Idaho Falls, ID Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- retail stores & commercial establishments
- Exception
- shelter/rescue-sourced animals allowed
- Breeder exemption
- direct sales from breeding premises
- Adopted
- Ord. 3509 (2023); amended Ord. 3648 (2026)
Summary
Idaho Falls bars pet stores and other retail businesses from selling live dogs or cats, permitting sales only of animals sourced from a shelter, humane society, or nonprofit rescue that doesn't breed or resell them.
It shall be unlawful for any person to display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, raffle off, offer to raffle off, give away, transfer, or sell any live dog or cat of any age in a retail business or other commercial establishment located within the City, except for a dog and cat obtained from an animal shelter, humane society, or non-profit animal rescue organization that does not breed dogs or cats and does not obtain dogs or cats from a person who breeds or resells such animals for payment or compensation.
(B) Every establishment lawfully selling or boarding for the purpose of eventual sale any dog or cat shall maintain a certificate of source for each such animal and shall make it available upon request to enforcement officers, law enforcement, or any other City employee charged with enforcing the provisions of this subsection.
(C) This subsection shall not apply to the sale of a dog or cat from the premises upon or in which they were bred and reared.
(Ord. 3509, 04-13-2023; Ord. 3648, 4-9-26)
CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF IDAHO FALLS 258 SECTION: CHAPTER 6 DOG CONTROL
Full Breakdown
Idaho Falls City Code § 5-5-14 makes it unlawful for any retail business or commercial establishment in the city to display, sell, barter, raffle, or give away a live dog or cat, closing off the classic pet-store puppy-mill pipeline. Stores may still sell animals sourced from an animal shelter, humane society, or nonprofit rescue that does not breed or resell animals, and any such seller must keep a certificate of source available to enforcement officers on request. The ban does not reach a breeder selling directly from the premises where the animals were bred and reared. Adopted by Ordinance 3509 (2023) and amended by Ordinance 3648 (2026).
Violations & Fines
Violating this section carries no separate penalty listed, so the Code's general misdemeanor penalty applies: up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both for each violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Idaho Falls sell puppies from a breeder?
Can a breeder still sell dogs directly from home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Idaho Falls
Compare Idaho Falls to another location·View the Idaho animal ordinances overview
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