All states › Do I need a license to sell dog treats? › North Carolina
Allowed: North Carolina's Department of Agriculture says no inspection is required before you start making and selling animal food, including from a home. Product registration: $5–$45/yr. License: none. Tonnage report: some products.
Allowed North Carolina's Department of Agriculture says no inspection is required before you start making and selling animal food, including from a home. Condition: Register each product. The facility, home included, is subject to inspection by the Animal Feed Program and must meet the federal good manufacturing practices (21 CFR 507, Subpart B).Source: ncagr.gov · NCDA&CS, Starting an Animal Food Business in NC: “there is no inspection required by our program prior to beginning operations. This includes anyone manufacturing/distributing from a home, commercial kitchen, or other type of facility.”
This is North Carolina's published guidance, checked October 3, 2026. We don't judge whether any particular product or kitchen qualifies; that's for the agency, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Product registration: $5–$45/yr. License: none.
| What's registered | Per product, after the firm files its contact information (and a tonnage reporting permit if it owes inspection fees)Source: ncagr.gov · G.S. 106-284.34(a) and (c). |
|---|---|
| Product registration fee | $5 per product sold in packages over 5 lb; $40 per product sold only in packages of 5 lb or less; $45 per product sold in both; $12 per canned product. Per year.Source: ncagr.gov · Also on the NCDA&CS Feed Program page and G.S. 106-284.34(c), 106-284.40(b)(4). |
| Package-size rule | 5 lb or less only: $40 (in place of the inspection fee). Over 5 lb only: $5. Both: $45. Canned (hermetically sealed): $12.Source: ncagr.gov |
| License / firm fee | None. NC has no firm license fee; firms file a Firm Contact Information Form, and NC-based manufacturers also file a facility registration.Source: ncagr.gov |
| Registration period | Calendar year; all registrations expire December 31Source: ncleg.gov |
| Renewal due | Renew before registrations expire on December 31Source: ncleg.gov |
| Form or portal | https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/food-drug-protection/feed-program/feed-program-formsSource: ncagr.gov · Forms page: New Firm/New Product instructions, Firm Contact Information Form, NC New Brand Template (Excel), Tonnage Reporting Permit Application. |
| License / firm form | https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/budget-and-finance/feed-tonnage-permit-application-2025/download?attachmentSource: ncagr.gov · Tonnage Reporting Permit Application (only if you owe inspection fees). |
| What to send | Firm Contact Information Form, the NC New Brand Template (Excel) listing each product, a label for every product, and the fees; NC manufacturers add the Manufacturing/Distribution Facility Registration. Email to ncfeed.registration@ncagr.gov or mail.Source: ncagr.gov |
| Tonnage report required? | Yes, if you sell any product in packages over 5 lb or any canned product. Products sold only in packages of 5 lb or less pay the $40 registration fee in place of the inspection fee.Source: ncleg.gov |
|---|---|
| How often | Quarterly (calendar quarters)Source: ncleg.gov |
| Due | By the last day of January, April, July and OctoberSource: ncleg.gov · G.S. 106-284.40(c)(1). 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 North Carolina fact, with sources: North Carolina 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 Virginia · Selling dog treats in Tennessee · Selling dog treats in Georgia · Selling dog treats in South Carolina
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