Dog importation: health certificates.

Senator Umberg's dog importation legislation centralizes California's health certification requirements for imported dogs under the Department of Food and Agriculture, replacing the current county-based submission system. The measure establishes new protocols for sellers, transporters, and importers bringing dogs into California for resale or ownership transfer.

Under the proposed framework, parties must obtain and electronically submit veterinary health certificates to both the Department and buyers within 10 days before importing dogs. These certificates must document examination dates, health status, vaccination records, and detailed information about the animals, sellers, and buyers involved. While dogs under three months old and those with health concerns may receive exemptions from rabies vaccination requirements, all other certification elements remain mandatory.

The Department would develop and maintain a public website containing unredacted health certificates and associated data, searchable by certificate components. The legislation designates these records as public documents available without formal California Public Records Act requests. This shifts oversight from county health departments to state-level administration while maintaining criminal penalties for non-compliance with submission requirements.