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AB-519 • 2026

Pet broker sales.

Pet broker sales.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Berman
Last action
Official status
Chaptered
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The source confirms civil penalties exist for violations but does not specify amounts.

AB-519: Rules on Selling Pets Through Brokers

This law stops brokers from selling or arranging the sale of dogs under one year old, cats, and rabbits that were bred by others for profit.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits brokers from making available for adoption, selling, or offering for sale a dog under one year of age, any cat, or any rabbit.
  • Defines a broker as a person or business that sells, arranges, negotiates, or processes the sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits bred by another for profit.
  • Includes both in-person and online transactions where someone facilitates the transfer of these animals for profit.
  • Allows certain exceptions to this ban based on specified exemptions listed in the law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People or businesses that act as brokers selling dogs, cats, or rabbits bred by others for profit.
  • Online platforms and websites that arrange pet sales for a fee if they meet the definition of a broker.

Terms To Know

Broker
A person or business that sells, arranges, negotiates, or processes the sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits bred by another for profit, either in person or online.
Lockyer-Polanco-Farr Pet Protection Act
The existing law requiring pet dealers to follow health and safety rules and provide written notice of consumer rights; it also bans online retailers from offering loans for pet sales.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The specific exemptions where brokers are allowed to sell these animals are not listed in the summary.
  • The effective date of this new law is not provided in the source material.
  • The exact amount or type of civil penalty for breaking this rule is mentioned as existing but not detailed.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Chaptered

Official Summary Text

Pet broker sales.