Little Rock, AR Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Retail dog/cat sale ban
- None
- License required
- Privilege license
- Hot water minimum
- 160 degrees F
- Cage size rule
- Room to stand, turn, stretch
- Noncompliance consequence
- License denial or revocation
Summary
Little Rock does not ban retail sale of dogs or cats. Sec. 6-47 lets any licensed pet shop sell live animals as pets, provided the shop meets minimum sanitation and cage-size standards.
(a)In this section "pet shop" means any establishment that offers to sell two (2) or more species of live animals with intent that they be kept as pets.(b)All pet shops...shall...comply with the following minimum standards of this section. Failure to meet these standards shall be grounds for denial of a privilege license or revocation of a privilege license.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 6-47 defines a "pet shop" as any establishment offering to sell two or more species of live animals meant to be kept as pets, and regulates it through the privilege-license system rather than a sales ban. There is no adoption-only mandate and no restriction on sourcing animals from commercial breeders. A shop must provide 160-degree hot water for disinfecting, keep water containers clean and tip-proof, hold a healthful room temperature, and use nonporous cages large enough for the animal to stand, turn, and stretch out.
Violations & Fines
Failure to meet the Sec. 6-47 sanitation and cage standards is grounds for denial or revocation of the shop's privilege license. Code violations generally are also punishable under Sec. 1-9 by a fine up to $1,000, doubled for repeat offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Little Rock pet stores sell dogs and cats from breeders?
Does Little Rock require pet stores to sell only shelter animals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
Compare Little Rock to another location·View the Arkansas animal ordinances overview
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