The short version: You can sell homemade dog treats legally in most states once you register with your state department of agriculture, usually a small company fee plus a fee for each product. In most states, cottage food laws do not cover them, because a dog treat is legally pet food. Minnesota is the exception we found: its cottage food registration now covers certain baked or dehydrated dog treats. Colorado (with good manufacturing practices) and New York (for shelf-stable baked treats) allow home kitchens, but California bans them and requires an approved facility. In the four states with full fee data, three flavors ran $150 to $300 in the first year, before lab tests.
Checked on six state agency pages, September 18, 2026. Rules and fees change, so verify your state's current rules before you sell. This is general information, not legal advice.
Yes, you can sell homemade dog treats in most of the United States, but not the way you sell cookies for people. Dog treats count as pet food, so the cottage food rules that let you sell bread and jam from your kitchen do not apply. AAFCO, the group whose model rules most states copy, says "almost all of the states have some sort of registration or licensing requirements that you must meet before your product can be offered for sale." The same AAFCO page is not consistent about which states sit outside those feed laws: one passage says every state except Alaska and Nevada has a commercial feed law, and another passage on that page says every state except Alaska has one. Do not read either line as permission to skip registering, ask your own state feed program. Most states want you to register your business, your products, or both with the state department of agriculture before your first sale. A few states let you bake at home, and Indiana says it does not inspect home kitchens unless there is a complaint. California does not let you bake them at home.
Yes, dog treats are legal to sell in all 6 states we checked once you register, though California requires an approved kitchen instead of your home one. The four states that publish a per-product fee charge $25 to $100 for each product, for each registration period, and Washington's $90 covers two years. The rules are not the same as the ones for human food, and that trips up many first-time vendors.
This page is about the permission question: who you register with, what it costs, and whether your kitchen counts. If you already know you are allowed and want the recipes, packaging and pricing side, our guide to selling dog treats from home covers how to sell once the paperwork is done.
Here is the simplest way to think about it. A dog treat is legally a pet food. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the group that writes the model rules most states copy, says it plainly on its startup FAQ for new pet food makers: treats and snacks are pet food. So the question "can I sell dog treats?" is really "can I sell pet food?", and the answer depends on your state feed program.
What almost every state has in common:
Cottage food laws cover food for people, and dog treats are legally pet food. The California Department of Public Health says so directly in its pet food FAQ: "Animal food products are not covered under California's Cottage Food Law." The other five states we checked put dog treats under their feed control laws, not their cottage food rules.
That surprises people, because the treats look and bake like cookies. But the legal category is decided by who eats it, not by how it is made. A peanut butter biscuit sold for a dog is pet food even if a person could eat it.
What that means for you in practice:
Here is how the two sets of rules compare for a home baker:
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| Question | Cottage food (treats for people) | Pet food (treats for dogs) |
|---|---|---|
| Who regulates it | Your state or local health or agriculture office, depending on the state | Your state feed program, often the department of agriculture |
| What you pay | Varies by state, often a permit or nothing | A company fee, a per-product fee, or both ($25 to $100 a product each registration period, in the 4 of 6 states we checked that publish one) |
| Label rules | Cottage food label with a home kitchen statement | Pet food label: species, net weight, guaranteed analysis, ingredients, feeding directions in some states, your address |
| Home kitchen | Allowed by definition | Depends on the state (California says no) |
If you sell both, you run two sets of paperwork. That is common and not a problem. Our cottage food startup guide covers the human food side.
The FDA requires every pet food, including a $5 bag of homemade dog treats, to be safe to eat, made under sanitary conditions, free of harmful substances and truthfully labeled. That comes from the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as described on the FDA's pet food page, checked September 18, 2026.
The FDA does not approve dog treats before they are sold. Common ingredients like meat, poultry and grains do not need premarket approval. The FDA page also says states enforce their own labeling rules, and many of those rules are based on AAFCO's models.
There is one federal step you can usually skip. AAFCO's FAQ says pet food makers register their facility with the FDA under the Bioterrorism Act, but "if you make your product in your own home, then you are exempt." The rule itself says the same thing: 21 CFR 1.227 defines what counts as a facility and states that "the private residence of an individual is not a facility." So a home vendor usually does not file a federal facility registration. AAFCO is a trade group and not a regulator, so confirm your own setup with the FDA before you skip the filing.
