Zoonosis Control Branch Laws Import Impound Quarantine Report Rules Shelter Transport Vaccination Wild Animals
Laws - Texas Entry Requirements
(Laws, Regulations, Rules)
Entry Requirements for Bringing Dogs and Cats into Texas
Thank you for your
inquiry on the requirements for bringing a dog or cat into Texas. Although not required by Texas law, most
airlines require a health certificate issued by a veterinarian within seven to
ten days prior to travel. Check with
your airline for their exact requirements.
To enter
Texas and be in accordance with its state law, all dogs and cats 12 weeks of
age or older must be vaccinated against rabies and be
accompanied by a rabies vaccination certificate (or pet passport containing
required information – see reference at end of letter) dated and signed by the
veterinarian who administered the immunization. Veterinarians in Texas are restricted to using vaccines approved by the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); however, for entry purposes
only, dogs and cats traveling into the state may be inoculated against
rabies with killed, modified live, or recombinant vaccine. Once in Texas, if a USDA-approved vaccine was
not used or the veterinarian who administered it was not licensed to practice
veterinary medicine in the US, compliance must be achieved. For entry into Texas, the following criteria
must be met:
- at the time of vaccination, the animal was at
least the minimum age prescribed for the vaccine; and
- the time elapsed since the most recent
vaccination has not exceeded the recommended interval for the booster
vaccination as established by the vaccine’s manufacturer.
Additionally, to qualify as being currently
vaccinated, 30 days must have lapsed since the initial vaccination.
If the animal is arriving from another country and is less than 12 weeks of
age, it shall be confined at home until 30 days after the animal’s initial
vaccination is administered. Regardless
of the animal’s age, if the initial vaccination was given less than 30 days
prior to arrival, the animal must be confined for the balance of the 30
days. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) may have additional requirements for animals arriving from
another country; the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine may be
contacted at CDCAnimalImports@cdc.gov, 1-800-232-4636, or https://www.cdc.gov/importation/ for further information. Please keep in mind that, even if the CDC
states that dogs or cats under certain circumstances do not need to be
vaccinated against rabies for entry into the US, the animal still needs to be
vaccinated against rabies in accordance with Texas state law for entry into
Texas. Contact the USDA Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service for any country-specific travel/health certificates
that might be required: 512-383-2400
(press 1) or https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/.
Be aware that as of
July 14, 2021, there is a temporary
suspension that prohibits the entry of dogs into the United States
arriving from the countries determined by CDC to be high-risk countries for
rabies. On an extremely limited basis, CDC has the authority to
issue advance written approval (a
CDC
Dog Import Permit) to bring a dog from a high-risk country. If you wish to
import a dog from a high-risk country, you must request advance written approval
by emailing
CDCanimalimports@cdc.gov
at least 30 business days (6 weeks) before you intend to enter the United
States. No CDC Dog Import Permits are issued upon arrival. Dogs that arrive
from high-risk countries without advance written approval from CDC will be
denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s
expense. For details, including CDC’s list of high-risk countries, go to
https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/high-risk.html.
If the animal is
arriving from another state and is less than 12 weeks of age, home confinement
is recommended until 30 days after the animal’s initial vaccination is
administered. Regardless of the animal’s
age, if the initial vaccination was given less than 30 days prior to arrival, the
animal should be confined for the balance of the 30 days.
After moving to Texas, ensure that your dog
or cat remains in compliance with rabies vaccination requirements by contacting
a veterinarian in your area, as local vaccination ordinances may be more restrictive
than state law. If you have any further
questions, please do not hesitate to contact Zoonosis Control at (512) 776-7255.
Reference – Texas Administrative Code,
Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 169, Subchapter A
https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.viewtac
§169.31. Interstate Movement
of Dogs and Cats into Texas.
Each dog
and cat 12 weeks of age or older to be transported into Texas for any purpose
shall be admitted only when vaccinated against rabies and the time elapsed
since the most recent vaccination has not exceeded the manufacturer
recommendations for the vaccine. If an initial vaccination was administered
less than 30 days prior to arrival, the custodian should confine the dog or cat
for the balance of the 30 days. Additionally, documentation must be provided by
a vaccination certificate showing the date of vaccination, vaccine used,
revaccination due date, identification information for the vaccinated animal, contact
information of the animal's custodian, and signature, signature stamp, or
computerized signature and contact information of the veterinarian responsible
for administration of the vaccine. If the dog or cat is less than 12 weeks of
age, the custodian should confine the animal until 30 days subsequent to its
initial vaccination.
§169.32. International Movement of Dogs
and Cats into Texas.
The
federal government regulates the entry of pets into the United States;
requirements set forth in this section are in addition to meeting federal
requirements. If the department receives a federal importation notice, the
department may request the local rabies control authority in the area where the
animal will be located to monitor the notice for compliance. Contingent upon the department receiving
notification of an importation-compliance failure, the department may report
the failure to the appropriate authority. Each dog and cat 12 weeks of age
or older to be transported into Texas for any purpose shall be admitted only
when vaccinated against rabies and the time elapsed since the most recent
vaccination has not exceeded the manufacturer recommendations for the vaccine.
If an initial vaccination was administered less than 30 days prior to arrival
in the United States, the custodian must confine the dog or cat for the balance
of the 30 days. Additionally, documentation must be provided by a vaccination
certificate or passport showing the date of vaccination, vaccine used,
revaccination due date, identification information for the vaccinated animal,
contact information of the animal's custodian, and signature, signature stamp,
or computerized signature and contact information of the veterinarian
responsible for administration of the vaccine. If the dog or cat is less than
12 weeks of age, the custodian shall confine the animal until 30 days
subsequent to its initial vaccination.