Mainland United States
Mississippi
Import permit neededRabies vaccine neededVet certificate neededNo quarantine
Before you sail
- Import permitImport permitRequiredconfidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- Rabies vaccine at least 4 weeks before arrival; at least 3 months old when vaccinatedRabies vaccineRabies — min. before travel28 days (DERIVED, NOT STATED. Mississippi's rule asks for "proof of current rabies vaccination per guidelines outlined in the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Rabies Compendium", so the Compendium's test of currency is the one that applies. It says: "Within 28 days after initial vaccination, a peak rabies virus antibody titer is expected, and the animal can be considered immunized." A booster counts at once — the Compendium treats an animal as currently vaccinated immediately after any booster. So the wait bites only a FIRST vaccination: one given in your last foreign port a fortnight before landfall may not count as current. No Mississippi document states 28 days in its own words, and nothing says what happens to an animal that arrives inside the window.)confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[511]Rabies — min. age at vaccination90 days (Three months, in both the entry rule and the statute. Rule 109.01 reaches dogs, cats and ferrets "three (3) months or older", and § 41-53-1 requires a dog or cat to be vaccinated "immediately after said dog or cat has reached the age of three (3) months". Younger animals may enter unvaccinated and are quarantined until vaccinated at three months.)confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[59]
- Veterinary health certificate, endorsed by the exporting country's veterinary authority
- Parasite treatment — internal and externalParasites — internalNone. Rule 109 asks for rabies vaccination and, for some movements, a CVI, and nothing else; no deworming or tapeworm treatment is required of a dog or cat entering Mississippi. Recorded as an observed absence rather than an exemption.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]Parasites — externalNEW WORLD SCREWWORM — FEDERAL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL, STATE FOR A TEXAS ONE. Under the inherited 9 CFR 93.600(a), a dog from a region where screwworm is considered to exist may be imported only with a certificate from a full-time salaried veterinary official of that region, inspected within the 5 days before shipment. MBAH's own page notes the fly "is still found in most of South America and in five Caribbean countries", and Mexico and Central America are the usual last ports for a boat reaching Mississippi — check APHIS's current list against your actual departure port. (A dog from Belize, Guatemala or Honduras vaccinated abroad meets the CDC seaport bar before it ever reaches this one.) Mississippi's own screwworm rule is separate, with a separate trigger: it covers "certain warm-blooded animals entering Mississippi from Texas or other affected states", names cats and dogs, and is graded on its own under other_health because MBAH's two documents on it disagree.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[11213]Parasites — timingFederal screwworm inspection within the 5 days preceding shipment to the United States (dogs only). Mississippi's interstate screwworm CVI, where it applies, is valid for no more than 7 days from inspection by the notice, and must be completed within 7 days prior to movement by the permit page — the same week either way.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[11314]
- MicrochipMicrochipMicrochip — standardAny brand, but it must be detectable with a universal scanner. CDC names no ISO standard and no digit count.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[4]
- Dogs vaccinated against: Rabies — the only vaccination Mississippi requires of a dog entering the state. Rule 109 names no distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis or Bordetella requirement.Dogs — vaccinesRabies — the only vaccination Mississippi requires of a dog entering the state. Rule 109 names no distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis or Bordetella requirement.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- Cats vaccinated against: Rabies — the only vaccination Mississippi requires of a cat entering the state. Rule 109 names no other vaccine and no test.Cats — vaccinesRabies — the only vaccination Mississippi requires of a cat entering the state. Rule 109 names no other vaccine and no test.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
Not documented Rabies titer test
Fees
Not published. Rule 102 requires a prior entry permit for international imports and sets no charge, and no MBAH page names one; the rabies certificate and any CVI come from your own veterinarian. An absence of published information, not a finding that the permit is free.confidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet.[5]
Not published. No Mississippi source describes a state inspection of an arriving dog or cat, and none prices one.confidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet.
THE PENALTIES ARE SMALL; THE AT-LARGE RULE IS NOT. Failure to comply with the rabies chapter is a misdemeanour under § 41-53-13, fined up to $5 for a first offence, $25 for a second and $50 for a third, together with costs. An owner reclaiming a dog held under § 41-53-11 pays the holding officer fifty cents. The real cost of that section is the one in vessel_rules.leash.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[9]
A MISSISSIPPI ZERO SAYS NOTHING ABOUT THE FEDERAL ARRIVAL. CBP puts the layers in order: "Importations of pets and/or wildlife may be subject to state/municipality veterinary health regulations", and federal quarantine, agriculture, wildlife and customs requirements besides. Only the first is priced here.[22]
Timeline
- 4 weeks before arrivalRabies vaccine given by now at the latestRabies vaccineRabies — min. before travel28 days (DERIVED, NOT STATED. Mississippi's rule asks for "proof of current rabies vaccination per guidelines outlined in the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Rabies Compendium", so the Compendium's test of currency is the one that applies. It says: "Within 28 days after initial vaccination, a peak rabies virus antibody titer is expected, and the animal can be considered immunized." A booster counts at once — the Compendium treats an animal as currently vaccinated immediately after any booster. So the wait bites only a FIRST vaccination: one given in your last foreign port a fortnight before landfall may not count as current. No Mississippi document states 28 days in its own words, and nothing says what happens to an animal that arrives inside the window.)confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[511]
- ArrivalPresent the permit and certificate; clear the animal before going ashore.
