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New York Consolidated Laws, Agriculture and Markets Law - AGM § 353-f. Companion animal piercing and tattooing prohibited

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

1. No person shall pierce or cause to have pierced a companion animal unless such piercing provides a medical benefit to the companion animal.  Such piercing shall be performed by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to ear tags on rabbits and cavies.

2. No person shall tattoo or cause to have tattooed a companion animal unless such tattoo:

(a) is done in conjunction with a medical procedure for the benefit of the companion animal and to indicate that such medical procedure has been done, provided that such tattoo is not for design purposes;  or

(b) is done for the purpose of identification of the companion animal and not for design purposes, and such tattoo includes only such numbers and/or letters allotted by a corporation that, in the regular course of its business, maintains an animal tattoo identification registry.

3. For the purposes of this section, “tattoo” shall mean a mark on the body made with indelible ink or pigments injected beneath the outer layer of the skin.

4. Tattooing done in conjunction with a medical procedure for the benefit of a companion animal that indicates that such medical procedure has been done shall be performed by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

5. Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation punishable pursuant to the penal law.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New York Consolidated Laws, Agriculture and Markets Law - AGM § 353-f. Companion animal piercing and tattooing prohibited - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/agriculture-and-markets-law/agm-sect-353-f/

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