Renew a Cat or Dog Breeder License

Renewal Application and Fees

A renewal form will be mailed to your address of record approximately 60 days before your license expires. It is your responsibility to renew your license before it expires, regardless of whether or not you received notification.

If you do not receive a renewal notification within 60 days prior to license expiration, please contact the department as soon as possible to arrange for another renewal form to be delivered, or to update your mailing address.

As part of the renewal form, you must provide a valid state sales tax identification number with your renewal application, as well as the names and addresses of each person who has a controlling interest of at least 25% in the operation.

Licenses are valid for one year from the date of issue.

Renewal of Expired Licenses

Once your license has expired, you cannot perform any function of a breeder that requires a license until the license is renewed. Doing so may result in administrative penalties and/or sanctions, including fines.

A person whose license has been expired for 90 days or less may renew the license by paying to the department a renewal fee that is equal to 1-1/2 times the normally required renewal fee.

A person whose license has been expired for more than 90 days but less than 18 months may renew the license by paying to the department a renewal fee that is equal to two times the normally required renewal fee.

All renewal fees are non-refundable.

Fees for Expired Licenses

** Renewal of licenses that have been expired for at least 18 months but less than three years require approval from the executive director. See the Request to Executive Director for Expired License Renewal Form (PDF) for further information on how to apply for a renewal.

If your license has been expired for more than 3 years you may not renew your license. You must re-apply for a new license. You may also be subject to enforcement actions, including administrative penalties and sanctions, for operating with an expired license.

Applicants with Criminal Convictions

The department will conduct a criminal history background check on all persons who apply for a cat or dog breeder license renewal. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.

Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.

Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.