On arrival & aboard
- At the dock
- The federal layer applies at the first US port of entry. Arriving from a foreign port makes the trip an international import even when the destination is a US territory, so clear in with customs and have the CDC paperwork for any dog aboard.
- By yacht
- NOTHING IN THE MISSISSIPPI RULES TURNS ON HOW YOU ARRIVE. Rule 109.01 reaches an animal "transported or moved into the state for any purpose", so a cat carried up the dock at Biloxi from Belize is in the same position as one driven in from Alabama. What changes with the boat is the federal half. Coming along the coast from Texas is interstate movement instead, and that is the one route on which Mississippi's screwworm rule applies to a dog or cat (see other_health).
THIS IS A FEDERAL ARRIVAL, CLEARED BY CBP. Operators of small pleasure vessels arriving from a foreign port "are required to report their arrival to CBP immediately (see 19 U.S.C. 1433)", by telephone or through the CBP ROAM app. CBP lists three ports of entry in Mississippi: Gulfport (port code 1902, 14108 Customs Boulevard, +1 228 863 6350), Pascagoula (1903, at the Trent Lott International Airport terminal in Moss Point, +1 228 285 0378, PASCAGOULACBP@cbp.dhs.gov) and Jackson (2015, inland at Flowood). Biloxi and Bay St. Louis have no CBP office of their own on that list, so a boat landing there reports by phone or ROAM and goes where it is directed. Both coastal offices list weekday office hours only.[21181920]
NOBODY FROM MISSISSIPPI IS DESCRIBED AT THE DOCK. No MBAH rule or page, and nothing from MSDH, describes an arrival inspection, a designated port or an officer for a pet arriving by sea. The State Veterinarian's office is inland, at 121 North Jefferson Street, Jackson. Treat that as an absence of information, not of a requirement: have the rabies certificate, and for a dog the CDC paperwork and any screwworm certificate, in hand when you report.[5168]
BREED RULES — NONE FOUND, STATE OR MUNICIPAL, ON THIS COAST. No state source read for this file restricts any breed. The animal chapters of the six coastal city codes — Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Bay St. Louis and Long Beach — were read in full from Municode, and none bans or restricts a breed. Ocean Springs goes further and says no part of its animal chapter may be used to target dogs by specific breed or mix. What the cities do regulate is behaviour: Gulfport's vicious- dog rule, for example, requires a dog with dangerous propensities to be leashed or muzzled off its owner's premises (§ 7-114), and that turns on the dog's conduct, not its breed. Inland towns were not surveyed, so check the local code before taking a bull-breed dog away from the coast. Harrison, Jackson and Hancock County ordinances, and the smaller coastal towns (Pass Christian, D'Iberville, Moss Point, Waveland), were not read.[242628303133]
Quarantine
No routine quarantine for a vaccinated adult. Four routes into one exist. (1) UNDER THREE MONTHS: "Dogs, cats, and ferrets under three (3) months of age may be admitted without rabies vaccination to be quarantined until vaccination at three (3) months of age" — no place, supervisor or procedure is named. (2) DISEASED OR EXPOSED: Rule 101 bars entry of any animal "affected with, or recently exposed to any infectious, contagious or communicable disease, or that originated from a quarantined herd or area". (3) ORDERS: under Chapter 21 the State Veterinarian may issue quarantines and stand-still orders, which "may restrict the entry into Mississippi or the intrastate movement of any animals or poultry". (4) BITES AND EXPOSURE, once ashore, under MSDH's rule: "A healthy dog, cat or ferret that bites a person shall be confined and observed for 10 days in a manner acceptable to the local health officer or his or her designee." An unvaccinated animal exposed to a rabid one faces euthanasia or, if the owner refuses, "strict isolation for 6 months". Mississippi publishes no consequence for arriving without rabies proof; the statute's penalty is a misdemeanour fine (see fees).confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[578]
Open questions
- HIGHEST PRIORITY — DOES RULE 102's "All international imports require prior entry permit" APPLY TO AN OWNER-ACCOMPANIED DOG OR CAT ARRIVING BY BOAT? The rule is species-neutral and sits in the chapter's General part; the dog-and-cat rule at 109 and every MBAH summary of it mention no permit; the permit's required particulars are livestock data; and MBAH publishes no permit application for a pet. Ask the State Veterinarian's office (+1 601 359 1170, permits@mdac.ms.gov, msstatevet@mdac.ms.gov) in writing: is a permit expected, what information is wanted for a pet, how far ahead, and is there a fee?
