Selling dog treats online: Etsy, Amazon, eBay or your own site
State pet food laws apply where the product is sold or distributed, not only where it's made. Shipping treats to a buyer in another state means that state's registration and license rules apply too, whether the sale happens on Etsy, Amazon, eBay or your own website. Here is what the states and AAFCO publish, with sources checked October 3, 2026.
Idaho Code 25-2704(1): each commercial feed “shall be registered annually by the person who manufactures or distributes feed into or within the state of Idaho before being offered for sale, sold, or otherwise distributed in or into this state.”Source: legislature.idaho.gov · Idaho Code 25-2704(1); 25-2704(8) adds a $25 penalty per product found in Idaho before registration.
Wisconsin Stat. 94.72(1)(e): to “distribute” includes supplying a feed product “to purchasers in this state, whether or not the sales or transactions are made wholly or partially in this state or another state.”Source: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov · Wis. Stat. 94.72(1)(e) and 94.72(5)(a): “No person may manufacture or distribute commercial feed in this state without a commercial feed license from the department”.
Wisconsin's DATCP: “Pet food sold - in a local farmers market, over the Internet, at a veterinarian’s office, in a local store – it’s all considered commercial feed, unless retained for your own personal use.”Source: datcp.wi.gov · DATCP, Starting a Pet Food or Treat Business FAQ, Q4.
Colorado's Department of Agriculture: “If my treats are registered in Colorado, can I sell them outside the state? No, each state has its own registration and licensing requirements.” It also says labeling includes websites and social media that market your product.Source: ag.colorado.gov · CDA, Animal Food and Pet Treat Registration and Labeling FAQs.
South Carolina's Department of Agriculture, asked “Do I need to register my homemade pet treats if I’m going to sell online?”, answers “Yes”, and adds that each state works differently, so selling in other states means contacting those states.Source: agriculture.sc.gov · SCDA Feed Registration FAQ (9/20/21), question 9: “if you wish to expand your product(s) in other states, you will need to reach out to those states for any feed requirements.”
What AAFCO says
AAFCO: “There are no product registration or licensing requirements with the federal government.” And: “Animal feed and pet food are regulated at the state level, and each state has their own requirements, forms and fees.”Source: aafco.org · AAFCO, Starting a Pet Food Business. AAFCO itself has no regulatory authority; the states do.
AAFCO: “When selling your products on the internet, this would legally be considered as distributing your products in every state. The laws in most states require that you register your products and/or license your company BEFORE you offer your products for sale in that state.”Source: aafco.org · AAFCO, Starting a Pet Food Business: “You must comply with the regulations in each state where you sell your products. This includes internet sales.”
AAFCO: “shipping product into a state in response to an internet purchase constitutes “distribution”.” It advises internet retailers “to determine and comply with the registration and/or licensure requirements of each state in which they intend to distribute product prior to shipment into that state.”Source: aafco.org · AAFCO, Internet and Farmers Market sales.
Marketplace policies
Quoted from the marketplaces' own help pages. We found no Etsy and eBay policy specific to pet food or treats; both ask sellers to follow the law.
Amazon's seller policy for animals and animal-related products: “You must also comply with state and local laws applicable to the jurisdiction into which your products are sold. In addition, you are responsible for obtaining any required licenses and permits”.Source: sellercentral.amazon.com · Amazon Seller Central help, Animals & Animal-Related Products (read without logging in). Its only text specific to pet food is about veterinary diets.