Do You Need A License To Breed Bearded Dragons?

When you’re breeding an exotic animal like a bearded dragon, you’re surely going to need to be extra cautious. You need to get every single thing they need – the right mating partner, perfect housing, nutritious food, etc. But what is the first thing you would need to breed them? Probably a license? But do you really need a license to breed bearded dragons?

No federal law has so far made it mandatory to have a license specifically to breed bearded dragons. But beardies are considered exotic creatures, and in different states, the law regarding owning and breeding exotic animals can vary, even regarding having a license for breeding them.

Now the question is, what you’re going to need if your state asks for a license for breeding bearded dragons? Let us try to get you some ideas on that.

Key Takeaways

  • The regulation regarding licensing varies from state to state, city to city.
  • In most cases, the process involves filling up the application form, submitting certain documents, paying the fees, and getting approval.
  • The licensing cost can vary from $50 to $ 500, depending on the location.
cute bearded dragon
Owner: Natalie Racz

12 Things You Need To Know Before Applying For A Breeding License

Before going for a license, there are certain things you need to put in your book of considerations. Yes, we’re talking about things like –

1. Local Regulations

The first thing you need to do is research and understand what your state or city says about the specific regulations and requirements to get a license for breeding. For obvious reasons, the laws, permits, and restrictions will vary from state to state. So, find out what the state or city says about this.

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2. License Application Process

Ins and outs of getting a breeding license – that’s what you need to learn before you need one. So, find out the application submission process, where you’re going to get all the necessary paperwork, and where you’ll get all the information to put in the form.

bearded dragon eating worm
Owner: Andrea Engfurtner Houston

3. Facility Requirements

Clearly, you’re going to need a facility to breed bearded dragons. So, find out if there are any requirements in this regard. If there is, check out what kind of enclosure size, lighting, cleanliness, temperature control, and safety measures they’re asking about.

4. Inspections

Don’t be surprised if you see inspecting a facility before giving a license is a normal thing in your area. If that’s the case, make sure your facility is meeting all the standards before you ask for an inspection.

5. Experience And Knowledge

It’s experience and knowledge that you’re going to need the most for breeding bearded dragons and getting a license at the same time. So, before you apply for the license, know what kind of requirements the state has in this regard or even if there are any. Some jurisdictions might even ask you to demonstrate your expertise in reptile husbandry.

6. Record-Keeping

The clarity in information tracking helps a lot when you’re engaged in the breeding business. So, before you get started with the licensing process, make sure you’re keeping records of all your breeding activities. Yes, we’re talking about information about breeding pairs, hatchlings, sales, and transfers.

7. Animal Welfare Standards

Depending on the state, there can be specific guidelines or regulations for the health and welfare of exotic animals, such as bearded dragons. So, make sure you’ve got a clear idea about them if there are any. These could involve some of the basic things as well, including veterinary care, proper nutrition, and appropriate housing.

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8. Application Fees

When you’re asking for a license on something, some fees will surely be involved and the license of breeding bearded dragons is no exception. So, try to understand what kind of cost is associated with applying for a breeding license. Usually, this kind of process involves fees like application fees, inspection fees, and some other relevant fees.

9. Waiting Period

Waiting is kind of the hardest part here. So, get some idea about how much time it might take to get the license. After all, the reviewing and approval process can be really time-consuming and require lots of patience.

10. License Renewal

Sooner or later, the license you’re taking is going to expire and not renewing it on time might get you into some unwanted trouble. So, to skip the hassle, learn about the duration of the license and also its renewal process. In some states it can be subject to annual renewal and in some specific intervals.

11. Reporting Obligations

Though it’s not seen in lots of the states, still, to be on the safe side, learn if there are any reporting obligations on breeders. This might include providing information like sales, the number of hatchlings, or changes in breeding activities.

12. Legal Consequences

A breeding license is a legal document and any breach of legal regulations there can lead to legal consequences. So, make sure your activity or breeding facility is not in a mode where it can cause the violation of any law regarding the breeding of bearded dragons. Otherwise, you might have to face penalties, fines, or other legal actions.

bearded dragon on hair
Owner: Lehanne Bailey

10 Process Of Applying For A Breeding License (Step By Step)

No, not in all states the process of applying for a license is the same. But most of them come with some general steps. So, how should you get started when you’re planning to get your breeder license? Well, you can always start with –

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Step 1: Research Local Regulations

First of all, find out if your state or city has any specific regulations and requirements to issue licenses for breeding bearded dragons. You won’t have to rush to any government. office for that as this kind of information should be available on government websites. If you don’t get any info in this regard, contact wildlife agencies or agricultural departments.

Step 2: Identify The Appropriate Agency

Find out which department of government got the authority to issue permission to breed exotic creatures, especially bearded dragons. This could be anything like a state wildlife agency, the Department of Agriculture, or a similar organization.

Step 3: Obtain Application Materials

You’re surely going to need certain application materials for the licensing process. If you’re short on them, try contacting the relevant agency to get all the necessary documents for the application. Visiting their website should be enough to get you some idea about this. If the website says nothing much, you can simply call them or visit their office.

Step 4: Complete The Application

After collecting the application form, fill it up accurately and thoroughly. This kind of form might ask you to put in information like details about your breeding facility and your overall experience with reptiles. Some even can ask for your breeding plans and other relevant details. You need to do nothing much but follow the instructions here.

Step 5: Prepare Required Documentation

As we said before, you’re going to need a few documents to complete the application process. The set of documents can contain anything like your experience certificate on reptile handling, facility inspection reports, or any other document requested by the authorized agency.

