Albuquerque, NM Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog/cat retail sales
- Banned; pet stores cannot sell dogs or cats
- Permit required
- Pet Store Permit (PSP), $50 per year
- Sick-animal coverage
- Vet costs reimbursed if sick within 1 week
- Record retention
- 3 years, buyer contact info required
- Civil fines
- $200 / $300 / $500, 1st/2nd/3rd violation
- No permit operation
- Petty misdemeanor, each day a new offense
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days to City Clerk
Summary
Albuquerque bans retail pet stores from selling dogs or cats outright. A store may sell only other living creatures, fish, birds, rodents, insects, arachnids, reptiles and other Permissible Exotic Animals, and only after obtaining a Pet Store Permit (PSP) from the city's Animal Welfare Department.
Pet Stores shall not sell Companion Animals but may sell other living creatures including fish, birds, rodents, insects, arachnids, reptiles and other Permissible Exotic Animal... (A) No Pet Store shall conduct business in the city without a Pet Store Permit (PSP)... (F) PSP Holders are liable for the medical costs including medicine, up to the amount the Animal was sold for, for any Animal that is diagnosed as sick by a Veterinarian qualified for the species within one week from the date of sale. (G) The PSP Holder shall reimburse the patron the costs associated with the sick Animal, up to the amount paid by the patron when the Animal was purchased... (J) Thorough and accurate records for each Animal that passes through a PSP site must be maintained and kept for three years and must be made available upon demand by the Mayor's designee... (L) The daily use of antibiotics for preventative purposes, and not to treat a specific Illness or condition, is prohibited whether administered in food, water or by any other method.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-95: Current through Ordinance 2026-010, passed 4-6-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-2-3-12 of the Revised Ordinances of Albuquerque, part of the Humane and Ethical Animal Rules and Treatment (HEART) Ordinance, states flatly that Pet Stores shall not sell Companion Animals (legally defined as dogs and cats) but may sell other living creatures. No Pet Store may operate in the city without a PSP, which costs $50 per year under Sec. 9-2-3-16(B)(7) and requires a valid Tax ID and city Business Registration before the application is even filed. A PSP attaches to one specific commercial address; holders cannot sell from a mobile facility or a different site, and a PSP holder is barred from also holding an Intact Companion Animal Permit, Litter Permit or Multiple Companion Animal Site Permit.
If an animal sold by a PSP holder is diagnosed sick by a qualified veterinarian within one week of the sale, the holder must cover the buyer's veterinary costs up to the sale price and reimburse the buyer for costs already paid; the buyer keeps the animal either way, and either side can appeal a fee dispute to the city's Administrative Hearing Officer, with the losing PSP holder covering the appeal costs. PSP holders must keep three years of records on every animal moving through the site, including each buyer's name, address and phone number and where the animal originated, available on demand to the Mayor's designee.
Preventative daily antibiotic dosing of stock animals, whether in food, water or otherwise, is prohibited outright. Sick animals must be isolated and treated promptly. The section was last amended by Ordinance 2023-016.
Violations & Fines
Operating a pet store without a valid PSP is a petty misdemeanor under Sec. 1-1-99, with each day of unpermitted operation a separate offense; the lack of a permit is prima facie evidence of the violation. For permit holders, the Mayor's designee can issue a written notice, then a civil fine of $200 for a first violation, $300 for a second and $500 for a third or later violation, plus suspension or revocation of the PSP for serious or repeated violations. Fines are due within 30 days and unpaid fines can become a lien on the holder's assets. A permit holder or applicant has 15 days from notice to file a written hearing request with the City Clerk under the Independent Office of Hearings Ordinance, Chapter 2, Article 7, Part 8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a puppy or kitten from an Albuquerque pet store?
What does an Albuquerque Pet Store Permit require?
What if an animal I bought from a pet store gets sick?
What happens if a pet store operates without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
Compare Albuquerque to another location·View the New Mexico animal ordinances overview
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