- Does Mississippi accept a rabies vaccination given abroad with a product that is not USDA-licensed as "current" under Rule 109.01? The Compendium the rule incorporates says imported dogs and cats "should be currently vaccinated against rabies with USDA-licensed products", MSDH says "Only licensed vaccines shall be used", and § 41-53-1 speaks of a vaccine "approved by the State Board of Health". Ask MBAH and the MSDH State Epidemiologist (601-576-7725).
- Confirm the 28-day reading of "current" for a first vaccination. It is derived from the NASPHV Compendium rather than stated by Mississippi, and nothing says what is done with an animal whose initial vaccination is less than 28 days old on arrival. Ask MBAH.
- Does the State Veterinarian's June 2026 screwworm notice reach an animal arriving directly from Mexico or another foreign country where screwworm occurs? On its face it is interstate and keyed to US counties. Ask MBAH (+1 601 359 1170, permits@mdac.ms.gov), and note the federal 9 CFR 93.600 certificate applies to a dog either way.
- Resolve MBAH's own conflict on the Texas route. The State Veterinarian's 8 June 2026 notice requires a permit only from an infested zone, and a CVI with one statement from a surveillance zone or high-risk county; MBAH's permit page requires a permit from either, filed by an accredited veterinarian 48 hours ahead, with a CVI carrying a different statement. Ask MBAH (+1 601 359 1170, permits@mdac.ms.gov) which governs, and whether a boat sailing from a Texas surveillance-zone county counts as "movement" from it.
- What is a visiting dog expected to wear under § 41-53-7, which requires every dog in the possession of any person within the state to wear the Mississippi metal rabies tag at all times? A dog vaccinated abroad cannot have one. Ask MSDH, and the county animal control office where the boat is berthed.
- Is a boat at a dock an acceptable place to quarantine an animal under three months until it is vaccinated (Rule 109.01), and who supervises that quarantine? Nothing says. Ask MBAH.
- Establish whether anyone checks a pet at a Mississippi seaport arrival. No MBAH or MSDH document describes an inspection, a port or an officer. Ask CBP Gulfport (+1 228 863 6350) and Pascagoula (+1 228 285 0378, PASCAGOULACBP@cbp.dhs.gov) whether the animal is presented and whether MBAH is notified.
- No breed restriction appears in any state source or in the animal chapters of the six coastal city codes read for this file (Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Bay St. Louis, Long Beach). Harrison, Jackson and Hancock County ordinances and the smaller coastal towns (Pass Christian, D'Iberville, Moss Point, Waveland) were not read. Ask the county animal control office, or the harbourmaster, where you berth.
- Nothing addresses an animal that stays aboard and never lands, so no transit section is authored here.
About this page’s sources
- The eleven municipal sources were read through Municode's public JSON API (api.municode.com, recorded as each source's text_url, pinned to the code supplement named in its title), because library.municode.com is a script-driven page that serves no text to a plain reader. No archived_url is set for them: the Archive's captures of that page are the same empty shell. Nothing from them is quoted; the file paraphrases them and gives section numbers. The library URLs' city slugs follow Municode's pattern and were not each opened in a browser.
- The Mississippi Administrative Code's official home (sos.ms.gov) returned an Access Denied page to an automated reader, and Justia's copies of both the Code and the Administrative Code returned HTTP 403, as did FindLaw (a Cloudflare challenge). The regulations are therefore read as MBAH publishes them on mbah.ms.gov, and the rabies statute as MSDH publishes it (labelled 2015). Neither is the official compilation; check both against the Secretary of State's and the Legislature's texts on review.
- The MSDH rabies regulation text is read only from MBAH's 2020 summary page, not from a current MSDH publication of the Rules and Regulations Governing Reportable Diseases and Conditions, which was not located. Confirm it is current.
- The Internet Archive was rate-limiting at author time, so no fresh captures were made. Every archived_url here is a PRE-EXISTING capture, several from 2025, and the corpus is built from those captures. The Chapter 12 capture (9 June 2026) predates the screwworm notice the live page now shows at its head, so it carries the dog-and-cat and permit rules but not the notice, which is cited separately. The screwworm notice PDF, the screwworm permit page and the NASPHV compendium have no capture at all. Re-archive on review.
