Limited Registration

Limited Registration means that the dog is registered but no litters produced by that dog are eligible for registration.

Chapter 3, Section 4A of the AKC's Rules Applying to Registration & Discipline states the following: "Limited Registration may be requested for a dog when application for individual registration of the dog is submitted, provided the application, together with a request for such limitation, is filed by the owner(s) of the litter at birth.

No offspring of a dog for which Limited Registration has been granted is eligible for registration. Each registration certificate for such dog shall carry notice of the limitation, and the limitation shall continue, regardless of any change of ownership, unless and until the owner(s) of the litter at birth shall apply to AKC for removal of the limitation."

A dog registered with an AKC Limited Registration shall be ineligible to be entered in a breed competition in a licensed or member dog show. It is eligible, however, to be entered in any other licensed or member event. These events include: Obedience, Tracking, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Herding, Lure Coursing, Agility and Earthdog.

Limited Registration is determined by the litter owner(s). The litter owner(s) check the Limited Registration box on the AKC registration application (blue form) rather than the Full Registration box. A litter owner must confirm the choice by signing in the signature box provided on the form. If the litter is co-owned, the owner and co-owner must sign individually.

Limited Registration certificates are white with an orange border; the Full Registration certificate is white with a purple border.

Limited Registration helps breeders protect their breeding programs. If breeders do not want puppies used for breeding purposes, they can request the Limited Registration option for those puppies.

The American Kennel Club does not license or endorse anyone engaged in the commerce of selling purebred dogs and, therefore, has no control over the business practices of those involved in such transactions. Membership in The American Kennel Club is comprised of independent dog clubs located throughout the United States. No individual persons are members of the AKC.

The AKC will not become involved in disputes concerning 'full' or 'limited' registration of a dog. These disputes must be resolved by the parties involved in the sale of the dog. The only exception to this is in cases where there is a contract, signed by all parties involved and made at the time of the dog sale, that stipulates the registration status. In those cases, AKC will initiate an inquiry on the matter.

More from the AKC

The American Kennel Club has always recognized the role of the responsible breeder in preserving the integrity of its registry and the quality of the purebred dog in this country. In June of 1989, the delegates of the AKC voted to give breeders a valuable tool to protect their programs--the option of selling their puppies under Full or Limited Registration.

Dogs with Full Registration privileges can compete in all AKC events, and their offspring can be registered with the AKC. Dogs with Limited Registration privileges are allowed to compete in all AKC Companion and Performance events, but not in Conformation events (dog shows). Additionally, no puppies produced by a dog with Limited Registration are eligible for AKC registration.

The choice to register a dog with Full or Limited privileges is solely in the hands of the dog's breeder. The breeder indicates the Full or Limited designation by completing a section of the dog's individual registration application. The breeder's designation is entered into the AKC registration system along with the dog's name, sex, color, and number, and becomes part of the dog's permanent registration record. If the dog is entered in an AKC event, or if it appears as a sire or a dam on a litter application, it is checked for eligibility against its Full or Limited Registration status.

Benefits for Breeders

Limited registration honors the prerogative of knowledgeable, responsible breeders to decide which dogs in a litter may later be bred to produce AKC-registered dogs and which may not. By indicating Limited Registration on a dog's application and explaining the conditions to the new owners, the breeder can be confident that the owner cannot use the dog to produce and sell AKC-registerable puppies that may not meet the standards of the breeder's program.

If the breeder later decides that the dog has developed in such a way that its registration status should be changed, the breeder has the right to change the status from Limited to Full. Only the breeder has the power to make that change, and, in the case of multiple breeders, all breeders must agree. The owner cannot make any changes to the dog's registration status.

By using Limited Registration, breeders can provide AKC papers to all of their puppy owners, while still controlling which puppies will be bred. It is an excellent tool to demonstrate breeders' concern for the future of their lines and their commitment to preserving excellence within their breed.

Benefits for Owners

Owners should know that the Limited Registration status has no bearing on a dog's potential to be an excellent representative of its breed, a wonderful pet, and a standout participant in most AKC events. In fact, having a "Limited" dog can be very liberating, as owners don't have to wrestle with the question "to breed or not to breed"-that decision is made by the breeder when the Limited option is indicated on the registration application.

Dogs with Limited Registration can compete in every AKC event except Conformation (because the latter is an evaluation of breeding stock). These include the Companion Events--Obedience, Rally, Agility and Tracking--which are open to all breeds, and the Performance Events--Field Trials, Hunting, Lure Coursing, Herding, Earthdog and Coonhound--which are open to specific breeds only. Training for and participating in these events promotes a special bond between dogs and owners. Together, dogs and owners learn new skills, spend quality time together, and--who knows?--may even achieve great success in their chosen sport.

When it comes to being a great competitor or just a lifelong friend, a dog with Limited Registration has no limits at all.