Washington pet food & treat registration

Washington registers: per product. Firms that distribute only pet food or specialty pet food don't need a commercial feed license. Product fee: $22–$90 per 2 yrs. License or firm fee: None. Tonnage report: yes.

Calculate your Washington fees

The facts, with sources

Agency	Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Animal Feed ProgramSource: agr.wa.gov
What's registered	Per product. Firms that distribute only pet food or specialty pet food don't need a commercial feed license.Source: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9014(1); license exemption in RCW 15.53.9013(2)(b).
Product registration fee	$90 per product if any package is under 10 lb; $22 per product sold only in packages of 10 lb or more (per two-year cycle)Source: agr.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9014(3).
Package-size rule	Under 10 lb, or both under and over: $90. Only 10 lb or more: $22.Source: app.leg.wa.gov
License / firm fee	None for pet-food-only distributorsSource: app.leg.wa.gov
Registration period	Two-year cycles from July 1 to June 30. Two cycles run at once (one starting in even years, one in odd years); a product stays in the cycle it started in.Source: agr.wa.gov · Products added in the last 12 months of a registrant's period expire on the next July 1 (RCW 15.53.9014(4)).
Renewal due	July 1 at the start of each new registration period; $20 per product late feeSource: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9014(8).
Tonnage report required?	Yes. Every registrant files a semiannual report, even if nothing is owed.Source: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9018(1). Pet food in packages under 10 lb is exempt from the inspection fee (9018(5)(a)) but the report is still required.
Tonnage report frequency	Semiannual (January-June and July-December) Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Tonnage report due	July 31 (for January-June) and January 31 (for July-December)Source: app.leg.wa.gov · Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.
Form or portal	https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/Forms/4307A-PetFoodApplication.pdfSource: agr.wa.gov
License / firm form	NoneSource: app.leg.wa.gov · No license for pet-food-only distributors.
What to send	Form 4307A, a legible copy of each product label, and the registration feeSource: agr.wa.gov
Home-kitchen pet treats	Agency: home makers register Washington State Department of Agriculture: “I make a dog treat out of my home and I sell them at the Farmers Market in 4 ounce packages: You are required to register each product you sell.” Condition: Register each product with WSDA before you sell it. No home-kitchen inspection condition is published.Source: agr.wa.gov · WSDA, FAQs About Pet Food/Specialty Pet Food Products, “Who needs to be registered?”; chapter 15.53 RCW. Washington's cottage food law covers human-grade food only; pet treats aren't cottage food.Source: agr.wa.gov · WSDA Cottage Food Operation FAQ: “Q: Are pet treats covered in the Cottage Food Law? A: No. The Cottage Food Law applies to human-grade food only.” Selling homemade dog treats in Washington

Checked October 3, 2026 against the linked agency pages, forms and statutes.

Also see: AAFCO's Washington page. AAFCO's state pages show no update date.

Horse, livestock, poultry and wild-bird feed

Different rules Different. No product registration (that is for pet food and specialty pet food), but a commercial feed license is required: $50 per facility per year. The semiannual report still applies, and the inspection-fee exemption for small packages covers only pet food.Source: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9013(1)-(3) and 15.53.9018(5)(a). WSDA says the license covers feed for livestock and wildlife, including wild birds.

For other animal feed in Washington: product fee None; license or firm fee $50 per facility/yr; tonnage report yes.

Agency	Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Animal Feed ProgramSource: agr.wa.gov
What's registered	Per facility: a commercial feed license for each facility that distributes in or into Washington, and for the guarantor named on the label. No product registration (that is for pet food and specialty pet food).Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Product registration fee	None per productSource: agr.wa.gov
Package-size rule	No package-size rule: the inspection fee applies to all of it (the exemption for packages under 10 lb covers only pet food and specialty pet food)Source: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9018(5)(a).
License / firm fee	$50 per facility per year; a $50 late fee if the renewal isn't in by July 1Source: app.leg.wa.gov · Same $50 on application AGR 4273.
Registration period	July 1 to June 30Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Renewal due	July 1 each year (licenses expire June 30)Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Tonnage report required?	Yes. Every licensee files a semiannual report, even if nothing is owed.Source: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.9018(1). Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.
Form or portal	https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/Forms/4273-FeedLicenseApplication.pdfSource: agr.wa.gov
License / firm form	https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/Forms/4273-FeedLicenseApplication.pdfSource: agr.wa.gov
What to send	Commercial Feed License Application (AGR 4273) with the $50 fee for each facilitySource: agr.wa.gov

WSDA says the license covers feed for livestock, zoo and laboratory animals, and wildlife such as wild birds, squirrels and deer.Source: agr.wa.gov
Late semiannual reports cost 15% of the inspection fee owed or $50, whichever is greater.Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Washington: "pet" means any domesticated animal normally kept in or near the owner's household, not only dogs and cats. The law doesn't say whether treats for backyard hens, or for a horse kept at home, count as pet food; the calculator treats them as other animal feed. Ask the agency before you rely on it.Source: app.leg.wa.gov · RCW 15.53.901(23). If they are pet food, product registration applies instead of the license.

Calculate Washington fees for other animal feed · Washington commercial feed license · All 50 states and DC for feed

Selling pet or horse supplements? What Washington's feed law says, word for word.

Due dates

July 31, January 31: Washington semiannual feed report due (required even if nothing is owed). Fee depends on tonnage; see the agency.Source: app.leg.wa.gov
July 1: Washington commercial feed license renewal due ($50 per facility; licenses expire June 30) (other animal feed only)Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Your own expiry date: Washington pet food registration cycle ends; renewal due July 1 ($20/product late fee)Source: app.leg.wa.gov

See all states' renewal dates

Good to know

Organic label claims need verification from the organic certifier.Source: agr.wa.gov
Late semiannual reports cost 15% of the inspection fee owed or $50, whichever is greater.Source: app.leg.wa.gov
Raw meat diets are exempt only if the meat is not ground or mixed with other ingredients.Source: agr.wa.gov

Selling in more than one state?

The free calculator adds up product and license fees across states and flags the tonnage-report states. The $49 Registration Pack turns it into a per-product, per-state checklist with form links and a renewal calendar.

Making treats at home? Selling homemade dog treats in Washington · Do I need a license to sell dog treats? · Selling online · Tonnage reports by state

Nearby states

Oregon pet food registration (product fee none; license none)
Idaho pet food registration (product fee $40/yr; license none)
California pet food registration (product fee none; license $190 per facility/yr)

Other states: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming