---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-12-9. Importation, sale, and breeding of animals and birds to be kept as pets.
collection: code
id: 31-12-9
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-12-9 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-12-9
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-12-9.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-12-9/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=769
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-12-8.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-12-10.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / CONTROL OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS, PREVENTABLE DISEASES, AND METABOLIC DISORDERS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-12-9. Importation, sale, and breeding of animals and birds to be kept as pets.

In addition to its other powers in the control of preventable diseases, the department may by rule, regulation, and order provide for the licensing, registration, supervision, and investigation of all firms or persons importing, purchasing, breeding, or selling any birds or animals as pets, or any birds or animals which are customarily kept as pets, and may require all such firms or persons to comply with reporting and record-keeping requirements and marking, banding, or other identification requirements. The department is further empowered to prescribe rules and regulations governing the shipment, transportation, or carriage of such birds or animals and require such other control measures deemed necessary to prevent infectious matter present in birds, arthropods, and animals from being conveyed to persons unless the responsibility of such control is by law delegated to some other agency.

## History

Code 1933, § 88-1205, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1.

## Cross References

Authority of Department of Agriculture to quarantine, seize, and destroy birds carrying exotic or untreatable disease, § 4-10-7.

Transfer of domestic animals along public areas, § 4-11-10.1.

## Administrative Rules and Regulations

Bird Dealers Licensing, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rules of Georgia Department of Agriculture, Animal Health Division, Rule 40-13-12-.01 et seq.

Animal Protection, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rules of Georgia Department of Agriculture, Animal Health Division, Rule 40-13-13-.01 et seq.