- Verify the inherited CDC federal requirements against cdc.gov, which blocks automated access and could not be read directly at author time.
Page status
Mainland United States · State of the United StatesDataset status Inferredconfidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.Last checked 2026-10-10 Recently checkedfreshness: Recently checked. Sources were last re-read 2 days ago, well inside the 180-day window. Recent is not reviewed — this page is still an unreviewed draft.
Evidence
Import permit
Not published. Rule 102 sets out what the State Veterinarian needs to issue an entry permit and names no charge, and no MBAH page prices one. That is an absence of published information, not a finding that the permit is free.confidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet.
- Phone
- +1 601 359 1170
- Official page
- https://www.mbah.ms.gov/regulations/chapter-12/
THE PERMIT RULE IS EXPRESS, AND ITS FIT TO A PET IS NOT. Rule 102 of the Board's entry chapter: "All international imports require prior entry permit." It sits in the chapter's General part, which governs every species — Rule 100 opens with CVIs "required on all animals" — and nothing in Rule 102 exempts a pet. But the particulars the State Veterinarian asks for are written for consignments: "Complete name and mailing addresses of consignor and consignee;", number, breed and sex, purpose of shipment, and "Brucellosis and Tuberculosis status of test eligible cattle, swine and exotics: Pseudorabies status of swine;". The rules for dogs and cats at 109 ask for a rabies certificate and, for some movements, a CVI, and do not mention a permit. The Board's own summary of its dog-and-cat entry requirements reproduces 109 and nothing else. Nothing published resolves which governs. The rule says how to ask: "To obtain a permit call: 601-359-1170, anytime day or night." It adds: "Please note: Evenings and after hours will be answered by an answering machine."[58]
WHAT POINTS AWAY FROM A PET PERMIT, FOR COMPLETENESS. (1) Within the chapter, the species sections that need a permit say so themselves — wild or non-domesticated species ("Prior entry permit required."), zoo and fur-bearing animals ("See General Requirements, Entry Permit Required"), semen and embryos of non-domesticated animals, biologics — and psittacine birds and rabbits send the reader back to the General Requirements. Rule 109 does neither: it reads as self-contained. (2) The Board's Exotics page offers information and permit applications for exotic livestock, non-human primates and other exotic animals, and its screwworm page links an online permit application, but no MBAH page offers a permit application for a dog or cat from abroad, and the site's Animals menu has no dog-and-cat page at all. (3) The site menu sends "International Requirements (USDA.gov)" to USDA rather than to any Mississippi page. None of these is an exemption; together they suggest the Board does not expect to see you.[5231215]
WHO TO ASK. The competent authority is the Mississippi Board of Animal Health and its State Veterinarian ("Dr. Jim Watson, State Veterinarian" on the Board's home page). The State Veterinarian is appointed by the Board "from a list of not less than three licensed veterinarians submitted by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce". Office: 121 North Jefferson Street, Jackson MS 39201; mail: PO Box 3889, Jackson MS 39207; telephone +1 601 359 1170, fax +1 601 359 1177, e-mail msstatevet@mdac.ms.gov. The home page also lists +1 888 646 8731. A separate address, permits@mdac.ms.gov, is published for questions about the screwworm movement permits; it is not given for Rule 102 permits, which the rule routes to the State Veterinarian by telephone.[15161751314]
Rabies
- Three-year vaccine
- Accepted
A ONE-YEAR VACCINE GETS YOU IN AND THEN STOPS WORKING. Mississippi is unusual in forbidding one-year products outright: the Board adopts the NASPHV compendium "with the exception that 1 year rabies vaccines are not allowed for use in dogs and cats in Mississippi", and MSDH's rule says "Vaccines selected for immunizing dogs and cats shall be licensed as providing 3-year immunity." The entry rule accepts the label of whatever product the animal had, but "animals must comply with the three (3) year immunity vaccine requirement if staying in the state or if the animal requires a booster to remain current". So a boat that stays the season, or whose animal falls due while in Mississippi, boosters with a three-year product. The schedule MSDH sets is "at three months of age, revaccinated one year later and every three years thereafter". FOR AN ANIMAL VACCINATED ABROAD, THE TEXT LEANS TOWARD A US-LICENSED PRODUCT once it stays. MSDH's rule reads "The current Compendium lists vaccines licensed for use in the United States. Only licensed vaccines shall be used."; the Compendium Mississippi adopts says imported dogs and cats "should be currently vaccinated against rabies with USDA-licensed products"; and § 41-53-1 makes it unlawful to have in your possession in the state a dog or cat three months or over not vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the State Board of Health. Against that, for ENTRY alone Rule 109.01 accepts "manufacturer recommendations" without naming a licensing country. So a foreign vaccination probably gets the animal in; a boat that stays should expect to revaccinate with a US-licensed three-year product. Neither point is settled (see outstanding_questions). And the proof must be "a rabies vaccination certificate signed by an attending, licensed veterinarian"; § 41-53-9 expects a Mississippi certificate to show breed, sex, markings and the tag serial number, so a certificate that shows those is the safer one to carry.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[68511910]
Rabies titer test
A blood test that measures rabies antibodies, to show the vaccination actually took. The sample has to be drawn a set time after the jab, and some places then make you wait months more before the animal may land — so this is the requirement most worth checking before you plan a route, not after.
