Selling homemade dog treats in Iowa: license, registration and fees (2026)

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says home makers register: Iowa's feed bureau tells bakeries, homemakers and farmers-market sellers to “License, register, and label according to state and federal law. NO EXCEPTION in the law.” Product registration: $50/yr. License: $20 per facility per 2 yrs. Tonnage report: some products.

Calculate your Iowa fees Iowa pet food registration

Can you make dog treats in a home kitchen in Iowa?

Agency: home makers register Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship: “Bakeries / Homemakers / Farmers Markets ... License, register, and label according to state and federal law. NO EXCEPTION in the law.” Iowa's feed bureau tells bakeries, homemakers and farmers-market sellers to “License, register, and label according to state and federal law. NO EXCEPTION in the law.” Condition: License, product registration and labels, as for any pet food maker. The handout names no kitchen or inspection condition.Source: iowaagriculture.gov · IDALS Feed Bureau, “Pet Food Registration in Iowa” handout (2019), item 6.E “Bakeries / Homemakers / Farmers Markets”. It doesn't say “home kitchen” in so many words.

This is Iowa's published guidance, checked October 3, 2026. We don't judge whether any particular product or kitchen qualifies; that's for the agency, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Iowa registration and license for dog treats

Product registration: $50/yr. License: $20 per facility per 2 yrs.

What's registered	Commercial feed license per facility, plus per-product registration for pet food sold in packages of 10 lb or lessSource: iowaagriculture.gov · Iowa Code 198.4(2) and 198.9(1)(b).
Product registration fee	$50 per product per year, for packages of 10 lb or less. A product is one recipe: several sizes or shapes of the same recipe count once.Source: iowaagriculture.gov · Iowa Code 198.9(1)(b).
Package-size rule	10 lb or less: $50/product registration. Over 10 lb: tonnage inspection fee applies to those packages (a product sold in both sizes pays both).Source: legis.iowa.gov
License / firm fee	$20 per facility for two yearsSource: legis.iowa.gov · IDALS FAQ: "The cost to renew a license is $20.00 for two years."
Registration period	License: two years, ending in odd-numbered years. Small-package product registration: calendar year (expires December 31).Source: iowaagriculture.gov · Iowa Code 198.4(4) says the license expires July 1 of the odd-numbered year; IDALS's due-dates guide says June 30 of odd-numbered years.
Renewal due	Product registrations by January 1 each year (renewals open December 1). License renewals open June 1 of odd-numbered years; next expiry June 30, 2027.Source: iowaagriculture.gov · Iowa Code 198.9(1)(b): fee paid by January 1.
Form or portal	https://iowadeptag.my.site.com/Source: iowaagriculture.gov · IDALS online licensing portal (apply, pay and print online).
License / firm form	https://iowadeptag.my.site.com/Source: iowaagriculture.gov
What to send	License application ($20) and, for 10 lb-or-less pet food, a list of each product with its label and $50 per product, through the online portalSource: iowaagriculture.gov

Tonnage report

Tonnage report required?	Yes, for pet food sold in packages over 10 lb. If 10 lb-or-less pet food is all you sell, you owe only the registration.Source: iowaagriculture.gov
How often	Semiannual (January-June and July-December)Source: legis.iowa.gov
Due	By law, by the last day of July and January; IDALS gives August 15 and February 15 as the last days without a late feeSource: legis.iowa.gov · Iowa Code 198.9(2)(a)(1); IDALS Animal Food Due Dates Guide. Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.

We show who files and when, not the fee: tonnage fees depend on how much you sell. What a tonnage report is, state by state.

Due dates

January 1: Iowa small-package pet food registrations due ($50 per product; expire Dec 31) (if you register products)Source: legis.iowa.gov
June 30 (odd-numbered years): Iowa commercial feed license expires (two-year license, odd-numbered years; renewals open June 1)Source: iowaagriculture.gov
July 31, January 31: Iowa semiannual tonnage statement due by law (IDALS: no late fee until the 15th of the next month). Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency. (only if you have products under tonnage reporting)Source: legis.iowa.gov

Steps

Home kitchen. Iowa's feed bureau tells bakeries, homemakers and farmers-market sellers to “License, register, and label according to state and federal law. NO EXCEPTION in the law.” License, product registration and labels, as for any pet food maker. The handout names no kitchen or inspection condition.Source: iowaagriculture.gov · IDALS Feed Bureau, “Pet Food Registration in Iowa” handout (2019), item 6.E “Bakeries / Homemakers / Farmers Markets”. It doesn't say “home kitchen” in so many words.
License. Commercial feed license ($20 per 2 years): $20 per facility per 2 yrs. License form or portal.Source: legis.iowa.gov
Register each product. $50 per product per year, for packages of 10 lb or less. A product is one recipe: several sizes or shapes of the same recipe count once.. Registration form or portal.Source: iowaagriculture.gov · Iowa Code 198.9(1)(b).
What to send. License application ($20) and, for 10 lb-or-less pet food, a list of each product with its label and $50 per product, through the online portalSource: iowaagriculture.gov
Labels. Moving to AAFCO's new label format? The Pet Nutrition Facts box generator formats the box from your own numbers. We don't review labels.
Tonnage report. Semiannual (January-June and July-December). Due: By law, by the last day of July and January; IDALS gives August 15 and February 15 as the last days without a late feeSource: legis.iowa.gov · Iowa Code 198.9(2)(a)(1); IDALS Animal Food Due Dates Guide. Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency. Tonnage reports by state.
Renew. Product registrations by January 1 each year (renewals open December 1). License renewals open June 1 of odd-numbered years; next expiry June 30, 2027.Source: iowaagriculture.gov · Iowa Code 198.9(1)(b): fee paid by January 1.
Shipping to other states? Each state you sell into has its own rules. Selling dog treats online · fee calculator.

Every Iowa fact, with sources: Iowa pet food & treat registration. Selling in several states? The free calculator adds up the fees, and the $49 Registration Pack turns them into a checklist and renewal calendar.

Other states

Nearby: Selling dog treats in Minnesota · Selling dog treats in Wisconsin · Selling dog treats in Illinois · Selling dog treats in Missouri · Selling dog treats in Nebraska

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