AB 506Effective January 1, 2026
Mandatory written disclosures on every dog sale
Anyone who sells a dog to a Californian — including private breeders and animal rescues, but excluding public shelters — must provide written disclosures covering the dog's origin, its basic health status, and what inoculations it has received (including if it has received none).
What it means for you
You are entitled to that written record before or at the point of sale. If a seller cannot or will not tell you in writing where the dog came from and what shots it has had, that is now a legal deficiency, not just a bad sign. Keep the document — it is your evidence if you later believe you were defrauded.
How we handle it
We provide this in writing as part of every reservation packet: where the puppy was born and raised, who bred the litter, the puppy's health status at go-home, and a vet-signed inoculation and deworming record.
Source: AB 506 bill text (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
AB 519Effective January 1, 2026
Restriction on brokering dogs you did not breed
AB 519 targets pet brokering — people and platforms reselling dogs they did not personally breed. The enacted version includes carve-outs, notably a limited number of transfers per year, dogs over one year of age, animal shelters and legitimate rescues, and service and police dogs.
What it means for you
This is why some national puppy-sale platforms have posted California restriction notices for their facilitated reservations. It does not stop you buying directly from the person who actually bred the litter. Practically: ask who bred this specific puppy, and buy from that person.
How we handle it
We breed every puppy we place. We do not resell puppies bred by anyone else and we do not act as a broker for other breeders, so this restriction does not change how we place puppies with California families.
Source: AB 519 bill text (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
SB 312Effective January 1, 2026
Health certificates for dogs imported into California
Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for dogs imported into California for transfer must be filed directly with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and retained for five years, closing a gap where county-versus-state filing confusion meant records were lost.
What it means for you
If a seller says a puppy is being brought in from out of state, ask whether a CVI exists and who it was filed with. Out-of-state importation is one of the main pipelines the 2025 legislative package was written to expose.
How we handle it
Our puppies are bred and raised at our home in California, so they are not imported dogs. Nothing is trucked in from out of state for resale.
Source: SB 312 bill text (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
Health & Safety Code §122045 et seq.Effective In force since 1996, still applies
Pet buyer warranty (the 'puppy lemon law')
California's pet-breeder and pet-dealer warranty provisions require covered sellers to give buyers a written disclosure statement and provide remedies when a puppy is found ill or has a congenital or hereditary condition within statutory windows. Coverage thresholds depend on how many dogs or litters a seller places in a year.
What it means for you
Read the statute rather than relying on a seller's summary of it, and keep every veterinary receipt. Statutory remedies and any contractual guarantee are separate things — a private guarantee cannot take away rights the statute gives you.
How we handle it
Our written guarantee is a contractual commitment that sits alongside — not instead of — whatever the statute provides. It covers congenital and hereditary defects for 12 months, is signed in person, and states its exclusions plainly.
Source: Health & Safety Code, Division 105, Part 6, Chapter 5
AB 485Effective In force since January 1, 2019
Retail pet store sales limited to shelter and rescue animals
California retail pet stores may only offer dogs, cats and rabbits obtained from public shelters or rescue organizations. The law regulates retail storefronts; it does not prohibit a private breeder from selling directly to a buyer.
What it means for you
If you see a California storefront selling purpose-bred puppies, something is wrong. Buying directly from the breeder who raised the litter remains lawful.
How we handle it
We are not a retail pet store. We are a home breeder placing our own puppies directly with families.
Source: AB 485 (2017) bill text