Veterinary health certificate
- Form
- For a dog from a screwworm region: the 9 CFR 93.600 certificate, signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the country of departure. Federal., For Mississippi: no CVI for an owner-accompanied pet. The document that does the work is the rabies vaccination certificate "signed by an attending, licensed veterinarian" (Rule 109.01)., Only if the animal is being sold, adopted, exhibited or moved without its owner: a CVI "issued by an accredited veterinarian" (Rule 109.02). An accredited veterinarian is a USDA designation, so a foreign vet's certificate does not obviously satisfy it.
READ THE FEDERAL WARNING ON THIS PAGE FIRST: a dog vaccinated outside the United States that has been in a high-risk country in the last six months — Belize, Guatemala and Honduras among them — cannot be landed at any US seaport, Mississippi's included, because CDC admits it only "at a U.S. airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility". What follows is about MISSISSIPPI'S OWN rules. NONE PUBLISHED, AND NONE NEEDED ON THE STATE SIDE. No Mississippi rule mentions a vessel, a passage or time at sea, and the state's CVI does not reach an owner-accompanied pet, so no state clock runs out mid-Gulf. For a dog that may land by sea, the clock that does run is federal: the five-day screwworm certificate. The one Mississippi window that could bite a boat is the 7-day screwworm CVI — "The CVI shall be valid for no more than 7 days from the date of inspection" — and it is written for animals arriving from Texas or another affected US state, which is a coastal passage from Port Isabel or Galveston, not an international one. On that passage MBAH's permit page asks for a permit too; see other_health.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5131414]
Mississippi's own position, Rule 109.02: "Dogs, cats, and ferrets for exhibition, change of ownership, adoption or unaccompanied by owner, must have an official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued by an accredited veterinarian" stating the animal is apparently healthy and did not originate within an area under rabies quarantine — and "Dogs, cats, and ferrets accompanied by owner (not for purposes of exhibition, change of ownership, adoption etc.) are not required to have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection." The certificate a dog does need is federal: see the screwworm item in other_health.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[58]
Parasite treatment
None. Rule 109 asks for rabies vaccination and, for some movements, a CVI, and nothing else; no deworming or tapeworm treatment is required of a dog or cat entering Mississippi. Recorded as an observed absence rather than an exemption.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
NEW WORLD SCREWWORM — FEDERAL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL, STATE FOR A TEXAS ONE. Under the inherited 9 CFR 93.600(a), a dog from a region where screwworm is considered to exist may be imported only with a certificate from a full-time salaried veterinary official of that region, inspected within the 5 days before shipment. MBAH's own page notes the fly "is still found in most of South America and in five Caribbean countries", and Mexico and Central America are the usual last ports for a boat reaching Mississippi — check APHIS's current list against your actual departure port. (A dog from Belize, Guatemala or Honduras vaccinated abroad meets the CDC seaport bar before it ever reaches this one.) Mississippi's own screwworm rule is separate, with a separate trigger: it covers "certain warm-blooded animals entering Mississippi from Texas or other affected states", names cats and dogs, and is graded on its own under other_health because MBAH's two documents on it disagree.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[11213]
Federal screwworm inspection within the 5 days preceding shipment to the United States (dogs only). Mississippi's interstate screwworm CVI, where it applies, is valid for no more than 7 days from inspection by the notice, and must be completed within 7 days prior to movement by the permit page — the same week either way.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[11314]
DOES MISSISSIPPI'S SCREWWORM NOTICE REACH A BOAT FROM MEXICO? Not on its face. It is headed "Interstate Movement Requirements for New World Screwworm Detection", it is triggered by "a detection of New World Screwworm in Texas", and its permit page keys the requirement to "A county where New World Screwworm (NWS) has been confirmed" or a surveillance zone or high-risk county near one — US geography throughout. Mexico is not mentioned. One hint points the other way: MBAH's screwworm page, which discusses the outbreak's spread from Panama into southern Mexico, links "the online application for a permit to import animals from a New World screwworm affected area" — a phrase wide enough to include a foreign country. On the text, the federal certificate is the screwworm rule for an international arrival. Whether MBAH reads its own rule more widely is not answered anywhere; see outstanding_questions.[131412]
Identification
CDC requires dogs entering the United States to be microchipped, and the chip number must appear on any accompanying rabies documentation. A territory may accept a collar tag for its own local rule, but that does not replace the federal microchip requirement for a dog arriving from abroad.[24]
