Animal Import and Export Requirements
A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is not required for dogs and cats entering Texas and no agency serves as a repository for CVIs for these species. The Texas Animal Health Commission requires CVIs for some livestock, poultry, and exotic livestock species.
The following information pertains to 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 per 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 the 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 United States, 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 before 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 through the CDC's Bringing an Animal into the U.S. webpage, 1-800-232-4636, or CDC - 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 per 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: 844-820-2234 or the USDA's Travel with a Pet webpage.
Be aware that as of August 1, 2024, the CDC has new entry requirements for dogs; the steps you will need to take depend on where your dog has been in the past 6 months:
CDC - Bringing a Dog into the U.S.
Some of these requirements can be involved and take time to complete and process, so you should pursue meeting them as soon as possible.
If the animal is arriving in Texas 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 before 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
§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's recommendations for the vaccine. If an initial vaccination was administered less than 30 days before 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, the 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 after 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.
Additional Resources
To obtain information on other states' import requirements, visit APHIS USDA Interstate Pet Travel.
If you are traveling internationally with your pet, contact the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, about requirements at 512-383-2411. You can also visit the APHIS USDA Pet Travel website.
To obtain federal animal importation requirements in the Animal Welfare Act, including amended regulations effective 11-17-14 about the importation of dogs for resale, research, or veterinary treatment, view Subpart J - Importation of Live Dogs.
To obtain information on the movement of livestock, poultry, certain wildlife, and exotic animals, contact the Texas Animal Health Commission at 512-719-0700 or visit the Texas TAHC website.