License Period

All Kansas pet animal facility licenses run on a calendar year from October 1st to September 30th. New License Applications may be submitted at any time.  

License Renewal Period 

All Kansas pet animal facility licenses are renewed yearly. The license renewal period opens the first week in August and closes September 30th. License renewal applications received after September 30th will incur a late fee. For additional information on renewing a license, visit the License Renewal page. 

Getting Started: New Pet Animal Businesses

Do I need to be licensed under the Kansas Pet Animal Act?

• The Kansas Pet Animal Act requires licensing and inspections of all dog and cat breeders, shelters/pounds, animal rescues, boarding/training kennels, pet shops, research facilities, and distributors.
• To help you determine whether you are required to hold a license, please read the Animal Facility Licenses for a description of each license type based on the services each facility provides.

How do I become licensed?

The full application and licensing process may take up to 3-4 weeks. Follow the steps below to ensure you are licensed before you start conducting business.

1. Research and Plan!
2. Complete Required License Documents
3. Create an Account and Apply for a New License
4. Complete Pre-license Inspection

Step 1: Research and Plan

• Review the Animal Facility License types to determine the appropriate license type
• Read the Kansas Pet Animal Act statutes and regulations
• Research all federal, state, and local laws, codes, or ordinances pertaining to your business activities.
  • Registered businesses (LLCs, INCs, LP/LLP) must be active and in good standing with the Kansas Secretary of State prior to submitting a license application.
• See the Pet Animal Business and Pet Store Licensing Guide 

Step 2: Complete Required License Documents 

• Veterinary Care Form: on-site visit with your veterinarian and completed and sign form. 
• Contingency Plan 
• Forms available at Small Animal Forms and Applications

Step 3: Create an Account and Apply

• Visit the KDA Animal Health Portal and click "User not Registered?" to create a new user account. (See New Account Instructions)
• Login to the portal and apply for a new license. (See New License Application Instructions)
  • Submitted license applications that are incomplete will be rejected after 30 days and the license application will need to be resubmitted. 

Step 4: Complete Pre-license Inspection

• Once your license application and required documents have been reviewed by the AFI office, an AFI Inspector will contact you to schedule the pre-license inspection.
• Following a satisfactory pre-license inspection, the AFI office will issue the license, and you may begin operating.