"If your dog's microchip number starts with a number other than 9, be sure to check with your veterinarian that it is readable. If the microchip cannot be scanned on arrival for a dog that has been in a high-risk country, the dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer's expense."[4]
Mississippi requires no microchip. What it requires of a DOG in the state is a metal rabies tag on its collar, and it means it: § 41-53-7 provides that "each dog owned by or in the possession of any person within the State of Mississippi shall wear at all times a collar or other device which shall have securely bradded on to it the metal tag provided for above." The tag is the one supplied with the vaccine at a Mississippi vaccination, so a dog vaccinated abroad will not have one, and nothing says what a visiting dog is expected to wear instead. Put its foreign rabies tag on the collar and keep the certificate aboard. The microchip shown above is the inherited federal rule for a dog arriving from abroad, and it binds whatever Mississippi asks.[9]
GULFPORT ADDS A TAG RULE FOR CATS (municipal ordinance). Within the city a dog must wear the state-approved metal rabies tag on its collar at all times (§ 7-115), and a cat three months or older must too: under § 7-99 the evidence of its rabies vaccination is a metal tag worn at all times plus the vaccinating veterinarian's certificate. An impounded cat that is neither tagged nor microchipped goes straight to the shelter, and every cat is microchipped before it is returned (§ 7-101). Keep a cat's tag on its collar if it ever goes ashore in Gulfport.[24]
Animals & vaccinations
Dogs
Vaccinesconfidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- Rabies — the only vaccination Mississippi requires of a dog entering the state. Rule 109 names no distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis or Bordetella requirement.
Cats
Vaccinesconfidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- Rabies — the only vaccination Mississippi requires of a cat entering the state. Rule 109 names no other vaccine and no test.
Other health requirements
- Dogs
- CDC Dog Import Form — required for every dog entering the United States, including a US-vaccinated dog returning home. Submitted online before travel; carry the receipt.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[4]
- Dogs must be at least 6 months old.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[42]
- Dogs must appear healthy on arrival.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[4]
- Dogs that have been in a high-risk rabies country in the previous 6 months face additional requirements: a rabies serology/titer and, in some cases, a CDC import permit. Which countries those are is not a judgement call — see the note below for CDC's list and the eight destinations on this site that are on it.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[43]
- SCREWWORM CERTIFICATE — USDA/APHIS, and separate from anything CDC asks for. 9 CFR 93.600(a): "Dogs from any region of the world where screwworm is considered to exist may only be imported into the United States if they meet the requirements of paragraphs (a)(1) and (2)". Those are: "(1) Dogs must be accompanied by a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin stating that the dog has been inspected for screwworm within 5 days preceding its shipment to the United States" and "(2) The certificate must state that the dog is either free from screwworm or was found to be infested with screwworm and was held in quarantine and treated until free from screwworm prior to leaving the region of origin." READ THAT AS A CRUISER: it is not your own vet's certificate, it is a GOVERNMENT veterinary official's, it must be within FIVE DAYS of departure, and on many islands finding a full-time salaried government vet at short notice is the hard part. APHIS maintains the list of affected regions at aphis.usda.gov (Animal Health Status of Regions) and changes it by administrative action, so check it against your actual last port rather than assuming — this dataset does not reproduce the list. Cats are not covered: subpart F is headed "Dogs". The quoted paragraphs have been checked against the regulation: subpart F is now held in this repository, fetched from the eCFR XML API, and both quotes above appear in it verbatim.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[1]
- For an owner-accompanied dog Mississippi's own requirement is rabies only — the CVI is waived by Rule 109.02 for an animal "accompanied by owner" — subject to the open Rule 102 permit question (see import_permit). Everything else this dog needs is the federal list above.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- COMING ALONG THE COAST FROM TEXAS — AN INTERSTATE MOVE — MBAH'S TWO SCREWWORM DOCUMENTS DISAGREE, SO PLAN ON THE STRICTER. The State Veterinarian's notice asks for an entry permit "at least 48 hours prior to movement" only for animals "from an infested zone", and for a CVI from "a surveillance zone or high-risk county in an affected or adjacent state", bearing "All animals listed on the CVI have been inspected and are free from screwworm larvae infestation." MBAH's permit page goes further: "A permit is required for all warm-blooded animals entering Mississippi from:" a confirmed county "OR" from "Within a surveillance zone or high-risk county near where NWS has been confirmed"; the application "should be submitted by an accredited veterinarian or their designee at least 48 hours prior to movement of animals"; and the CVI "must be completed within 7 days prior to animal movement" with a different statement, "All animals were inspected and found free of evidence of NWS infestation." The page says the rule "applies ALL warm-blooded animals" and names cats and dogs. So from any Texas infested zone, surveillance zone or high-risk county: have a US accredited veterinarian file the permit at least 48 hours before you sail, and get a CVI within 7 days of departure carrying both statements. Check the zone map for your departure county; it changes.confidence: Conflicting. Sources disagree — verify before you rely on it.[1314]
