alongside the CDC form, health appearance, 6-month age minimum, and microchip.

Foot-and-mouth disease: For dogs from FMD-affected countries or regions, APHIS requires fur and bedding free of excessive dirt, hay, or straw; bathing soon after arrival; and separation from all livestock for 5 days. APHIS notes no documentation is required to meet FMD precautions.

APHIS also flags extra Animal Care permitting for commercial resale or adoption imports, and tapeworm-related expectations for certain livestock-handling dogs.

What to show at the airport or land border

A practical border checklist drawn from CDC and CBP guidance:

1. CDC Dog Import Form receipt (phone or print).
2. Any required rabies certification forms (U.S.-issued or foreign) and, if applicable, titer report and animal-care-facility reservation confirmation.
3. Screwworm freedom certificate when APHIS rules apply.
4. Proof the microchip scans; CDC warns unscannable chips for high-risk dogs can mean denial and return at the importer’s expense.
5. Declare the animal as required by CBP. CDC warns that dogs that do not meet entry requirements—including high-risk dogs whose microchips cannot be scanned—may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense.

Frequent Canada–Mexico–U.S. travelers: CDC FAQs say dogs that have not been outside Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. still need the CDC Dog Import Form; a low-risk receipt can cover multiple entries for six months if the listed country of departure does not change.

Official travel forms vs Animal Passport biometric ID

Government dog entry into the United States relies on CDC forms, USDA endorsements, microchips, and CBP inspection—not on consumer “passport” apps. Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock identity product that uses muzzle biometrics (a nose print unique like a fingerprint), phone-based capture, and records that 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 is scored 1–5 from a side-profile photo.

That product was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025 so farmers could reclaim animals when paper tags washed away. It is not a CDC Dog Import Form, a USDA APHIS certificate, an EU pet passport, or a CBP travel document. Use official agency portals for border compliance; use tools like Animal Passport only as optional identity and history records. More field notes appear on the Animal Passport blog.

Common mistakes that delay or deny entry

• Assuming a routine rabies certificate replaces the CDC Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form.
• Leaving the United States for a high-risk country without the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination already completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA—CDC requires that form before the dog departs the United States.
• Booking a land-border return for a foreign-vaccinated high-risk dog.
• Skipping APHIS screwworm paperwork when traveling from an affected region such as Mexico.
• Bringing a puppy under 6 months old; CDC and APHIS both emphasize the six-month minimum for imports.

Key sources to verify before you travel

Rules change. Before departure, reopen CDC’s “Bringing a Dog into the U.S.” page, complete the Dog Importation Navigator, check USDA APHIS pet-dog import pages for screwworm/FMD, confirm airline pet policies, and review your destination state’s agriculture requirements. For questions on CDC dog imports, CDC lists CDC-INFO at (800) 232-4636.

Last updated September 2026 by Animal Passport. This article summarizes publicly posted CDC, USDA APHIS, and CBP guidance and does not replace official instructions or professional advice.