The federal rules that still apply to you:
Your state feed control program regulates dog treats, and it is usually part of the state department of agriculture. Some states put it somewhere else, so look for the words "commercial feed" or "pet food registration" on your state's website.
A few examples from the 6 states we checked on September 18, 2026:
If your state's page is hard to find, AAFCO keeps a state-by-state contact list. Call the feed program and ask one question: "What do I need to sell baked dog treats in small bags that I make at home?"
In the four states we checked that publish a per-product fee, fees ran $25 to $100 for each product on each registration cycle. Washington's $90 covers a two-year cycle, so it works out to about $45 a year, while the other three bill every year. Some states also charge a company or license fee: $75 a year in Colorado, $50 a year in Indiana, a $75 license in Texas, and $190 a year in California. For a small vendor with three flavors, registration works out to about $150 to $300 in the first year in Colorado, New York, Washington and Indiana, before any lab tests.
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| State | Who you register with | Company or license fee | Fee per product | Home kitchen allowed? | First year, 3 flavors in 1 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Dept. of Agriculture | $75 a year | $25 a year per label (packages 10 lb or smaller; anything over 10 lb is reported as tonnage with a $50 minimum a year) | Yes, with good manufacturing practices | $150 |
| New York | Dept. of Agriculture and Markets | None listed | $100 a year | Yes, for shelf-stable baked treats | $300 |
| Washington | State Dept. of Agriculture | No company fee; inspection fee of $0.12 per ton, $12.50 minimum, on each twice-yearly report | $90 per product for packages under 10 lb, $22 per product if it is sold only in 10 lb or larger packages, and $90 if you sell it both ways; two-year cycle | Not stated on the registration page | $295 in the first year: $270 covers two years of registration, plus two $12.50 inspection minimums |
| Indiana | Office of Indiana State Chemist | $50 a year | $50 a year | Kitchen not inspected unless there is a complaint | $200 |
| Texas | Office of the Texas State Chemist | $75 license | Each brand and product name in bags of 5 lb or less must be registered before you distribute it; the annual per-product inspection fee amount is not printed on the form. Bulk or loose sales carry a $100 minimum a year, and the form says a licensee who distributes both ways owes the per-product fees and that $100 minimum | Ask the program | $75 plus product fees |
| California | Dept. of Public Health | $190 a year | Not listed separately | No, approved facility required | $190 plus kitchen rent |
We checked every fee in this table on each agency's own page on September 18, 2026: Colorado's pet treat FAQ, New York's pet food page, Washington's pet food registration page and its commercial feed inspection fee reporting page, Indiana's "I want to make and sell pet treats" guide, the Texas license application and pet food rules, and California's pet food FAQ. Colorado's $25 label fee is due each January for the year before. Washington registrations run on fixed two-year cycles, July 1 through June 30 of the second year, and Washington's page says your registration stays in whichever cycle your application lands in. Nothing on that page prorates the fee, so registering late in a cycle still costs $90 per product for only the months that are left. Washington also requires a report of all feed you distributed in the state twice a year, due July 31 and January 31, with an inspection fee of $0.12 per ton and a $12.50 minimum if you sold anything, so a small vendor pays about $25 a year on top of registration. You still file the report if you sold nothing, and a late report costs at least $50. Watch the calendar in New York and Colorado too. New York registrations expire December 31 no matter what month you register, so three flavors registered in September cost $300 for about four months, then $300 again in January. Colorado's $75 company fee covers February 1 to January 31 and cannot be prorated. Time your first registration early in the year if you can.
First-year registration cost, three flavors in 1 lb bags
Source: each state agency's pet food page, checked September 18, 2026. Washington includes two $12.50 inspection fee minimums. Washington's $270 buys two years of registration, about $160 a year with inspection fees, so it is the second cheapest state here on an annual basis even though its first-year bill is the second highest. Colorado's $150 arrives in two payments: the $75 company fee up front, then the three $25 label fees the January after the year of sales. Texas and California left out because their per-product cost could not be confirmed or depends on kitchen rent.
