Guide

Pet entry rules by state

Every state sets its own rules for dogs and cats moving in. Here is what each state on our routes asks for, in plain words, with links to the official pages.

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Travel documents and a phone on a wooden table

Two sets of rules

Two sets of rules apply: the airline's, and those of the state your pet is moving to. For any pet flying in the cargo hold, the airline needs a health certificate from a vet within 10 days of the flight (14 days for Hawaii). Ask for it from a USDA accredited vet, on an official state form or an electronic certificate, with the rabies vaccine details on it. That one certificate meets the state rules below in almost every case.

The US Department of Agriculture does not set rules for pets moving between states with their owners. In its words, "domestic movement requirements are set by the receiving State or Territory". So it all depends on where your pet is going.

What to ask your vet for

A health certificate from a USDA accredited vet, dated within 10 days of the flight (14 days for Hawaii).
On your origin state's official form or an electronic certificate, not a plain letter.
Your full new address, and the rabies vaccine name, date and expiry written on it.
The signed rabies certificate, as a separate document, to travel with your pet.

At a glance

State by state

State	State health certificate	Rabies vaccine
Washington	Not for a family pet with a current rabies certificate. Within 5 days for pets coming from Texas (temporary rule)	90 days and older, no exemptions
Alaska	Yes, from a licensed and USDA accredited vet, valid 30 days	Current rabies certificate travels with the pet
Arizona	Yes, from a USDA accredited vet, valid 30 days	Older than 3 months
California	No	Dogs older than 4 months. Cats: none
Colorado	Yes, from a USDA accredited vet, valid 30 days	Older than 3 months
District of Columbia	Yes, from a licensed vet, issued within 30 days of travel	Older than 4 months, at least 30 days before travel
Florida	Yes, valid 30 days, unless the pet travels with its owner	3 months and older
Georgia	No, the rabies vaccine record is enough for a pet with its owner	12 weeks and older, no exemptions
Hawaii	Yes, the original, within 14 days of arrival	Two vaccines and a rabies blood test, months ahead
Idaho	Yes, valid 30 days, APHIS 7001 form not accepted	12 weeks and older
Illinois	Yes, issued within 30 days of entry. Electronic only from January 1, 2027	16 weeks and older
Maryland	Yes, from a USDA accredited vet, valid 30 days	4 months and older, more than 30 days before arrival
Massachusetts	Check with the state before you travel	6 months and older
Minnesota	Yes, from a USDA accredited vet, exam within 30 days	3 months and older
Nevada	Yes, from a USDA accredited vet, valid 30 days	Must be current
New York	Yes, issued 30 days or less before entry	3 months and older
Texas	No	12 weeks and older, certificate travels with the pet
Virginia	No, when you move there with your own pet	Older than 4 months

For any pet in the cargo hold, the airline's health certificate is needed on top, even where the state asks for none.

Washington (moving to Seattle)

Dogs, cats and ferrets 90 days and older need a current rabies vaccine. Washington has no exemptions.
A family pet with a current rabies certificate does not need a state health certificate. The airline still needs one for a pet in the cargo hold.
Dogs 6 months and older need a heartworm test or preventive, unless you have owned the dog for more than a month.
Rescue and rehomed pets need a health certificate.

Coming from Texas: under a temporary Washington rule, your pet needs a health certificate issued within 5 days before it arrives in Washington. We plan the vet visit around it.

Routes into Seattle: all routes.

Official sources: Washington State Department of Agriculture: small animal import · WAC 16-54-170

Alaska

Dogs, cats and ferrets need a health certificate from a licensed and USDA accredited vet, valid for 30 days.
A current rabies certificate must travel with your pet.
If your pet had its first rabies vaccine less than 30 days before arrival, keep it at home until 30 days have passed.

More in our guide to moving pets to Alaska, including winter flights.

Routes: Seattle to Anchorage, Seattle to Fairbanks, Seattle to Juneau.

Official sources: Alaska regulations 18 AAC 36.010 to 36.070 · Alaska regulations 18 AAC 36.155

Arizona

Dogs and cats need a health certificate from a USDA accredited vet, valid for 30 days.
Pets older than 3 months need a current rabies vaccine, written on the health certificate. A rabies blood test does not replace the vaccine.

Routes: Seattle to Phoenix.

Official sources: Arizona Administrative Code R3-2-616 · Arizona Department of Agriculture: dog and cat entry

California

California does not ask for a health certificate for a pet dog or cat moving with its owner.
Dogs older than 4 months need a signed rabies vaccination certificate.
Cats need no state documents. Your city or county may have its own rules.

Routes: Seattle to Los Angeles, Seattle to San Francisco, Seattle to San Jose, Seattle to San Diego.

Official sources: California Department of Food and Agriculture: importation FAQ · California Department of Public Health: pet importation

Colorado

Dogs and cats need a health certificate from a USDA accredited vet, valid for 30 days.
Pets older than 3 months need a current rabies vaccine, shown on the health certificate.

Routes: Seattle to Denver.

Official sources: Colorado Department of Agriculture: import requirements · Colorado rule 8 CCR 1201-19

District of Columbia

Pets need a health certificate from a licensed vet, issued within 30 days of travel.
Dogs need rabies and distemper vaccines, and cats a rabies vaccine, given at least 30 days before travel.
Dogs living in DC must be licensed.

Routes: Seattle to Washington, DC.

Official sources: DC Health: traveling into DC with pets

Florida

Florida asks for a health certificate, valid for 30 days, unless your pet travels with you.
Dogs and cats 3 months and older need proof of a current rabies vaccine.

Routes: Seattle to Miami.

