Maryland has built one of the stronger state-level frameworks in the country for addressing puppy mill operations. From a landmark retail sales ban to county-level kennel licensing requirements, the state has layered multiple legal tools on top of federal minimums to reduce the demand for commercially mass-bred dogs and protect both animals and consumers.
If you live in Maryland and want to understand how the law defines a puppy mill, what breeders must do to operate legally, or how to report suspected abuse, this guide walks you through each piece of the framework in plain terms.
What Is Considered a Puppy Mill in Maryland
Maryland law does not use the phrase “puppy mill” as a formal legal term with a single statutory definition. Instead, the state targets the conditions and commercial practices associated with puppy mills through a combination of licensing thresholds, animal welfare standards, and retail sale restrictions.
In practical terms, the operations that Maryland’s laws are designed to address are large-scale commercial breeding facilities that prioritize volume over animal welfare. Puppy mills are characterized by tiny, cramped cages, filthy conditions, and little to no veterinary care. These conditions, combined with long-distance transport to retail stores, frequently result in puppies with serious health or behavioral problems by the time they reach buyers.
Puppy mills aren’t defined by how many dogs they breed, but by how they breed them. A small breeder can be just as inhumane as a large one if the animals are treated as commodities instead of living beings. Maryland’s legal framework reflects this by setting both numerical licensing thresholds and substantive care standards that apply regardless of operation size.
For the purposes of Maryland’s kennel licensing law, the threshold that triggers commercial breeder status is specific: a person must obtain a kennel license if they own or have custody of six or more unspayed female dogs over the age of six months kept for the purpose of breeding and selling their offspring, or if they sell dogs from six or more litters in a year. Operations that fall below this threshold may still be subject to local county rules and general animal cruelty statutes.
Federal Law and How It Applies in Maryland
The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the primary national law governing commercial dog breeders. Breeders who have five or more breeding female dogs must obtain a USDA license and undergo regular inspections if they sell the animals wholesale, such as to pet stores. USDA inspectors conduct routine, unannounced inspections of all facilities licensed or registered under the AWA.
While the federal Animal Welfare Act sets a low bar for commercial dog breeders, it is really up to individual states to enact and enforce stronger protections. Maryland has done exactly that. Animal regulation is considered a state function, and the federal regulations are a floor — the AWA does not prohibit state and local governments from adopting additional standards.
This distinction matters for you as a Maryland resident or buyer. A breeder can be fully USDA-licensed and still be operating in ways that violate Maryland’s stricter state and county requirements. Federal compliance alone does not guarantee that a facility meets Maryland’s animal care standards or its retail sale restrictions.
Key Insight: When evaluating a breeder, USDA licensing is a starting point, not a seal of approval. Maryland’s state and county laws impose requirements that go beyond what federal inspectors check.
Does Maryland Have Puppy Mill Laws
Yes — Maryland has some of the most significant puppy mill-related laws in the United States. The state has been at the forefront of this issue for years. On April 24, 2018, Governor Larry Hogan signed into law HB 1662, the “No More Puppy-Mill Pups Act of 2018,” making Maryland the second state to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats obtained from commercial breeding facilities.
The path to full enforcement was not immediate. In 2020, Maryland passed a statewide law to shut down the puppy mill pipeline into the state by ending the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores. Some pet stores refused to comply with the law, claiming a loophole allowed them to sell puppies by appointment. This forced lawmakers to amend the law in 2021.
The 2021 amendment closed that loophole, and the law has since survived multiple legal challenges. A federal appeals court upheld the constitutionality of Maryland’s law banning the sale of dogs and cats through retail pet shops, rejecting a challenge by Missouri dog breeders and Maryland pet stores. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked the second time the law had been upheld.
As of April 2025, eight states — California, Maryland, Maine, Washington, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Vermont — have banned the retail sale of animals sourced from puppy mills. Maryland’s law remains one of the more thoroughly litigated and legally tested among them. You can compare Maryland’s approach with laws in neighboring and other states, including puppy mill laws in Virginia and puppy mill laws in Pennsylvania.