The math is simple once you know your state's two numbers. Add the company fee once, then add the product fee for every flavor. A vendor in Indiana with three flavors pays $50 plus 3 times $50, or $200. The same lineup in New York costs 3 times $100, or $300.
Home kitchens are allowed for dog treats in Colorado and New York, but California bans them outright and requires a $190 registration plus an approved facility. Indiana sits in between: it only looks at a home kitchen after a complaint.
Here is what each agency said on September 18, 2026:
The state's pet food page says every pet food and treat must be registered before it is sold, at $100 per product per year. Shelf-stable baked treats can come from a home kitchen, but a home processed treat "cannot claim on the label, website, or other advertisement to be 'human grade' or 'made with human grade ingredients.'" New York's test for that claim is about where the treat was made: "a product must be produced in a commercial facility that is in compliance with federal regulations 21 CFR part 117 CGMPs," the federal good manufacturing rule for human food. Colorado is the state that asks for paperwork on the same claim. Its pet treat FAQ answers the human-grade question with "No, unless you use a commercial kitchen and provide the human food manufacturing license and other proof that it is edible by humans."
California is the big exception. The state requires a Pet Food Processor Registration ($190, renewed yearly, checked September 18, 2026) and an approved facility such as a shared commercial kitchen or a church or school kitchen. A food truck does not count. If you live in California, price out kitchen rent before you plan your lineup.
Dehydrated and jerky treats are the other common catch. New York's home kitchen allowance leaves out dehydrated, freeze-dried, canned and acidified treats. New York also has a separate rule for them. In-state makers of jerky or dehydrated or freeze-dried meat or poultry treats must get a scheduled process from a recognized process authority, follow it, and submit it with the pet food registration application. A scheduled process is a recipe with set processing steps, the safety targets the product has to hit, and the records you keep. If jerky is your product, ask your state program before you buy a dehydrator.
Most states charge a fee for each product, and a new recipe or a new name usually counts as a new product. That is why a lineup of ten flavors can cost far more to register than a lineup of three.
Indiana's state chemist gives the clearest examples in its guide for people who want to make and sell pet treats:
In a count of the Homegrown catalog on September 18, 2026, 42 dog listings came from 9 vendors. The three biggest dog treat lineups had 12, 11 and 9 listings. Some listings are bundles or sizes of the same treat, but if each of those 12 listings were a separate recipe or name, Indiana product fees alone would cost $600 a year at $50 per product, plus the $50 license. At $100 per product in New York, it would cost $1,200.
Launch with three flavors, not ten. Three registered products run $150 in Colorado, of which only the $75 company fee is due up front, and $200 in Indiana for the first year. Once you know which flavor sells, register the next one. Seasonal shapes cut from a registered recipe and sold under the same product name may not need a new registration in Indiana, so ask your state before you pay for a pumpkin version of your peanut butter bone.
A registered dog treat label needs at least 8 items in Colorado and 9 in Indiana, and both states require a guaranteed analysis on every treat label. Colorado words it as "at least 8 items" that must be formatted a particular way "depending on the type of product," so treat 8 as a floor rather than a finished checklist. The items the two states share are the product name, the species, a "treat" statement, net weight, a guaranteed analysis, an ingredient list in order of weight and your name and address. Colorado adds a lot code, and Indiana adds directions for use and a brand name if you have one. Your state reviews the label when you register, so get it right before you print a roll of labels.
The fields Colorado and Indiana list between them, which make a good starting template in other states:
The guaranteed analysis is the field home bakers do not expect, and it adds a cost. Colorado and Indiana both say to send a sample of the finished treat to an animal food testing lab, and Indiana notes the labs charge a fee and that some guarantees can be calculated if you know the ingredient values. Neither state endorses a particular lab, though Colorado's FAQ lists four Denver-area labs as a starting point and says you are welcome to use any other lab you like, and Indiana's guide says to find food analysis labs through an internet search and to call around for the best price. Budget a lab test for each recipe as a first-year cost on top of registration. Our cottage food labeling guide covers human food labels; do not reuse that layout for dog treats without checking the pet food fields above.
