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

No published rule found on selling pet treats made in a home kitchen; ask the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Chemistry Program). Product registration: none. License: $250 per facility/yr. Tonnage report: yes.

Calculate your New Jersey fees New Jersey pet food registration

Can you make dog treats in a home kitchen in New Jersey?

No published rule No published rule found on selling pet treats made in a home kitchen; ask the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Chemistry Program). Agency page.Source: nj.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.
New Jersey's cottage food permit applies only to food for people; dog treats and pet food can't be made or sold under it.Source: nj.gov · NJ Department of Health Cottage Food FAQ: “Can I sell dog treats or pet food? No, you cannot make or sell dog treats or pet food under the Cottage Food rule (NJ.A.C. 8:24-11.1).”

Checked October 3, 2026 against New Jersey Department of Agriculture's published pages and New Jersey's law. We don't judge whether any particular product or kitchen qualifies; that's for the agency, New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

New Jersey registration and license for dog treats

Product registration: none. License: $250 per facility/yr.

What's registered	Per facility: each facility that manufactures commercial feed (including pet food and treats) for distribution in New Jersey is registered every year. No product registration.Source: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4(a). Pet food is commercial feed under N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.3.
Product registration fee	None (New Jersey has no product registration)Source: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4 registers facilities, not products.
Package-size rule	No package-size ruleSource: pub.njleg.gov
License / firm fee	$250 per manufacturing facility per year (facility registration)Source: nj.gov · Same $250 in N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4(a).
Registration period	Calendar year; a facility registration runs from its approval date to December 31Source: nj.gov
Renewal due	January 1 each year, or before you manufacture or distribute feed for New JerseySource: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4(a).
Form or portal	https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/documents/forms/Feed%20Registration%20Form.pdfSource: nj.gov · No product registration. This is the Registration for Commercial Feed Manufacturing Facilities form (paper; mail with a check). An older version (revised 2/25/2021) is linked from the Agricultural Chemistry page: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/pdf/feedreg.pdf
License / firm form	https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/documents/forms/Feed%20Registration%20Form.pdfSource: nj.gov
What to send	Registration for Commercial Feed Manufacturing Facilities form listing each facility that manufactures for distribution in New Jersey, with $250 per facility, check payable to N.J. Department of Agriculture, mailed to P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625-0330. Display the approved registration in or on the facility.Source: nj.gov · Display requirement: N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4(a).

Tonnage report

Tonnage report required?	Yes. Whoever is liable for the inspection fee (the distributor who sells to the consumer, unless an earlier distributor already paid) files an annual tonnage statement. The law also sets a minimum annual fee for anyone who manufactures or distributes feed in New Jersey.Source: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.9(a) and (b). Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.
How often	Annual (Feeding Stuffs Tonnage Report for the calendar year)Source: nj.gov
Due	January 31 for the previous calendar yearSource: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.9(b)(1). The department's tonnage form adds a late penalty if not remitted before February 15. 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: New Jersey commercial feed facility registration due ($250 per facility)Source: pub.njleg.gov
January 31: New Jersey Feeding Stuffs Tonnage Report due (previous calendar year). Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.Source: pub.njleg.gov

Steps

Ask about home kitchens first. We found no published rule on pet treats made in a home kitchen in New Jersey. Ask the agency, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, before you start.Source: nj.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.
License. Commercial feed facility registration ($250/yr per facility): $250 per facility/yr. License form or portal.Source: pub.njleg.gov
What to send. Registration for Commercial Feed Manufacturing Facilities form listing each facility that manufactures for distribution in New Jersey, with $250 per facility, check payable to N.J. Department of Agriculture, mailed to P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625-0330. Display the approved registration in or on the facility.Source: nj.gov · Display requirement: N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4(a).
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. Annual (Feeding Stuffs Tonnage Report for the calendar year). Due: January 31 for the previous calendar yearSource: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.9(b)(1). The department's tonnage form adds a late penalty if not remitted before February 15. Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency. Tonnage reports by state.
Renew. January 1 each year, or before you manufacture or distribute feed for New JerseySource: pub.njleg.gov · N.J.S.A. 4:4-20.4(a).
Shipping to other states? Each state you sell into has its own rules. Selling dog treats online · fee calculator.

Every New Jersey fact, with sources: New Jersey 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 New York · Selling dog treats in Pennsylvania · Selling dog treats in Delaware

Home kitchen, registration and license rules in all 50 states and DC