Colorado law sets pet facility licensing end date for 2034

The law schedules pet facility licensing to end September 1, 2034, and provides for a 15-member advisory committee. The committee advises the agriculture commissioner on rules for Colorado pet facilities and reviews the licensing program. The agriculture commissioner appoints ten members representing distinct license categories, an animal control representative, a veterinarian, and three public members without ties or financial interests in those groups. Each license category that paid at least 25% of program fee revenue in the previous fiscal year must have a representative. Members receive no state pay or expense reimbursement. Initial terms are staggered; later terms last four years, with a limit of two consecutive four-year terms. The definitions separating large and small dog breeders by the number of dogs they transfer expire January 1, 2028. Initial appointments are due on or before December 1, 2026. The current committee loses its authority January 1, 2027.

The agriculture commissioner sets fees and fines within dollar limits and must provide a process for people to request rule changes. Fees cover pet facility license applicants. Fines and stop orders cover violations of the pet facility law or its rules. The annual license fee cannot exceed $1,500 per license. A civil fine cannot exceed $2,500 per violation; neither ceiling requires the commissioner to charge the full amount. The commissioner may order someone to stop a violation when there is reasonable cause to believe it occurred and immediate enforcement is necessary. People have 30 days after a stop order is issued to request a hearing, which must be held promptly. Interested people may ask the commissioner to adopt, change, or remove a program rule. The request does not guarantee a rule change. The general start date is the day after 90 days following final legislative adjournment. A timely referendum petition delays a challenged provision until voters approve it and the governor declares the result.

People importing covered pets into Colorado for sale by a pet facility must have a recent veterinary certificate. The requirement covers pets imported for sale by a pet facility. Reptiles, fish, and rodents are excluded. Unless otherwise authorized by law, the animal must have a valid certificate of veterinary inspection issued by an accredited veterinarian in its state of origin. Pet facilities must meet all import requirements set by the state veterinarian. The certificate must be issued within ten days before the animal arrives in Colorado.

The law provides a temporary exception for pet store dog and cat transactions if HB 26-1011 becomes law. The exception covers sales, transfers, and adoptions of dogs or cats to or by pet stores. HB 26-1011 must become law for this exception to take effect. The exception applies only to the restrictions in section 35-80-108.5(4)(a), whose wording is not included here. The exception starts on this law's applicable effective date and covers transactions only before January 1, 2028.

The law places the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Authority and its funding rules in the shelter-pet license plate section of state law. These provisions cover the authority, its board, and the pet overpopulation fund that supports animal care and population control. The authority remains outside state government and has no authority to adopt rules. Its board includes members from western, eastern, and southern Colorado who represent shelters or rescues or are registered veterinary professionals. The law updates references for shelter-pet license plate donations and voluntary income tax donations to point to the relocated fund.