Step 6: Facility Inspection (If Required)

How would the agency be sure that you’ve got the perfect breeding facility for bearded dragons? Through an inspection, right? Well, some jurisdictions might ask for that too. If that’s the case, make sure that your facility meets all the standards that make it an ideal breeding facility.

bearded dragon resting on owner's shoulder
Owner: Trinity Zinth

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Step 7: Demonstrate Knowledge And Experience

Happening something like this is kind of rare, but it’ll be better if you stay prepared for it. The demonstration will be focused on showing your knowledge and experience in handling and breeding bearded dragons. This might involve a test, providing references, and even showcasing your experience with reptile husbandry.

Step 8: Pay Fees

Once you’re with everything, pay the fees required for the licensing. If there are any additional payments, clear them up as well.

Step 9: Await Approval

Once you’re done with the application submission along with all the required documents, the waiting phase starts. This might take a while for the agency to go through your application and documents. The time here mostly depends on the current workload of the agency.

Step 10: Follow License Conditions

When you’ve got your application approved and received a license, make sure that you’re adhering to every single condition and regulation mentioned or outlined in the license. We bet you’re going to see something like reporting, record-keeping, and compliance with animal welfare standards there. Violating any of them might bring legal consequences.

By the way, don’t forget these are just the general steps, and depending on the location, this might vary. To be sure about the whole process, feel free to contact local authorities.

two bearded dragon one on top of other
Owner: Justine Lenz

Is Breeding Bearded Dragon Profitable?

Indeed breeding bearded dragons can be a profitable business for you, but only when you’ve done your share of research and prepared accordingly. Yes, it’s true that bearded dragons are in high demand as pets, and where demand is high, the competition will be high as well.

Don’t worry; with the right expertise and experience, coming to the front row shouldn’t be a problem. But before you jump in, you better be ready for certain things like –

1. Initial Investment

No, breeding bearded dragons isn’t anything cheap, especially when you’re thinking about the initial investment. It’s going to ask for some thick bucks to set up the necessary infrastructure.

Yes, we’re talking about arranging suitable enclosures, lighting and heating systems, etc. This overall cost here is going to depend not only on the equipment quality but also on the size of your breeding operation.

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2. Care And Maintenance Costs

How successful your breeding operation is going to be depends mostly on how you’re ensuring the proper care and maintenance of the beardies. Clearly, that’s going to cost you some cash, especially in maintaining proper temperature and humidity levels, providing appropriate nutrition, and of course, regular veterinary check-ups.

3. Market Demand

Like any other business, you need to research the market demand for beardies as well. This will tell you about the potential customer base you’ve got for the offspring. By the way, don’t get surprised if you see the demand is being influenced by factors like seasons, trends, and the overall popularity of reptiles as pets.

4. Genetics And Selective Breeding

If you’re really into breeding healthy beardies, you better have proper knowledge of genetics and selective breeding. The thing is, if you really want to offer desirable bearded dragons, you need to go for specific traits, such as coloration or pattern, as that’s what mostly makes the offspring more valuable. But to pull this off, you need to have a deeper level of understanding of genetics.

5. Health And Welfare

Looking for a priority in this business? Count the health and welfare of your lizards in. No matter what, make sure that you’re providing them with proper nutrition, housing, and veterinary care. After all, without these, producing healthy offspring is next to impossible. And if you anyhow neglect these, they’re going to bulk up your veterinary costs for sure.

6. Marketing And Sales

Just breeding is going to get you no penny if you’re not building any effective marketing strategies. So, the first thing here you need to figure out is how to present to your potential buyers.

You can use high-quality photos along with accurate descriptions. And don’t forget to keep the communication clear. Otherwise, it won’t be easy to make a difference in attracting customers. Along with that, also fix up the places, online or offline, where you’ll be selling your dragons.

7. Competition

Know your competition and how they’re operating in their target market. Try to understand in which aspects they’re ahead of you and how they’re setting up their price. Fix up the price of your beardies accordingly. And if you can’t compromise on the price, make sure you’re keeping the quality high.

8. Time And Effort

These are what you’re going to need more than anything in this breeding business. Whether you’re asking for breeding cycles, cleaning, feeding, and maintaining optimal habitat, all of it is going to need tons of your time and effort. So, be prepared to invest some time and effort in all those daily responsibilities.

bearded dragon basking on a decor
Owner: Denise Good

How Much Does It Cost To Breed And Sell Bearded Dragons?

No business can be done without some investments, especially businesses like breeding bearded dragons. So, how much it might cost you to get started with this business? Well, we can give you an estimation for that. But remember, the total cost depends on the size of your operation.

Cost ItemEstimated Cost
License or Permit$50 – $500
Bearded Dragon Breeding Pair$80 – $1,800
Housing and Enclosure$200 – $1,500
Heating and Lighting$100 – $500
Food and Supplements$50 – $100 per month
Veterinary Care$100 – $500 per year
Marketing and Advertising$50 – $200
Shipping and Handling$50 – $150 per shipment
Total Estimated Cost$680 – $4,350

Before We Go…

Do you know what you’re going to need right after getting the license? A perfect housing facility to breed the dragons. But finding out the right tank isn’t that easy. So, what about getting some helpful tank ideas for that?

Well, our blogpost 40 DIY Bearded Dragon Tank Setup Ideas For Creative Owners can surely be a big help here.

Muntaseer Rahman

About Author

Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.

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