Commercial Breeder Licensing and Inspection Requirements in Maryland
Maryland’s commercial breeder licensing system operates primarily at the county level under a state-established framework. In Maryland, dog breeders are regulated primarily through state law and local county licensing. Under Maryland Local Government Code §13-108, anyone who keeps six or more unspayed female dogs over six months old for breeding or sells dogs from six or more litters per year must obtain a kennel license from their local licensing authority.
Some counties require a commercial kennel or breeder license even at lower dog counts, along with facility inspections, sanitation standards, and zoning approval. This means the threshold that triggers licensing requirements may be lower in your county than the state baseline. Always check with your county’s animal control or licensing office for the specific rules that apply to your location.
Once licensed, breeders face ongoing obligations. Senate Bill 839 expanded breeder oversight by requiring additional documentation and reporting to the Maryland Department of Labor. Breeders must maintain health records, provide adequate shelter, food, water, and veterinary care, and ensure all puppies sold are vaccinated against rabies when applicable.
Each local licensing agency that issues licenses to kennel breeders must collect and maintain a record of specified information for each kennel license issued in the county, and on or before January 15 of each year, each local licensing agency must report to the Maryland Department of Labor the information collected for the preceding year. This annual reporting requirement creates a statewide data trail for licensed breeding operations.
Inspections are a built-in part of the licensing process in many counties. In Charles County, for example, an appointment for inspection is made by Charles County Animal Control Services within 30 days of receipt of a kennel license application. This pre-licensing inspection ensures facilities meet baseline standards before animals are placed in their care. In Calvert County, the owner must certify that they have not been found guilty of cruelty to animals in any jurisdiction or state, and no person found guilty of animal cruelty shall be issued a license to operate a commercial animal establishment.
Important Note: Maryland does not have a single statewide commercial breeder licensing agency. Licensing, inspections, and fee structures vary by county. Contact your county’s animal control division directly to confirm the rules that apply to your specific location.
Maryland law does not prohibit the governing body of a county from enacting more stringent kennel licensing ordinances. Counties like Anne Arundel go further than the state baseline: every person in the business of buying, selling, breeding, or boarding animals must secure a commercial license. This broader language captures operations that might fall below the state’s six-litter or six-female-dog thresholds. For more context on how other states handle commercial breeder licensing, see puppy mill laws in New Jersey and puppy mill laws in New York.
Pet Store Sale Restrictions in Maryland
Maryland’s pet store law is the most visible and far-reaching part of the state’s anti-puppy mill framework. The current law — a 2021 update to the original 2018 act — is clear: retail pet stores “may not sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of cats or dogs.”
The law does allow specific exceptions. Retail pet stores may only offer a dog or cat for sale if the animal is obtained from an animal protection organization, an animal control unit, the original breeder of the dog or cat, or a dealer that obtained the animal from the original breeder (if both breeder and dealer meet certain requirements). The key distinction is that the animal must come directly from its source — not from a commercial broker who buys in bulk from multiple out-of-state mills.
“Practically speaking, the Pet Store Statute allows breeders to sell dogs in Maryland, both in person and over the internet, but prohibits retail pet stores and brokers from selling dogs,” according to Circuit Judge Allison Jones Rushing, who wrote the opinion for the 4th Circuit. This means you can still buy directly from a breeder in Maryland or have a puppy shipped from a breeder in another state — what you cannot do is purchase a dog from a retail pet store acting as a middleman.
Maryland’s law encourages animal welfare organizations to collaborate with retail pet stores to showcase cats and dogs for adoption or purchase from “local breeders,” according to state legislative analysts. In practice, this means you may see adoption events hosted at pet stores, but the stores themselves cannot profit from the direct sale of commercially bred puppies.
The law has been challenged repeatedly and has held up each time. “Protecting consumers, reducing financial support for mill breeders, and encouraging pet adoption are indisputably legitimate state interests,” the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland stated in upholding the original law. The 4th Circuit’s December 2024 ruling reaffirmed this position. For comparison, see how other states have approached this issue, including puppy mill laws in California, puppy mill laws in Illinois, and puppy mill laws in Washington.
| Activity | Permitted Under Maryland Law |
|---|---|
| Retail pet store selling a dog obtained from a commercial broker | No — prohibited |
| Retail pet store hosting shelter/rescue adoption events | Yes — encouraged |
| Breeder selling directly to a buyer in person | Yes — permitted |
| Breeder selling to a Maryland buyer over the internet | Yes — permitted |
| Pet store selling a dog obtained directly from the original breeder | Yes — if breeder and dealer meet statutory requirements |
How to Report a Suspected Puppy Mill in Maryland
If you suspect a breeding operation in Maryland is violating state law — whether through unlicensed operation, failure to provide adequate care, or illegal retail sales — you have several reporting avenues available to you.
