What authority and licenses are required for a transporting pets?
Professional pet movers must be licensed by the USDA as a dealer, carrier, or intermediate handler if they are transporting “regulated” animals. If an animal is unregulated, such as a bird, fish, or reptile, an animal transporter does not need to be licensed by the USDA. Regulations vary animal-to-animal, so make sure you hire a transporter with the proper authority to ship your pet. In addition to being licensed, your pet carrier should provide a minimum amount of insurance. Usually this is one to five hundred dollars per pet. Pet transportation insurance should cover loss, injury, or death of your pet during the trip. Usually, insurance will not cover illness or natural death during transportation.
