Bringing a Dog From Canada to the U.S. (2026 Rules)
Short answer: Canada is not a high-risk rabies country, so a healthy dog from Canada that is at least 6 months old and microchipped needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The form is free. A receipt can be reused for multiple entries for 6 months, as long as the dog's departure country stays the same, which makes it workable for frequent cross-border drivers (CDC FAQs).
Source: CDC dog importation FAQs and low-risk country page, last checked 2026-11-02.
Canada-to-U.S. checklist
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| CDC Dog Import Form receipt | Required for every dog, one form per dog; free |
| Receipt validity | Multiple entries for 6 months if the dog's travel history stays the same |
| Microchip | Required; must be readable by a universal scanner and recorded on the form |
| Age | At least 6 months old at arrival |
| Land border | OK for dogs that were only in low-risk countries |
| Transit through the U.S. (for example, Ontario to Alaska) | Same entry requirements |
Sources: CDC FAQs; CDC low-risk countries page.
When it gets harder
- The dog was in a high-risk country in the last 6 months (for example, it was adopted from abroad). The high-risk rules apply. A foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country can't cross at a land border and must arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility (CDC).
- A U.S.-vaccinated dog that went to a high-risk country has its own path; see returning with a U.S.-vaccinated dog.
Unconfirmed: Individual U.S. states may also have health-certificate rules for dogs entering from Canada, and airlines may have their own rules. Check your destination state's agriculture department.
Want it on one page? Dog travel document checklist by scenario (paid PDF; everything in it is also free on this site and cdc.gov).
Sources
- CDC: Dog importation FAQs
- CDC: Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries
- CDC: Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
Keep going: This page is part of our main guide to bringing a dog into the U.S., which walks through every decision in order. Related questions: Mexico to the U.S. with a dog and Microchip rules. Ready to act? See CDC Dog Import Form step by step.
More guides
- Airline and CDC timing: a countdown for flying your dog into the U.S.
- Bringing a dog from Brazil to the U.S.: CDC high-risk rules
- Bringing a Dog into the U.S. in 2027: Current CDC Rules
- CDC Dog Import Form: step-by-step guide (2026)
- CDC Dog Import Rule Change: Proposed Rule Status 2026
- China to the U.S. with a dog: CDC rules (and Hong Kong)
- Bringing a dog from Colombia to the U.S. (CDC high-risk rules)
- Common reasons dogs are denied entry to the U.S. (and how to avoid them)
- Microchip rules for dogs entering the U.S. (is ISO required?)
- Dominican Republic to the U.S. with a dog: CDC rules
- CDC high-risk countries for dog rabies: the list explained
- Bringing a dog from India to the U.S.: CDC high-risk rules
- Bringing a dog from Mexico to the U.S. (CDC rules for 2026)
- Military and Government Families Bringing a Dog Home
- Bringing a dog from the Philippines to the U.S. (CDC high-risk rules)
- Can I Bring a Puppy Into the U.S.? The 6-Month Rule
- Rabies vaccine, titer and certificate rules for dogs entering the U.S.
- U.S. dog entry requirements by risk category (comparison table)
- Returning to the U.S. with your U.S.-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country
- Service Dogs and CDC Dog Import Rules (2026)
- South Africa to the U.S. with a dog: CDC rules
- Bringing a dog from Thailand to the U.S. (CDC high-risk rules)
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- Vietnam to the U.S. with a dog: CDC high-risk rules