Coweta County, GA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 10-192, animal establishment compliance
- Vaccination rule
- No sale of a dog/cat over 3 months unvaccinated
- Inspection authority
- Animal services may inspect business hours
- License required
- Business license to sell animals, Sec. 10-191
- Kennel standard
- Must meet GA Dept. of Agriculture rules
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Coweta County regulates pet shops and other animal establishments through Sec. 10-192: no dog or cat over three months old may be sold, traded, or given away unless it has already been vaccinated as required by chapter 10. Animal services can inspect the animals and premises during normal business hours, and selling animals also requires a business license under Sec. 10-191.
(a)An animal establishment shall not sell, trade, or give away any dog or cat over three months of age unless the dog or cat has been vaccinated as required by this chapter.(b)Animal services shall be permitted to inspect all animals and the premises where such animals are kept at any reasonable time during normal business hours to ensure compliance with all provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 40).
Full Breakdown
Coweta County defines an 'animal establishment' in Sec. 10-3 as any pet shop, kennel, grooming shop, auction, or performing-animal exhibition, plus facilities run by humane and animal-welfare groups. Sec. 10-192 sets the baseline rule for every one of those businesses: a dog or cat older than three months cannot be sold, traded, or given away unless it already carries the vaccination chapter 10 requires of every owned animal, and animal services has standing authority to walk the premises and examine the animals during normal business hours to check compliance.
Selling, bartering, or otherwise distributing an animal in a public place, including along commercial roadways, first requires the seller to hold a county business license under Sec. 10-191(b); that license requirement does not reach the gratuitous giveaway of pets from a private residential area. Commercial kennels, pet shops, and private kennels also have to meet the Georgia Department of Agriculture's own kennel and pet-dealer rules under Sec. 10-193, and humane societies or nonprofit shelters running an animal facility face the identical Department of Agriculture standard under Sec.
10-194. Coweta County does not run a retail sale ban or an adoption-only mandate for pet shops: a licensed store can still sell dogs and cats directly, as long as the vaccination, business-license, and state Department of Agriculture conditions are all satisfied.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 10-38 makes any Chapter 10 violation, including an unvaccinated sale under Sec. 10-192 or selling animals without the required business license under Sec. 10-191, a misdemeanor punished under Sec. 1-15's general penalty: a fine up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance charged as a separate offense. Animal services can also refer repeat offenders to the county business tax department for license action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Coweta County sell dogs and cats, or is it adoption-only?
Does Coweta County inspect pet shops and kennels?
Do I need a license to sell puppies from my home in Coweta County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coweta County
Compare Coweta County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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