Pet care | New York | Licensing updates
New York Boarding and Groomer Regulation Bills Remain Pending
New York lawmakers are considering statewide boarding-facility licensing and separate groomer regulation, but none of these proposals creates a current…
- Monitor A10731, A1108, and S6963 separately; movement on one does not enact the others.
- Board-and-train and home-based operators should review A10731 because a residence is not automatically excluded.
- Grooming schools should watch possible training and testing requirements but should not market a state-required exam yet.
- Use current state and local rules until an enacted law and effective date are published.
Published: 2026-09-01 · Reviewed: 2026-09-01
Official context
New York A10731 was introduced March 27, 2026 and remains in the Assembly Economic Development Committee. It would establish Department of State licensing and inspection for defined for-profit animal boarding facilities, including boarding or training in a residence, with a narrow exclusion for certain small daycare arrangements. A1108 remains in Assembly committee and proposes pet-grooming-facility licensing and standards. S6963 remains in the Senate Consumer Protection Committee and proposes groomer registration, training, testing, and operating standards.
What this means
A10731 proposes a $150 initial license and $150 annual renewal, pre-license and annual inspections, possible unannounced inspections, an identifying number in advertising, three-year animal records, and written handling, behavior, emergency-veterinary, vaccination, infectious-disease, sanitation, and facility procedures. The grooming bills take different approaches to facility licensing and individual groomer regulation. All three remain pending proposals; New York groomers should not be told that a statewide grooming license or test is currently required because of these bills.
Official sources
- https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10731
- https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1108
- https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6963
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