If you breed or sell dogs in Maryland at any meaningful scale, you probably need a kennel license in Maryland. State law requires one for anyone who keeps six or more unspayed female dogs over six months old for breeding, or who sells puppies from six or more litters in a single year.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Local Government Code 13-108 – Kennel Licenses for Breeders Licensing is handled by your county’s animal control or animal services agency, and fees, inspections, and additional requirements vary significantly from one county to the next.
Who Needs a Kennel License
Maryland Local Government Code ยง13-108 sets the statewide floor. A kennel license is mandatory, including in Baltimore City, if you meet either of two triggers: keeping six or more unspayed female dogs over six months old for breeding and selling their offspring, or selling dogs from six or more litters per year.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Local Government Code 13-108 – Kennel Licenses for Breeders
Read that carefully. The count is unspayed females, not total dogs. A household with ten neutered males and four unspayed breeding females falls below the state threshold.
Counties can set stricter rules. A county governing body has explicit authority to enact more stringent kennel licensing ordinances and may also impose additional requirements for boarding facilities, pet shops, or rescue operations that the state statute doesn’t address directly.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Local Government Code 13-108 – Kennel Licenses for Breeders Anne Arundel County, for example, requires a commercial kennel license from every person in the business of buying, selling, breeding, or boarding animals, regardless of whether they hit the state’s six-dog threshold.2Anne Arundel County Government. Commercial Kennel License Check your county’s animal control ordinances before assuming the state threshold is the whole picture.
How to Apply
Applications go through your county’s animal control or animal services department. The form typically asks for the kennel’s name and street address, the operator’s home address, and the maximum number of dogs or cats to be housed on the premises.3Anne Arundel County Animal Services. Commercial Kennel License Information and Application Some counties also want your hours of operation and an email address.
Zoning clearance is a common prerequisite that catches applicants off guard. In Anne Arundel County, you need a Certificate of Use from the zoning office before animal services will issue the license.3Anne Arundel County Animal Services. Commercial Kennel License Information and Application Property zoned residential may need a special exception or conditional use permit before you can operate any kind of kennel, and counties often impose setback distances from property lines along with noise and odor controls. Call your county’s planning and zoning department early, so a zoning denial doesn’t come after you’ve already paid for facility upgrades.
License Fees by County
Fees are set at the county level and the spread is wide. Two examples show the range:
- Allegany County: $10 for a kennel with 25 or fewer dogs; $20 for more than 25 dogs.4Animal Legal & Historical Center. MD – Dogs – Consolidated Dog Laws
- Anne Arundel County: $100 for nine or fewer animals; $250 for ten to forty-nine animals; $500 for fifty or more animals.2Anne Arundel County Government. Commercial Kennel License
Garrett County offers both one-year and three-year licenses, with rates starting at $50 per year for 25 or fewer animals and climbing to $150 per year for larger operations. A 50% late penalty is added if you fail to renew or acquire the license before August 1.5Garrett County Government. Kennel Application Fees can shift with each budget cycle, so confirm the current schedule with your county’s animal services office before you file.
Facility Inspections
County animal control officers inspect kennel facilities to confirm the physical environment meets local health and safety codes. The checklist varies by jurisdiction, but inspectors generally evaluate ventilation, sanitation, drainage, available space per animal, access to clean water, and whether enclosures protect animals from extreme temperatures. The Maryland Department of Agriculture oversees minimum standards of care for animal shelters, while private kennel inspections are handled at the county level.
Expect an initial inspection before your license is issued and periodic inspections after. Inspectors evaluate the real conditions on site, not just what you wrote on the application. Overcrowding, accumulated waste, broken fencing, and inadequate shelter are the problems that commonly trigger compliance orders. When violations are found, you typically receive a written notice with a deadline to correct the issues before enforcement escalates.
Records You Have to Keep
Maryland’s kennel licensing statute directs each local licensing agency to collect and maintain specific data for every licensed kennel: the licensee’s name and address, the number of dogs maintained, and the number of puppies sold in the preceding year.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Local Government Code 13-108 – Kennel Licenses for Breeders You need to track those numbers accurately, because your county has to report them to the Maryland Department of Labor by January 15 each year.
Vaccination records matter too. Every licensed veterinarian who vaccinates a dog against rabies must issue a vaccination certificate on a Department-approved form and keep that record on file for five years.4Animal Legal & Historical Center. MD – Dogs – Consolidated Dog Laws Keep your own copies for every animal on site. When an inspector or a buyer asks for proof, you don’t want to be chasing down records at a veterinarian’s office.
Federal USDA License for Online Sellers
A Maryland kennel license is not the whole story if you sell dogs without the buyer meeting the animal in person. Under the Animal Welfare Act, anyone maintaining more than four breeding females who sells puppies sight-unseen (online, by phone, or by mail) must obtain a USDA Class A Breeder license through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.6eCFR. 9 CFR 2.1 – Requirements and Application
Breeders with four or fewer breeding females are exempt from the federal license, even if they sell sight-unseen, as long as they sell only offspring born and raised on their own premises for pets or exhibition.6eCFR. 9 CFR 2.1 – Requirements and Application The exemption is household-wide: if multiple people in the same household collectively maintain more than four breeding females, none of them qualifies. Breeders who sell every puppy face-to-face are exempt no matter how many breeding females they keep.
A USDA license brings federal inspections, facility standards, and additional record-keeping on top of your Maryland and county obligations. Applications are submitted through the APHIS website.7Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Apply for an Animal Welfare License or Registration Budget time for facility upgrades to meet federal standards before applying.
Penalties and License Revocation
The general state-level penalty for violating the dog licensing subtitle is a misdemeanor conviction carrying up to 30 days in jail, a fine between $5 and $25, or both.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Local Government Code 13-109 – Penalties County penalties often hit harder. Carroll, Cecil, and Frederick Counties have their own penalty provisions allowing fines of up to $500 and 30 days in jail for a single violation.4Animal Legal & Historical Center. MD – Dogs – Consolidated Dog Laws
Beyond fines, counties can suspend or revoke a kennel license for ongoing violations. If an operator fails to correct facility deficiencies or animal care problems within the deadline set by inspectors, enforcement can escalate to animal seizure or facility closure. A revocation doesn’t just shut you down temporarily; it can make it very difficult to obtain a new license later.
Appealing a Denial, Suspension, or Revocation
If your license is denied, suspended, or revoked, you have the right to appeal, but the process and timeline depend on your county. In Montgomery County, a person aggrieved by a decision of the Director of Animal Services may appeal to the Animal Matters Hearing Board within 5 days of being notified.9Montgomery County Government. Chapter 5 – Animal Control The Board hears appeals from any decision or order of the Director and has authority to revoke or suspend a facility’s license.
A 5-day window is unforgiving. Miss it and you can forfeit your right to a hearing. Pull your documentation together the day you receive the adverse decision: compliance records, inspection reports, correspondence with animal control, and evidence of any corrective actions you’ve taken. Other counties have their own appeal procedures and deadlines, so contact your local animal control office as soon as any enforcement action lands.