- The same Rule 101 bar as for cats: no animal "affected with, or recently exposed to any infectious, contagious or communicable disease, or that originated from a quarantined herd or area" may be moved into Mississippi.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- Cats
- For an owner-accompanied cat, rabies is the whole Mississippi requirement: proof of current vaccination at three months or older, by "a rabies vaccination certificate signed by an attending, licensed veterinarian". Rule 109.02 waives the CVI for an animal "accompanied by owner", and no titre, parasite treatment or other vaccine is required. The open question is the Rule 102 permit (see import_permit).confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
- COMING ALONG THE COAST FROM TEXAS — AN INTERSTATE MOVE — MBAH'S TWO SCREWWORM DOCUMENTS DISAGREE, SO PLAN ON THE STRICTER. The State Veterinarian's notice asks for an entry permit "at least 48 hours prior to movement" only for animals "from an infested zone", and for a CVI from "a surveillance zone or high-risk county in an affected or adjacent state", bearing "All animals listed on the CVI have been inspected and are free from screwworm larvae infestation." MBAH's permit page goes further: "A permit is required for all warm-blooded animals entering Mississippi from:" a confirmed county "OR" from "Within a surveillance zone or high-risk county near where NWS has been confirmed"; the application "should be submitted by an accredited veterinarian or their designee at least 48 hours prior to movement of animals"; and the CVI "must be completed within 7 days prior to animal movement" with a different statement, "All animals were inspected and found free of evidence of NWS infestation." The page says the rule "applies ALL warm-blooded animals" and names cats and dogs. So from any Texas infested zone, surveillance zone or high-risk county: have a US accredited veterinarian file the permit at least 48 hours before you sail, and get a CVI within 7 days of departure carrying both statements. Check the zone map for your departure county; it changes.confidence: Conflicting. Sources disagree — verify before you rely on it.[1314]
- A sick or exposed animal may not come in at all. Rule 101: "No animal, including poultry, exotic or pet birds, or any species affected with, or recently exposed to any infectious, contagious or communicable disease, or that originated from a quarantined herd or area, shall be shipped or in any manner transported or moved into the State of Mississippi", unless USDA APHIS has approved it for interstate shipment. Any species, any manner of transport.confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.[5]
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IS HIGH RISK, AND THIS FILE SAID OTHERWISE UNTIL 2026-10-03. CDC's list is headed "These countries and political units are considered high risk for importing dog rabies into the United States" and it names the Dominican Republic. Eight destinations on this site are on that list: Belize, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Suriname and Venezuela. The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the BVI are not on it, and neither is Nicaragua. US territories are not foreign countries for this purpose. The claim this replaces grouped the Dominican Republic with the not-high-risk islands and told a cruiser returning from there that the titer "does not normally apply" — it does, and a US-vaccinated dog also needs the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form endorsed before it leaves the United States, which cannot be arranged afterwards.[3]
Sources
- 1
9 CFR 93.600, Importation of dogs — subpart F. Paragraph (a) carries the screwworm certificate requirement; paragraph (b) the tapeworm inspection for livestock-handling dogs. Text read from the 2026 annual edition. — United States — Code of Federal Regulations, Title 9 (Animals and Animal Products), APHIS/USDA
- 2
Bringing a Dog into the United States — US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- 3
High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies — US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- 4
Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations — US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- 5
Regulations — Chapter 12 — Entry Requirements (2 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 101, Subpt. 2, Ch. 12), as published by MBAH. Cited for Rules 100–103 (General: CVIs, relation to federal requirements, permits including "All international imports require prior entry permit", duties of carriers), 109.01–109.02 (Dogs, Cats & Ferrets, amended 20 November 2019) and 110–120 (the other species' permit cross-references). The screwworm notice the live page now shows at its head is cited separately, as `ms-mbah-nws-notice`. — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 6
Regulations — Chapter 18 — Animal Rabies Control. Rule 100 adopts the NASPHV Compendium of Animal Rabies Control as a regulation, except that one-year vaccines may not be used in dogs and cats; Rule 101 restricts who may administer rabies vaccine. — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 7
