Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-102

§2140 Recordkeeping by Dealers, Exhibitors, Research Facilities, Intermediate Handlers, and Carriers

Title 7 › CHAPTER 54 — TRANSPORTATION, SALE, AND HANDLING OF CERTAIN ANIMALS › § 2140

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Dealers and exhibitors must make and keep records about animals they buy, sell, move, identify, and who owned them before. The Secretary decides how long those records must be kept. Research facilities must keep the same kinds of records only for live dogs and cats. If a federal agency uses forms for carriers and intermediate handlers, those forms must include any extra details the Secretary asks for. Carriers and handlers must keep those records for the time the Secretary sets and let the Secretary inspect or copy them at reasonable times.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §2140

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Dealers and exhibitors shall make and retain for such reasonable period of time as the Secretary may prescribe, such records with respect to the purchase, sale, transportation, identification, and previous ownership of animals as the Secretary may prescribe. Research facilities shall make and retain such records only with respect to the purchase, sale, transportation, identification, and previous ownership of live dogs and cats. At the request of the Secretary, any regulatory agency of the Federal Government which requires records to be maintained by intermediate handlers and carriers with respect to the transportation, receiving, handling, and delivery of animals on forms prescribed by the agency, shall require there to be included in such forms, and intermediate handlers and carriers shall include in such forms, such information as the Secretary may require for the effective administration of this chapter. Such information shall be retained for such reasonable period of time as the Secretary may prescribe. If regulatory agencies of the Federal Government do not prescribe requirements for any such forms, intermediate handlers and carriers shall make and retain for such reasonable period as the Secretary may prescribe such records with respect to the transportation, receiving, handling, and delivery of animals as the Secretary may prescribe. Such records shall be made available at all reasonable times for inspection and copying by the Secretary.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1976—Pub. L. 94–279 struck out “, upon forms supplied by the Secretary” after “ownership of animals as the Secretary may prescribe” and inserted provisions dealing with the records required to be maintained by intermediate handlers and carriers relating to the transportation, receiving, handling and delivery of animals. 1970—Pub. L. 91–579 extended recordkeeping requirements to include exhibitors and to include animals, as defined, rather than only dogs and cats, except that research facilities shall continue to keep required records only for live dogs and cats.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–579 effective one year after Dec. 24, 1970, see section 23 of Pub. L. 91–579, set out as a note under section 2131 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 2140

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102