All states › Do I need a license to sell dog treats? › Montana
No published rule found on selling pet treats made in a home kitchen; ask the Montana Department of Agriculture (feed program). Product registration: $50/yr. License: none. Tonnage report: no.
No published rule No published rule found on selling pet treats made in a home kitchen; ask the Montana Department of Agriculture (feed program). Agency page.Source: agr.mt.gov · We read the agency's pet food and feed pages, its law and rules, and the state's cottage food rules, and found no statement either way on making pet treats in a home kitchen.
Montana's cottage food program doesn't cover pet treats.Source: dphhs.mt.gov · Montana DPHHS Cottage Food FAQ (2024): “Do pet treats fall under Montana’s Cottage Food Act? A. No, pet treats are not included in Montana’s list of allowed cottage foods.”
Checked October 3, 2026 against Montana Department of Agriculture's published pages and Montana's law. We don't judge whether any particular product or kitchen qualifies; that's for the agency, Montana Department of Agriculture.
Product registration: $50/yr. License: none.
| What's registered | Per product: each pet food, specialty pet food and pet treat is registered every year by the manufacturer or guarantor. No firm license is needed to distribute only pet food.Source: mca.legmt.gov · MCA 80-9-201(4)(b)(i) and (6)(a). MDA: “Manufacturers and guarantors of pet foods and specialty pet foods, including complete feed, treats and snacks, must register all products by January 1 of each year.” Pet food means commercial feed for pets (MCA 80-9-101(21)); treats are a type of pet food (80-9-101(22)(a)). |
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| Product registration fee | $50 per product per yearSource: mca.legmt.gov · MCA 80-9-201(6)(a)(i). MDA's pet food pages and the registration form also show $50 per product. The statute lets MDA adjust it by rule to between $50 and $60; no rule raising it was found. |
| Package-size rule | No package-size rule. One $50 registration per product.Source: mca.legmt.gov · MCA 80-9-201(6) sets one fee per pet food or specialty pet food, whatever the package size. |
| License / firm fee | None for a firm that distributes only pet food or specialty pet foodSource: mca.legmt.gov · MCA 80-9-201(4)(b)(i). MDA: “Distributors of pet food do not require a dealer license.” A feed license ($100 new, $75 renewal per facility) is required of anyone who also makes or distributes other animal feed. Whether a Montana plant that manufactures only pet food needs a manufacturer license isn't fully clear; ask MDA. |
| Registration period | Calendar year: January 1 to December 31Source: mca.legmt.gov · MCA 80-9-201(6)(c). |
| Renewal due | By January 1 each yearSource: agr.mt.gov · New products can be added at any time. |
| Form or portal | https://agr.mt.gov/_docs/feed-docs/InitialPetFoodRegistrationForm-Fillable.pdfSource: agr.mt.gov · Pet and Specialty Pet Food Registration Form (paper, check or money order). Existing companies can add products and renew online in MTPlants: https://mtplants.mt.gov/ (a free login.mt.gov account is needed). |
| License / firm form | None. No license is needed to distribute only pet food or specialty pet food in Montana.Source: agr.mt.gov · No license is needed to distribute only pet food or specialty pet food in Montana. |
| What to send | The Pet and Specialty Pet Food Registration Form listing each product's brand name and product name as it reads on the label, with $50 per product. Labels are reviewed on request; in MTPlants you upload a label with each new product.Source: agr.mt.gov · MCA 80-9-201(7) asks only for the applicant's name and address and a complete list of the products. Allow up to three weeks for paper forms. |
| Tonnage report required? | No. Pet food, specialty pet food and pet treats are exempt from the inspection fee and the annual tonnage statement.Source: mca.legmt.gov · MCA 80-9-206(1) and (3); ARM 4.12.218. MDA's tonnage form also says suppliers of pet food or specialty pet food only are exempt. |
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| How often | Not applicableSource: mca.legmt.gov |
| Due | Not applicableSource: mca.legmt.gov |
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 Montana fact, with sources: Montana 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 Idaho · Selling dog treats in Wyoming · Selling dog treats in South Dakota · Selling dog treats in North Dakota
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