Official sources: Florida Department of Agriculture: dog and cat movement · Florida rule 5C-3.009

Georgia

For a pet moving with its owner, Georgia asks for the rabies vaccine record, not a health certificate.
Dogs and cats 12 weeks and older need a current rabies vaccine. Georgia has no exemptions.

Routes: Seattle to Atlanta.

Official sources: Georgia Department of Agriculture: bringing animals into Georgia · Georgia Department of Agriculture: pet travel FAQs

Hawaii

Hawaii is rabies free and has its own entry program for dogs and cats of any age, puppies and kittens included. Plan at least 2 to 4 months ahead.
The health certificate must say your pet was checked and found free of screwworm.
Hybrid dogs and cats, such as wolf crosses, Bengals and Savannahs, cannot enter Hawaii.
You can send the forms by mail or online through the state's pet owner portal.

Hawaii's program has several steps and waiting periods. Read our guide to moving pets to Hawaii before you book anything.

Routes: Seattle to Honolulu, Seattle to Maui, Seattle to Kona.

Official sources: Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity: animal quarantine

Idaho

Dogs and cats need a health certificate, valid for 30 days, with your full Idaho address. Idaho does not accept the APHIS 7001 form.
Pets 12 weeks and older need a current rabies vaccine.

Routes: Seattle to Boise.

Official sources: Idaho State Department of Agriculture: household pet imports · Idaho rule IDAPA 02.04.21

Illinois

Dogs and cats need a health certificate issued within 30 days of entry, with your full Illinois address.
Pets 16 weeks and older need a rabies vaccine. The date and maker go on the health certificate.
From January 1, 2027, Illinois accepts electronic health certificates only.

Routes: Seattle to Chicago.

Official sources: Illinois Department of Agriculture: animal import

Maryland

Dogs, cats and ferrets need a health certificate from a USDA accredited vet, valid for 30 days.
Pets 4 months and older need a rabies vaccine given more than 30 days before arrival.
Within 10 days of arrival, send the rabies certificate to the state Public Health Veterinarian.

Routes: Seattle to Washington, DC.

Official sources: Maryland regulation COMAR 10.06.02.11 · Maryland Department of Agriculture: admission of animals

Massachusetts

Dogs, cats and ferrets 6 months and older must have a rabies vaccine. A pet moving in without one must get it within 30 days of arrival.
Check the health certificate rule with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources before you travel.

Routes: Seattle to Boston.

Official sources: Massachusetts law: rabies vaccination (c.140 s.145B) · Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources: importing pets

Minnesota

Dogs, cats and ferrets need a health certificate from a USDA accredited vet, after an exam within 30 days of travel.
Pets 3 months and older need a current rabies vaccine. The vaccine name and date go on the health certificate.

Routes: Seattle to Minneapolis.

Official sources: Minnesota rule 1721.0500 · Minnesota Board of Animal Health: health certificates

Nevada

Dogs and cats need a health certificate from a USDA accredited vet, valid for 30 days.
Your pet's rabies vaccine must be current.

Routes: Seattle to Las Vegas.

Official sources: Nevada Department of Agriculture: import requirements

New York

Dogs and cats need a health certificate issued 30 days or less before entry, with your full New York address.
Pets 3 months and older need a current rabies vaccine. The vaccine name and date go on the health certificate.
New York City has its own pet rules.

Routes: Seattle to New York.

Official sources: New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Texas

Texas does not ask for a health certificate for dogs and cats.
Dogs and cats 12 weeks and older need a rabies vaccine, and the signed rabies certificate must travel with your pet.
If the first rabies vaccine was given less than 30 days before arrival, keep your pet at home until 30 days have passed.

Routes: Seattle to Dallas, Seattle to Houston, Seattle to Austin.

Official sources: Texas Department of State Health Services: pet entry

Virginia

Virginia does not ask for a health certificate when you move there with your own pet.
Dogs and cats older than 4 months need a current rabies vaccine.

Routes: Seattle to Washington, DC.

Official sources: Virginia Department of Agriculture: animal admissions · Virginia rule 2VAC5-141-80

Pet entry rules: questions

Does my pet need a health certificate to move to another state?

If your pet flies in the cargo hold, yes: the airline needs one from a vet within 10 days of the flight (14 days for Hawaii). Many states ask for one too, usually valid for 30 days. A few, such as California, Texas, Virginia and Georgia, do not ask for one when you move with your own pet, but the airline still does.

Does the vet need to be USDA accredited?

The airline accepts a licensed vet. Several states, including Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada, ask for a USDA accredited vet. Ask for an accredited vet and one certificate covers the airline and the state.

What should the rabies certificate show?

The vaccine name, the date it was given, when it runs out, and your pet's details, signed by the vet. Several states also want the vaccine written on the health certificate. Keep the rabies certificate with your pet's papers on travel day.

Is a puppy or kitten too young to move?

Each state sets the age at which the rabies vaccine is required, from 12 weeks to 6 months. Alaska and Texas ask you to keep a pet at home until 30 days after its first rabies vaccine. Hawaii is different: puppies and kittens must go through the full entry program, which takes months. The airline has its own minimum age too.

Who checks the papers?

The airline checks the health certificate at cargo check-in. In Hawaii, the state inspects every pet on arrival. Elsewhere, the state rules still apply after you land, so keep the papers.

Do these rules change?

Yes. Temporary animal health orders, like the current screwworm rules for pets from Texas, can start or end within weeks. We check the rules for your move before the vet visit, and the official links below always have the current version.

Last checked against the official pages on October 6, 2026.

Airline and state rules can change, so check the official page before booking.

Rules on this page were last checked on October 6, 2026. Each state section links to its official pages.

Moving your pet to or from Seattle?

Tell us where your pet is going. We check the airline and state rules for your move and plan the vet visit around them.

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