diff --git a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/CHANGELOG.md b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/CHANGELOG.md
index cec37c91c27a..0b299c74a2f2 100644
--- a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 ### Breaking Changes
 
+- `schemaGroup` is no longer a constructor parameter and has been moved to the constructor options because it is only required for serialization.
+
 ### Bugs Fixed
 
 ### Other Changes
diff --git a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/README.md b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/README.md
index 43520a2fa295..0d8dafb5a8d8 100644
--- a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/README.md
+++ b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/README.md
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ const { SchemaRegistryClient } = require("@azure/schema-registry");
 const { SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer } = require("@azure/schema-registry-avro");
 
 const client = new SchemaRegistryClient("<endpoint>", new DefaultAzureCredential());
-const serializer = new SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer(client, "<group>");
+const serializer = new SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer(client, { groupName: "<group>" });
 
 // Example Avro schema
 const schema = JSON.stringify({
diff --git a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/review/schema-registry-avro.api.md b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/review/schema-registry-avro.api.md
index 8a2a97833133..5dd99b436358 100644
--- a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/review/schema-registry-avro.api.md
+++ b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/review/schema-registry-avro.api.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { SchemaRegistry } from '@azure/schema-registry';
 
 // @public
 export class SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer {
-    constructor(client: SchemaRegistry, groupName: string, options?: SchemaRegistryAvroSerializerOptions);
+    constructor(client: SchemaRegistry, options?: SchemaRegistryAvroSerializerOptions);
     deserialize(input: Buffer | Blob | Uint8Array): Promise<unknown>;
     serialize(value: unknown, schema: string): Promise<Uint8Array>;
 }
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export class SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer {
 // @public
 export interface SchemaRegistryAvroSerializerOptions {
     autoRegisterSchemas?: boolean;
+    groupName?: string;
 }
 
 // (No @packageDocumentation comment for this package)
diff --git a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/samples-dev/schemaRegistryAvroSample.ts b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/samples-dev/schemaRegistryAvroSample.ts
index 3dafe4dd173f..5fd0bee5c071 100644
--- a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/samples-dev/schemaRegistryAvroSample.ts
+++ b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/samples-dev/schemaRegistryAvroSample.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export async function main() {
   await client.registerSchema(schemaDescription);
 
   // Create a new serializer backed by the client
-  const serializer = new SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer(client, groupName);
+  const serializer = new SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer(client, { groupName });
 
   // serialize an object that matches the schema
   const value: User = { firstName: "Jane", lastName: "Doe" };
diff --git a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/src/schemaRegistryAvroSerializer.ts b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/src/schemaRegistryAvroSerializer.ts
index ceb1bdc79e8d..4c945b3832d0 100644
--- a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/src/schemaRegistryAvroSerializer.ts
+++ b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/src/schemaRegistryAvroSerializer.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ export interface SchemaRegistryAvroSerializerOptions {
    * Automatic schema registration is NOT recommended for production scenarios.
    */
   autoRegisterSchemas?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * The group name to be used when registering/looking up a schema. Must be specified
+   * if you will be calling `serialize`.
+   */
+  groupName?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -66,21 +71,14 @@ export class SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer {
    *
    * @param client - Schema Registry where schemas are registered and obtained.
    *                 Usually this is a SchemaRegistryClient instance.
-   *
-   * @param groupName - The schema group to use when making requests to the
-   *                    registry.
    */
-  constructor(
-    client: SchemaRegistry,
-    groupName: string,
-    options?: SchemaRegistryAvroSerializerOptions
-  ) {
+  constructor(client: SchemaRegistry, options?: SchemaRegistryAvroSerializerOptions) {
     this.registry = client;
-    this.schemaGroup = groupName;
+    this.schemaGroup = options?.groupName;
     this.autoRegisterSchemas = options?.autoRegisterSchemas ?? false;
   }
 
-  private readonly schemaGroup: string;
+  private readonly schemaGroup?: string;
   private readonly registry: SchemaRegistry;
   private readonly autoRegisterSchemas: boolean;
 
@@ -190,6 +188,12 @@ export class SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer {
       throw new Error("Schema must have a name.");
     }
 
+    if (!this.schemaGroup) {
+      throw new Error(
+        "Schema group must have been specified in the constructor options when the client was created in order to serialize."
+      );
+    }
+
     const description: SchemaDescription = {
       groupName: this.schemaGroup,
       name: avroType.name,
diff --git a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/test/utils/mockedSerializer.ts b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/test/utils/mockedSerializer.ts
index 0882d8704238..2efdde39a394 100644
--- a/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/test/utils/mockedSerializer.ts
+++ b/sdk/schemaregistry/schema-registry-avro/test/utils/mockedSerializer.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export async function createTestSerializer(
   if (!autoRegisterSchemas) {
     await registerTestSchema(registry);
   }
-  return new SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer(registry, testGroup, { autoRegisterSchemas });
+  return new SchemaRegistryAvroSerializer(registry, { autoRegisterSchemas, groupName: testGroup });
 }
 
 export async function registerTestSchema(registry: SchemaRegistry): Promise<string> {