Getting legal to sell dog treats takes seven steps, and you can start all of them from your kitchen table this week. The slowest part is usually waiting for the state to review your label and application.
Once you are registered, save a copy of the approval on your phone. If a farmers market manager or a pet store owner asks, it is the fastest way to show you are legitimate.
No, in most states you need the same registration at a farmers market that you need anywhere else. A farmers market is still a sale to the public, so the pet food rules apply. Indiana's state chemist answers the farmers market question directly. Asked what you have to do to take treats to the market in one pound bags, its guide says "You must label each bag and the $50 annual fee must be paid to our office for each product." Once you are registered, the registration travels with you: Colorado's feed program says registered labels "will be eligible to sell anywhere in Colorado, including farmers' markets and in stores."
How you package treats at the booth changes what you owe in some states. Indiana is the clearest example:
Texas splits it differently, at 5 pounds. Its feed license form treats treats in packages of 5 pounds or less as annual products with a per-product inspection fee, and anything in bigger packages or sold in bulk as a tonnage product with a $100 minimum annual inspection fee. A product sold in both small and larger containers counts as a tonnage product.
Many markets set their own vendor rules too, such as proof of registration or a certificate of insurance. Call the market manager before you apply and ask what they need from a dog treat vendor. Dog festivals ask for paperwork too: the three we checked for where to sell dog treats charged vendors $75 to $900 in 2026, and all three asked for insurance in some form.
Yes, but every state you ship into can require its own registration. Colorado's feed program says it directly. Asked whether treats registered in Colorado can be sold outside it, its pet treat FAQ answers "No, each state has its own registration and licensing requirements," and points you to AAFCO's state contact list. AAFCO's own FAQ says the same about internet sales, that they need registration in each state where the products are distributed. That can turn a $150 Colorado registration into a stack of state fees.
This is why most small dog treat vendors keep online sales local:
A quick example shows why. Registering 3 flavors costs $150 a year in Colorado. Shipping the same 3 flavors into New York adds $300 a year, and adding Washington adds $270 every two years plus about $25 a year in inspection fees, or about $160 a year. That is about $610 a year in registrations and inspection fees before the first out-of-state box ships.
Selling through Facebook groups has its own rules on top of the state ones. Our breakdown of whether it is legal to sell food on Facebook covers the platform side.
Usually yes to a sales tax permit, often yes to a local business license, and insurance is optional, though many farmers markets ask for a certificate of insurance. These are separate from your pet food registration, and your feed program will not handle them for you.
The three extra pieces most dog treat vendors need:
How long each one takes depends on your city, county and state, so start them at the same time you file your state registration.
You can owe a late fee on top of the normal fees, and you still have to register. In Texas, for example, the license application lists a $75 late fee for applications received more than 30 days after a violation notice.
State feed inspectors can check products where they are sold. Indiana's guide says its inspectors may collect samples of products offered for retail sale during normal business hours. If your treats are not registered, a sample is one way they find out.
What is at risk if you skip registration:
The fees are small next to those risks. In the four states with full fee data, three flavors cost $150 to $300 to register for the first year.
Once your treats are registered, you need a way for local dog owners to order and pay without chasing you in text messages. The right tool depends on whether you sell locally or ship, and on how much you want to pay each month.
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| Option | Monthly plan | Trial period | Platform fee | Card processing | Customer pays on a $20 order | Vendor pays on a $20 order | Vendor pays in a month of 50 orders at $20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homegrown | $10 billed annually ($12.50 monthly) | 7 days, no charge until day 8 | $0, 0% commission | 2.9% + $0.30, paid by the vendor | $20.00 | $0.88 plus the plan | $54.00 ($56.50 on monthly billing) |
| Shopify Basic | $29 billed yearly ($39 monthly) | 3 days, then $1 a month for 3 months | $0 with Shopify Payments | 2.9% + 30¢ online | $20.00 | $0.88 plus the plan | $73.00 ($83.00 on monthly billing) |
| Venmo business profile | $0 | Not applicable | $0 | 1.9% + $0.10 per payment | $20.00 | $0.48 | $24.00, with no order page or pickup scheduling |
We checked these on Homegrown's signup page, Shopify's pricing page and Venmo's fee page on September 20, 2026. Card processing is figured on the $20 price. Venmo's Tap to Pay rate is 2.29% + $0.09. Shopify's $83 is what month four onward looks like on the intro path, and $73 if you switch to annual billing. Its live intro offer of $1 a month for the first three months puts each of those months near $45 in a 50-order month, under Homegrown's $54, so Shopify is the cheaper row while the offer lasts. Over a whole first year the plans come to $120 on Homegrown, and about $354 on Shopify on the intro path or $348 if you prepay a year and give up the $1 months. Shipping, labels and registration fees are not included for any option.
