Sale of Small Animals (Pet Shops)
Any establishment that sells animals as pets must obtain a permit from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Effective December 15, 2024, pet shops may no longer sell dogs or cats.
The Pet Shop (Class P) is a permit to sell fish or small animals, not including cats, dogs, rabbits or guinea pigs and any prohibited animals listed in Article 161 of the NYC Health Code
For more information about the laws affecting pet shops in New York City refer to the Additional Resources below.
Review the Required Documents Checklist to determine which documents you must submit along with your application.
All NYC Health Department permittees are required to carry Workers' Compensation and Disability Insurance and present proof of coverage at the time of application. If you are exempt from this requirement, you must provide a Certificate of Attestation of Exemption (form CE-200) from NYS Workers’ Compensation to present at the time of application.
The Certificate Holder on all insurance documents must be listed as:
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street, CN17A
New York, NY 10013
Workers' Compensation Insurance and Disability Benefits Insurance
Proof of a Certificate of Authority to Collect Sales Tax. The address on the Certificate must match that of the applicant or establishment for which an application is being submitted.
Animal Care & Handling Certificate: All establishments selling small animals as pets must have a supervising manager who has passed an Animal Care and Handling Course. An Animal Care and Handling Certificate or registration in the course is required at the time of applying for the permit, and certification is required prior to opening the business establishment.
All outstanding fines imposed for Health Code Violations at a permitted animal facility must be paid before you can apply for or renew a permit issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Fines may be paid in person at the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings or online.
List of Permit Fees.
Pet Shop (Class P)
- For applications filed between January 1 and June 30, the permit fee is $70.00
- For applications field between July 1 and December 31, the permit fee is $105.00*
*The permit fee for Class P applications submitted between July 1 and December 31 is pro-rated to include the second half of the year in which you applied plus the following 12 months.
List of accepted payment methods.
- Personal Check (made payable to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (accepted only when applying in person)
- Certified Check (made payable to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (accepted only when applying in person)
- Government Check (made payable to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (accepted only when applying in person)
- Money Order (made payable to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (accepted only when applying in person)
- American Express
- Discover
- MasterCard (debit or credit cards)
- Visa
If you submitted your application online, you will receive a receipt via e-mail. If you submitted it in person, DCWP will hand you a receipt. You will be notified if there are any deficiencies in your application which must be corrected to continue processing your application.
Your business may not begin to operate until it has received and passed a pre-permit inspection and received explicit approval to operate from the Department.
After you have submitted your complete application, you must contact theDOHMH Bureau of Veterinary Public Health Services (VPHS) at (646) 364-1783 to schedule an inspection.
Permit applicants of newly renovated establishments should call to schedule an inspection once construction is nearly complete, and all plumbing fixtures have been installed.
Read the NYC Health Code to learn about the requirements for operating a pet shop in New York City. Click on the link below and select Article 161.
Read about your rights as a New York City business owner.
If someone other than the business owner will be submitting the application, a completed Power of Attorney / Authority to Act form is required. The person submitting the application on behalf of the business owner must also show a form of acceptable photo identification.
Payment is required at the time of application.
Remember to use your NYCID to create a new online account.
Complete the standard application form for a new license or permit and gather the required documents.
Permit Application Packet for an Animal Care & Handling Facility
If someone other than the business owner will be submitting the application, a completed Power of Attorney / Authority to Act form is required. The person submitting the application on behalf of the business owner must also show a form of acceptable photo identification.
If someone other than the business owner will be submitting the application, a completed Power of Attorney / Authority to Act form is required. The person submitting the application on behalf of the business owner must also show a form of acceptable photo identification.
Renewals may be submitted online via the NYC Online Licensing system. Registration is required. You will not be permitted to renew a permit if you have outstanding fines. You can pay fines online before renewing.
To renew online for the first time, you will need the Personal Identification Number (PIN) found on your Renewal Notice. You can also link multiple records to one single online account by using the PIN number found on each individual renewal application.
If you do not have access to your Renewal Notice, you may obtain your PIN(s) by completing an online PIN Request Form or by calling 311.
You may renew your permit in person at the DCWP Citywide Licensing Center. If you send someone to renew for you, they must present an Authority to Act on your behalf.
