Do dog trainers have to be certified?

What the rules say

Place	Rule	Does it require certification?
United States	CCPDT describes the profession as largely unregulated, and says it is not a federal or state licensing agency	CCPDT says certification is often voluntary
Hillsborough County, Florida	Trainers register, training businesses are licensed, and trainers must give every customer a written dog-training plan	No. The county says no certification or education is required
Massachusetts (kennels)	A person maintaining a kennel must get a kennel license from the city or town. A commercial boarding or training kennel is an establishment that boards or trains animals it does not own, for pay, in the owner’s absence	The license is for the kennel, not the trainer

This table covers the places we checked, and other counties, cities, and states may have their own rules. Ask your local animal control office.

State lawmakers have introduced bills that would add licensing, but a bill is not a law. New Jersey bill A4206, introduced February 19, 2026, would bar anyone from practicing dog training without a license, and New York Senate bill S7723, introduced May 1, 2025, would have the state agriculture commissioner set licensing and educational standards for people who teach basic obedience courses.

CCPDT says it supports legislation that would require legitimate certification, which is a stated position and not a law. CCPDT certifies trainers itself, so it has a stake in the outcome.

Certificate or certification

CCPDT separates a certificate program, which is an educational program that any individual or organization can offer, from a credentialing certification, which uses an exam.

CCPDT says CPDT-KA indicates that a trainer has passed an exam and has at least 300 hours of dog training experience. Its counts report lists 5,383 CPDT-KA, 154 CPDT-KSA, and 560 CBCC-KA certificants worldwide as of 12/31/2024.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) says credentials alone do not guarantee quality, and that method matters. It calls methods that rely on force, intimidation, or pain unnecessary and unethical.

What to check instead of a license

• Ask the trainer questions about training, behavior, and methods.
• Ask for client references.
• Treat a trainer who uses primarily punishment-based methods as a red flag. CCPDT’s owner guide lists it as one.
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• Look at the trainer’s website and social media videos for clues about methods and professionalism. AVSAB says they help.
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• Check education and credentials. AVSAB’s handout has a step for it, and CCPDT’s owner guide links to its directory of certified dog trainers and behavior consultants.
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