Regulations — Chapter 21 — Quarantine and Stand-still Orders (adopted 15 February 2021) — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 8
Rabies Laws — Summary of Mississippi Animal Rabies Laws (linked from MBAH's rabies page as its 2020 rabies laws and regulations). Reproduces Miss. Code §§ 41-53-1 to -13, the MSDH Rules and Regulations Governing Reportable Diseases and Conditions, Section XVII item 12 (Rabies), and MBAH's own rabies and entry rules. — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 9
Miss. Code Ann. Title 41, Chapter 53 — Rabies Control in Dogs and Cats, §§ 41-53-1, -5, -7, -9, -11 and -13 (labelled "Miss. Code Ann. § 41-53-1 (2015)") — Mississippi State Department of Health (publishing the Mississippi Code)
- 10
Rabies — Mississippi State Department of Health
- 11
Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2016 — the current edition linked from NASPHV's site, which says a revision is under way — National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians — adopted as a regulation by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health (Chapter 18, Rule 100) and incorporated in the entry rule (Rule 109.01)
- 12
New World Screwworm — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 13
Interstate Movement Requirements for New World Screwworm Detection (Emergency Order) — Mississippi Board of Animal Health — James A. Watson, DVM, State Veterinarian
- 14
New World Screwworm — Animal Movement Permit Application — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 15
Mississippi Board of Animal Health — home page, including the site menu's Regulations entries ("MS Entry Requirements", "International Requirements (USDA.gov)") and the name of the State Veterinarian — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 16
- 17
Contact Us — Mississippi Board of Animal Health
- 18
Locate a Port of Entry in Mississippi — US Customs and Border Protection
- 19
Gulfport, Mississippi — 1902 — US Customs and Border Protection
- 20
Pascagoula, Mississippi — 1903 — US Customs and Border Protection
- 21
Pleasure Boat Reporting Requirements — US Customs and Border Protection
- 22
Bringing Pets and Wildlife into the United States — US Customs and Border Protection
- 23
Animals — Exotics: the Board's index of information and permit applications for exotic livestock, non-human primates and other exotic animals, under an Animals menu of cattle, equine, exotics, poultry and swine — Mississippi Board of Animal Health (State Veterinarian)
- 24
Gulfport Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7, Article III — Animals (§§ 7-96 to 7-101 cats, §§ 7-111 to 7-120 dogs). Codified through Ord. No. 3551, 20 January 2026 (Supp. No. 68). — City of Gulfport, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 25
Gulfport Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2 — Boats, Docks, Waterways and Beaches (§ 2-51 items prohibited on the beach; § 2-109.8 control of domesticated animals at the municipal marina). Supp. No. 68. — City of Gulfport, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 26
Biloxi Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4 — Animals (§ 4-1-2 control of animals). Codified through Ord. No. 2607, 28 July 2026 (Supp. No. 63, Update 1). — City of Biloxi, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 27
Biloxi Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10.5 — Harbors, Marinas, and Waterways. Supp. No. 63, Update 1. — City of Biloxi, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 28
Pascagoula Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10 — Animals (§ 10-6 permitting to run at large). Codified through Ord. No. 12-2025, 16 December 2025 (Supp. No. 42). — City of Pascagoula, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 29
Pascagoula Code of Ordinances, Chapter 94 — Waterways (§ 94-2 municipal piers and beaches). Supp. No. 42. — City of Pascagoula, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 30
Ocean Springs Municipal Code, Chapter 5 — Animal Control (definitions including breed-specific legislation; § 5-7 running at large). Codified through Ord. No. 2025-01, 4 February 2025 (Supp. No. 7). — City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 31
Bay St. Louis Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 — Animals (§ 8-29 running at large on public property). Codified through Ord. No. 677-12-2025, 2 December 2025 (Supp. No. 5). — City of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 32
Bay St. Louis Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10 — Beaches, Docks and Waterways (§ 10-1 pets in the harbor and marina; § 10-60 unlawful acts within harbor confines). Supp. No. 5. — City of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 33
Long Beach Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 — Animals and Fowl (§ 6-7 control of animals). Codified through Ord. No. 655, 19 January 2021 (Supp. No. 1). — City of Long Beach, Mississippi (published by Municode)
- 34
Long Beach Code of Ordinances, Chapter 40 — Waterways, Beaches, and Harbor. Supp. No. 1. — City of Long Beach, Mississippi (published by Municode)
Last checked October 2026 · 10 open questions · Sources & questions
What the dots mean
confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer. official-backed, awaiting human reviewconfidence: Conflicting. Sources disagree — verify before you rely on it. sources disagreeconfidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet. not yet documented· How we grade