https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/state-to-state
Sometimes only a current rabies certificate is sufficient. Other times a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) - informally called a "health certificate" - is needed. Each state is different. For example, North Carolina (where I live) just requires a valid rabies certificate to bring a dog into the state. Missouri (where Purina Farms is located) requires a health certificate even if you are just bringing a dog into Missouri to show.
I have never seen guards at state borders checking for the proper paperwork for dogs entering the state. However if one was pulled over by a policeman for some reason, one could be asked to produce the paperwork (and you could be fined and your dog seized if you do not have it).
When I sell a puppy, a few days before the puppy leaves me, I take the puppy to my local vet and get a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI). This lets me demonstrate to puppy buyers that I am selling them a healthy puppy. It also often gives my buyers the necessary paperwork to legally travel with their new puppy. In the old days, this was just a note from my vet that the dog had been examined and was healthy. When I moved to North Carolina, I was informed that a USDA APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) form 7001 was required to be filled out and signed by my vet. This is what I have requested from my vet and used for many years.
Recently I learned that - because some bad actors were forging their vet's signature on the APHIS form 7001 - that many states are no longer accepting the paper APHIS form as proof of veterinary inspection. The following website has a map showing many of these states:
https://www.globalvetlink.com/blog/changes-in-small-animal-movement-documents/
Now what is recommended is an electronic CVI - this allows the paper copy of the certificate to be uniquely identified, electronically signed, and quickly checked and traced. One company - GlobalVetLink (globalvetlink.com) - seems to dominate the market for electronic CVIs. (Although searching on the web I was able to find other companies offering similar services). GlobalVetLink was the only company I was referred to when I contacted the department of agriculture of two states (my own and the state where one of my puppies is moving). I understand that GlobalVetLink's electronic CVIs are accepted in all 50 states.
To find a local veterinarian that uses GlobalVetLink's services, go to
https://user.globalvetlink.com/gvl2/find-a-vet
I had to scramble this time to get my puppy an electronic CVI. Hopefully things will be easier next time. And I hope this note makes things easier for anyone reading it.
Blair Kelly
Shaksper Norwich
14 Mar 2025