- Your county’s animal control division: This is typically your first and most direct point of contact for local kennel violations, suspected cruelty, or unlicensed breeding operations. Each Maryland county has its own animal control authority with inspection and enforcement powers.
- Maryland Department of Labor: The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing collects annual kennel breeder data reported by county licensing agencies. You can contact this office if you believe a breeder is operating without the required county license.
- Maryland State Police or local law enforcement: Animal cruelty is a criminal matter in Maryland. For situations involving immediate animal suffering, contact local law enforcement in addition to animal control.
- USDA Animal Care: If the operation is large enough to require a federal license (five or more breeding females selling wholesale), you can file a complaint with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). USDA inspectors conduct unannounced inspections of licensed facilities.
- The Humane Society of the United States or the Animal Legal Defense Fund: These national organizations track puppy mill activity and can help direct your complaint to the appropriate authority or take independent legal action.
When you file a report, document as much as you can: the address of the facility, the number and condition of animals you observed, any signage or advertising, and the date and time of your observation. Detailed, factual reports are far more likely to result in an inspection than general concerns.
Pro Tip: If you purchased a puppy from a Maryland pet store or breeder and believe the animal came from an inhumane facility, you can also contact the Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Maryland’s consumer protection laws apply to pet sales, and the Attorney General’s office has previously taken enforcement action against pet stores that violated the retail sales ban.
Penalties for Puppy Mill Violations in Maryland
Penalties for violating Maryland’s puppy mill-related laws fall into several categories depending on the nature of the violation: criminal animal cruelty, kennel licensing violations, and retail sales ban violations.
Criminal animal cruelty penalties apply when dogs at a breeding facility are subjected to neglect, abuse, or inhumane conditions. Maryland’s animal cruelty statutes treat these as criminal offenses. A person who violates Maryland’s animal control subtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 30 days or a fine. More serious aggravated cruelty charges carry significantly heavier penalties under Maryland’s criminal code.
Kennel licensing violations are handled at the county level, so penalties vary by jurisdiction. In Cecil County, for example, it is a condition of any license that the Animal Care and Control Authority shall be permitted to inspect all animals and the premises where animals are kept at any reasonable time, and if permission for such inspections is refused, the license of the refusing owner shall be revoked. In Calvert County, a license may be suspended for up to 30 days if a licensee is convicted of a Class A, B, or C violation, and suspended for up to 60 days or revoked for a Class D or E violation or a subsequent Class A, B, or C violation.
Retail sales ban violations are enforced by the Maryland Attorney General’s office. When pet stores refused to comply with the 2020 law, Maryland’s Attorney General filed charges against two shops — Just Puppies and another store — for continuing to sell dogs in violation of the ban. Stores that violate the ban risk prosecution, injunctions, and civil penalties. The 4th Circuit’s December 2024 ruling makes clear that further legal challenges to the ban are unlikely to succeed.
Beyond formal penalties, breeders who lose their kennel license face practical consequences: they cannot legally operate, and in counties like Calvert, a licensee whose license was revoked is not eligible for another license unless approval is granted by the Director of Public Safety after a hearing, and may not apply for a new license unless one year has passed since the revocation.
Maryland’s enforcement record shows the state takes these violations seriously. The combination of criminal exposure, license revocation, and civil enforcement by the Attorney General creates real deterrents for operators who might otherwise ignore the rules. To see how Maryland’s penalty structure compares with other states, explore puppy mill laws in Ohio, puppy mill laws in Missouri, and puppy mill laws in Michigan.
If you are buying a dog in Maryland, the law is on your side. Purchase directly from a breeder you can visit, ask for health records, and verify the breeder’s county kennel license. Maryland’s framework gives you the legal tools to make an informed decision — and the reporting channels to act if something looks wrong.