Ohio Code § 956.20

Ohio Code § 956.20. Reproduced from the official Ohio Revised Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.

§ 956.20.

(A) No owner, manager, or employee of a pet store shall negligently display, offer for

sale, deliver, barter, auction, broker, give away, transfer, or sell any live dog

from a pet store to a person unless the dog was obtained from one of the following

sources: (1) An animal rescue for dogs; (2) An animal shelter for dogs; (3) A humane society; (4) A dog broker, provided that, if the dog broker originally obtained the dog from a

breeder, the breeder is a qualified breeder; (5) A qualified breeder. (B) No owner, manager, or employee of a pet store shall negligently sell, deliver, barter,

auction, broker, give away, or transfer any of the following: (1) A dog that is less than eight weeks old; (2) A dog without a health certificate signed by an accredited veterinarian; (3) A dog that does not have a permanent implanted identification microchip that is approved

for use by the director of agriculture under rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code ; (4) A dog to a person who is younger than eighteen years of age as verified by valid

photo identification; (5) A dog acquired from a qualified breeder or a dog broker unless the owner, manager,

or employee provides to the person acquiring the dog, at a time prior to the transaction

for the acquisition of the dog, a written certification that includes all of the following

information: (a) The name of the breeder that bred the dog; (b) The address, if available, of the breeder that bred the dog; (c) The United States department of agriculture license number of the breeder that bred

the dog, if applicable, and a copy of the most current United States department of

agriculture inspection report for the breeder; (d) The dog's birth date, if known; (e) The date that the pet store took possession of the dog; (f) The breed, gender, color, and any identifying marks of the dog; (g) A document signed by an accredited veterinarian that describes any known disease,

illness, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of

the dog at the time of examination; (h) A document signed by the owner, manager, or employee of the pet store certifying

that all information required to be provided to the person acquiring the dog under

division (B)(5) of this section is accurate.  A pet store shall keep a copy of the certification for a period of at least two

years from the date of the acquisition.  The owner, manager, or an employee of the pet store shall make the copy of the certification

available for inspection or duplication by the department of agriculture. (6) A dog acquired from a qualified breeder or a dog broker unless all of the following

information regarding the dog is available to the general public at the pet store: (a) The name of the breeder that bred the dog; (b) The address, if available, of the breeder that bred the dog; (c) The United States department of agriculture license number of the breeder that bred

the dog, if applicable; (d) The dog's birth date, if known; (e) The breed of the dog. (C) No owner, manager, or employee of a pet store shall recklessly alter or provide false

information on a certification provided in accordance with division (B)(5) of this

section.

Source: official Ohio text · Last verified 2026-08-27

At a glance

  • Citation: Ohio Revised Code § 956.20
  • Jurisdiction: Ohio
  • Code: Ohio Revised Code
  • Text: transcribed from the official source (verify below)

Verify the text

Statute text is transcribed from the official Ohio Revised Code. Confirm it against the primary source before relying on it:

Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed Ohio attorney.

Common questions

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What subject does Ohio Revised Code § 956.20 address?

It addresses the rule set out in the section text. Read the section together with the surrounding provisions listed under "Nearby provisions" for the full picture.

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