CDC Dog Import Form: Requirements and How to File It

The short version for dogs from Canada

If your dog has only been in Canada (or another dog-rabies-free or low-risk country) in the past 6 months, entering the United States comes down to four things:

• The dog is at least 6 months old at the time of entry.
• The dog has a microchip that a universal scanner can read.
• The dog appears healthy on arrival.
• You have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. This is the only document required, and it is free.

No rabies certificate and no veterinary health certificate are required by the CDC for these dogs, and they can cross at any airport, seaport, or land border. That is genuinely all the CDC asks for a Canadian dog.

What the CDC Dog Import Form is

The CDC Dog Import Form is a free, online form that every person bringing a dog into the United States has had to file since August 1, 2024. It replaced the older system that keyed everything to the dog's country of origin. You complete it online, a receipt is emailed to you, and that receipt travels with the dog and gets checked by the airline and by US Customs and Border Protection.

The 6-month age rule (read this if you are a breeder or buyer)

Every dog entering the US must be at least 6 months old. There is no exception for Canadian dogs and no exception for a short visit. This is the single rule that catches breeders and buyers off guard, because a puppy that is ready to go home at 8 or 10 weeks still cannot legally enter the United States for months.

It is also why we will not transport a US-bound puppy under 6 months of age. If a buyer in the US is waiting on a young puppy, the options are to wait until the puppy is old enough or to keep the puppy in Canada until then. We would rather tell you that up front than have a dog turned away at the border.

What you need to fill it out

The online form is short. You will provide:

• Importer information:the importer's name, date of birth, and an ID number (passport, driver's license, or air waybill number).
• Dog details: name, age, sex, breed, colour or markings, and the purpose of the import.
• Travel information: the type of travel, the country the dog is departing from, and the arrival date in the US.
• An electronic signature and an email address to receive the receipt.

Dogs coming from Canada do not need to upload a photo. That extra step only applies to dogs arriving from high-risk rabies countries.

How to file it, step by step

1. Go to the CDC Dog Import Form on cdc.gov. It is an online form, not a PDF.
2. Enter the importer information (name, date of birth, ID number).
3. Enter the dog's details (name, age, sex, breed, colour or markings, purpose).
4. Enter the travel information (type of travel, departure country, arrival date).
5. Sign electronically by typing your name, then submit.
6. A receipt is emailed to you. Print it or save it on your phone, and carry it with the dog.

The whole thing takes about 10 minutes. File it before you travel; there is no benefit to waiting until the last minute, and the receipt is valid for 6 months.

The receipt: how long it lasts

For a dog from Canada or another low-risk country, the receipt is valid for 6 months from the date it is issued and covers multiple entries from the same country during that window. If you make regular cross-border trips with the same dog, one receipt can cover several crossings, as long as the dog stays in Canada or another low-risk country in between. You can print the receipt or show it on your phone, though we keep a printed copy in the paperwork folder as a backup.

Dogs from high-risk rabies countries are different

Everything above is for dogs that have only been in Canada or other low-risk countries. Dogs that have been in a high-risk rabies country in the past 6 months face stricter rules: the form requires a microchip number and a photo, the dog must meet rabies vaccination or titer requirements, and it can only arrive at certain US airports. This comes up with international rescue imports, and we handle that paperwork as part of our airport service.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the puppy can travel. Under 6 months, it cannot enter the US. Confirm the age math before you plan the trip.
• Paying someone to file it. The form is free. You do not need a paid service for this specific step.
• No microchip, or a chip a universal scanner cannot read. The dog needs a readable microchip. Check it before travel.
• Not saving the receipt. The receipt, not the submission, is what gets checked. Keep it on your phone and print a copy.

How Dreamer's Bliss handles it

On every US-bound trip we confirm the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is in the paperwork folder, the dog is at least 6 months old, and the microchip reads, before we leave the pickup point. If any of that is missing, we pause the trip until it is sorted. It is far better to spend an hour at pickup than to be turned around at the border with a dog in the vehicle.

Official sources

Rules change. Always confirm current requirements before travel. The authoritative pages are:

• CDC: Entry requirements for dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries (this is the page that covers dogs from Canada)
• CDC: Dog Import Form and instructions
• USDA APHIS: Bring a pet dog into the United States

Related: importing a puppy from the USA to Canada (the other direction) · full cross-border dog transport checklist · complete cross-border requirements