How Long Does It Take to Get AKC Litter Papers?

Unless you want to pay more, register your litter early to ensure you receive the paperwork for the puppies' new owners.
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Started in 1884, the American Kennel Club is today the leading registry for purebred puppies. Litters of puppies can be registered with the AKC if both parents were AKC registered and the litter was born in the United States. Getting the litter registered as soon as possible is important so each puppy's new owners can receive copies of the AKC paperwork at the time of purchasing and to ensure the litter is properly registered in the database. Thankfully, receiving the registration papers back usually takes less than one month.

Registration Process

To register a litter of puppies, the owner needs to complete an application available online and pay a flat registration fee along with an additional fee for each puppy in the litter. The application and fees are mailed or submitted online directly to the AKC. According to the AKC website, the process from the date of submission to the time the papers are received by the owner usually takes 18 working days. However, litter owners can pay an additional fee to expedite the registration process. In that case, the registration paperwork will be returned to the owner in three to five working days.