Pet vaccination rules for boarding & grooming in Georgia

Georgia rules we’ve verified

Vaccination mandate. Georgia’s Rabies Control Law requires county boards of health to adopt rules requiring dogs and cats to be inoculated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and the Department of Public Health directs that dogs, cats and ferrets be kept current. Because intervals are set county by county, check your county’s rules. [O.C.G.A. §§ 31-19-1, 31-19-5; Ga. DPH Rabies Control Manual (8th ed., Dec. 2024) — verified August 31, 2026]

Record keeping. Georgia-licensed kennels must keep complete records of all animals in their care — including custodial care and health records, not just sales and transfers — on the premises for 12 months. [Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-13-13-.04(1)(h) — verified August 31, 2026]

Georgia’s definition of “kennel” is broad — it covers establishments that board, hold, train or groom dogs or cats for a fee — so grooming shops need the same Department of Agriculture licence as boarders (Rules 40-13-13-.01, -.02). The state rules do not impose a rabies-proof-at-intake duty for in-state boarders, though dogs and cats entering Georgia from out of state do need proof of current rabies vaccination (Rule 40-13-13-.06).

Citations checked against primary sources on August 31, 2026. Laws change — verify anything you rely on with the authority itself.

What facilities in Georgia commonly require

Separately from any law, most grooming salons, daycares and boarding kennels set their own admission policy — and it is usually stricter than the legal minimum, because one sick dog can close a playroom for a week. Typical policies ask for:

Dogs: current rabies, DHPP (distemper–parvo combination), and bordetella (kennel cough) — with bordetella most strictly enforced by boarding and daycare, where dogs share air. Some facilities also ask for leptospirosis or canine influenza in areas that have seen outbreaks. Cats: current rabies and FVRCP.

Bring the certificate your veterinarian issued — the facility needs the expiry date printed on it, not just proof a shot happened. Some owners carry titer (antibody test) results instead of a booster; whether a facility accepts titers is that facility’s call, and many don’t for rabies.

Running a pet-care business in Georgia?

Whatever your policy is, the hard part is keeping proof of it current for every pet without chasing paper. VaxCheck gives you a QR code for the counter: owners type their own dates and photograph the certificate, your staff verifies once, owners get automatic reminders before anything expires, and check-in becomes a red / amber / green list. You can set the exact vaccines your policy requires, and it flags any pet missing one.

Pet owner in Georgia?

Keep every certificate in one place, get told before anything expires, and hand a copy to any groomer, daycare, kennel or sitter who asks — including one that has never heard of VaxCheck. They open a link, print what they need, and create nothing. Free, and there is no password to lose.

What a shop will ask you for, and how to have it ready · See your pet’s records