Your registration covers selling in your state, so the natural next step is taking orders from dog owners nearby. Homegrown is $10 per month billed annually ($12.50 month to month) with 0% commission; card processing is 2.9% + $0.30, paid by the vendor. You get an online storefront where customers see your registered flavors, order for pickup at your porch or your market booth, and pay before you bake. That means you bake the exact number of bags that sold, which matters when every flavor carries its own registration fee. Shopify can do the same job at $39 a month, with the same 2.9% + $0.30 processing. Its intro offer runs $1 a month for the first three months, which is cheaper than Homegrown while that offer lasts, and then it bills at the standard $39 a month. That is about $354 across a first year, against $120 on Homegrown. Paying Shopify a year up front instead is $29 a month, $348 for the year, and it gives up the $1 months. If you use it to ship, remember that every state you ship to needs its own registration. Venmo is cheaper per order, but it gives you no order page, no product list and no pickup times, so you end up matching payments to messages by hand. Homegrown does not register your products, print your labels or ship treats across the country. Customers create a Homegrown account to place their first order, and your storefront is listed on the Homegrown marketplace, but plan on most orders coming from dog owners you send to your own link.
If your homemade dog treats are registered and you are tired of taking orders over text, you can set up a Homegrown storefront and share one link at your next market.
In most states, yes. You register with your state feed program, usually part of the department of agriculture, before your first sale. Fees ran $25 to $100 for each product you register in Colorado, New York, Washington and Indiana, the four states we checked on September 18, 2026 that publish one. Three of them bill that every year. Washington's $90 buys a two-year cycle, about $45 a year. Most also charge a company or license fee: $75 a year in Colorado, $50 a year in Indiana, a $75 license in Texas, and $190 a year in California.
In most states, no. Cottage food laws cover food for people, and dog treats are legally pet food. California's public health department states that animal food products are not covered under its Cottage Food Law, and the other states we checked handle dog treats through their feed programs instead. Minnesota is the exception: its cottage food registration now includes certain types of baked or dehydrated dog and cat treats (Minnesota Department of Agriculture, checked September 29, 2026).
It depends on your state. Colorado allows home kitchens if you follow good manufacturing practices, New York allows them for shelf-stable baked treats, and Indiana only inspects a home kitchen after a complaint. California does not allow dog treats to be made, packaged or stored in a residential home.
For three flavors in 1 pound bags, first-year registration ran $150 in Colorado ($75 due up front and the three $25 label fees the January after), $200 in Indiana, $295 in Washington ($270 for a two-year registration plus two $12.50 inspection fee minimums), and $300 in New York, based on each agency's page on September 18, 2026. New York registrations all expire December 31, so a fall start pays twice within a few months. California charges $190 a year but also bans home kitchens, so you rent approved space like a shared commercial kitchen.
Usually, yes. Most states treat each recipe and product name as its own product with its own fee. Indiana says one recipe cut into different shapes may share a registration if the name stays the same, but adding an ingredient or changing the name makes it a new product.
Yes, but selling on Etsy does not change the pet food rules. Colorado's feed program says a registration in Colorado does not let you sell outside it, because each state has its own registration and licensing requirements, and AAFCO says the same about internet sales. So every buyer's state can require its own registration whether the order comes through Etsy, your own site or a shipping label you print at home. That is why most small vendors sell locally for pickup or delivery in their own state first, and add other states only when the orders justify the extra fees.
These 4 guides pick up after the permit: recipes and packaging, ordering tools, more products to add and the human food side. If your registration is already filed, start with the first one. If you also bake bread or cookies for people, the last one covers that separate permit.
