All states › Do I need a license to sell dog treats? › Michigan
Allowed: Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development FAQ says pet treats don't need a commercial kitchen and can be made in a home kitchen. Product registration: none. License: $25–$100 per license/yr by package size. Tonnage report: yes.
Allowed Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development FAQ says pet treats don't need a commercial kitchen and can be made in a home kitchen. Condition: A Michigan commercial feed license is required, and the home kitchen is subject to routine feed sanitation (good manufacturing practices) inspection by MDARD.Source: web.archive.org · MDARD, Feed Law Implementation FAQs (last updated 3/10/2017), Licensing Q8: “Do pet treats need to be made in a commercial kitchen? No, treats can be made in a home kitchen. The kitchen is subject to a routine feed sanitation (good manufacturing practices) inspection by MDARD feed inspection staff.” The FAQ is no longer on michigan.gov; this is the Internet Archive copy of November 21, 2025.
Michigan's Cottage Food exemptions apply only to human food; pet treats aren't covered.Source: michigan.gov · MDARD Pet Food and Treats: “Are pet treats included under the Cottage Food exemptions to Michigan Food Law? No. The Cottage Food exemptions only apply to human food.”
This is Michigan's published guidance, checked October 3, 2026. We don't judge whether any particular product or kitchen qualifies; that's for the agency, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Product registration: none. License: $25–$100 per license/yr by package size.
| What's registered | Per firm: a commercial feed license for each Michigan manufacturing facility, and for each distributor or guarantor whose name is on the label. No product registration, but labels must be submitted and approved.Source: legislature.mi.gov · MCL 287.524(1) and (3). Pet food, specialty pet food and pet treats are all commercial feed. |
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| Product registration fee | None (Michigan has no per-product registration fee)Source: michigan.gov · MDARD: inspection fees are based on the quantity of feed distributed, not the number of products. |
| Package-size rule | No per-product size rule. The license fee drops from $100 to $25 if you distribute only in containers of 5 lb or less.Source: legislature.mi.gov · MCL 287.524(3). The MDARD application says "containers of ONLY 5lbs or less". |
| License / firm fee | $100 per license per year; $25 if you distribute only in containers of 5 lb or less. Manufacturers need one license per Michigan facility.Source: legislature.mi.gov · Same amounts on the MDARD license application. |
| Registration period | Annual, July 1 to June 30 (licenses expire June 30)Source: legislature.mi.gov |
| Renewal due | June 30 each yearSource: legislature.mi.gov · MCL 287.524(4) and (8); the application says "License Year Ending: June 30". |
| Form or portal | https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/animals/feed-safety/commercial-animal-feed-licensingSource: michigan.gov · No product registration form. Michigan uses a paper license application (mailed with a label for each product and a check); no online feed registration or Kelly Registration Systems link appears on MDARD's feed pages. |
| License / firm form | https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/-/media/Project/Websites/mdard/documents/animals/feedsafetyandfertilizer/commercial_feed_manufacturerdistributor_license_application_815.pdf?rev=aecc09385d9346e3bf9b080ee33bca14&hash=43F75C8669DE465160761CCBC8733DBFSource: michigan.gov |
| What to send | Commercial Feed Manufacturer/Distributor License Application, a copy of the label for each product, and a check payable to the State of Michigan ($100, or $25 if only containers of 5 lb or less), mailed to MDARD, P.O. Box 30776, Lansing, MI 48909. Out-of-state firms name a Michigan resident agent or agree to make records available.Source: michigan.gov |
| Tonnage report required? | Yes, every licensee files once a year, including a zero report if no tons were distributedSource: michigan.gov · Zero reports: see the MDARD Inspection and Tonnage Fee Report FAQ, question 12. |
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| How often | Annual (one report covering July 1 to June 30)Source: michigan.gov |
| Due | Postmarked by July 31 (statute: by the last day of July)Source: legislature.mi.gov · MCL 287.526(2)(a). Late reports: penalty of $50 or 10% of the amount due, whichever is greater. 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.
Every Michigan fact, with sources: Michigan 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.
Nearby: Selling dog treats in Ohio · Selling dog treats in Indiana · Selling dog treats in Wisconsin
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