Washington’s rules depend on ownership history, whether the pet is being rehomed, and whether the pet comes from a New World Screwworm-affected area. Check all three before arranging the veterinary paperwork.
Reviewed September 12, 2026 · Rules can change; verify before travel.
For pets not coming from an NWS-impacted area, an existing owner’s dog, cat, or ferret may be exempt from a CVI when the animal has been owned for more than one month, travels with the owner, and is not being sold or transferred; current rabies vaccination is still required. Rescue or rehomed pets require a CVI, and dogs older than six months also need a current negative heartworm test listed on it.
Outside NWS-impacted areas, qualifying owner-accompanied pets are exempt from the CVI and heartworm-test requirements but still need current rabies vaccination.
Rescue and rehomed pets require a CVI; pets over 90 days need current rabies vaccination listed on it.
A rescue or rehomed dog over six months needs a current negative heartworm test listed on the CVI.
Washington’s ordinary exemption is written for qualifying pets traveling with their owners. Because a professional ground transporter may be owner-unaccompanied, confirm the required paperwork with WSDA before relying on that exemption.
Effective June 17, 2026, dogs, cats, and ferrets entering from U.S. states with USDA-designated active NWS infested zones need a CVI issued within five days before entry. The family-pet CVI exemption does not apply to those affected-state arrivals.
Rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and other pocket pets have separate Washington requirements and generally need a CVI.
Washington’s NWS emergency rule and the list of affected areas can change quickly. Check the pet’s origin and route immediately before dispatch, not only when the quote is prepared.
Snout Route coordinates door-to-door ground pet transport in Washington as part of service across the 48 contiguous U.S. states, Alaska, and Canada. We review the route and the documents supplied for the trip before pickup; the pet owner and veterinarian remain responsible for satisfying the applicable government requirements.
These links go to the agencies responsible for the requirements summarized on this page.
Not under the ordinary non-NWS rule if the pet qualifies for the existing-owner, owner-accompanied exemption. Professional owner-unaccompanied transport should be confirmed with WSDA before relying on that exemption.
A CVI is required. Dogs, cats, and ferrets over 90 days need current rabies vaccination listed on it, and dogs over six months need a current negative heartworm test result.
Washington’s emergency rule requires a CVI issued within five days before entry for dogs, cats, and ferrets arriving from a state with a USDA-designated active NWS infested zone, and removes the family-pet CVI exemption for those arrivals.
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