California Department of Public Health
How much does it cost to sell dog treats in California?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
California charges $190 per year for the firm instrument, which is the Pet Food Processor License. There is no per-product fee in California, so the number of flavors does not change the total. The first table adds up the first year for one to ten products from the printed figures. The second table shows every figure with the citation it was read from. Laboratory work, packaging, a sales tax permit and a business filing are separate costs from separate agencies and are not counted.
First year in California, added up
| Products | Any package size |
|---|---|
| 1 | $190 |
| 2 | $190 |
| 3 | $190 |
| 5 | $190 |
| 10 | $190 |
Where a row says plus tonnage, the per-ton inspection fee depends on how much you ship and is not added up here. Laboratory work for the guaranteed analysis, packaging, a sales tax permit and a business entity filing are separate costs from separate agencies.
Every California fee, with its citation
| Item | What California says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Firm fee | Yes$190 per license or registration certificate per year (rolling year, good for one calendar year from the date of issue), the FY 2025-26 amount effective July 1, 2025, with a $30 late fee if more than 30 days past the expiration date | CDPH Food and Drug Branch fee-increase letter, May 1, 2025, FY 2025-26 fee table, row Pet Food Processor License/Registration |
| Firm fee period | YesOne year, rolling, good for one calendar year from the date of issue and renewed annually; the license is nontransferable | CDPH, Procedures for Obtaining a Pet Food Processor License or Registration, Revised (8/2025), item 10 |
| Fee per product | NoneNo per-product or per-label fee; the annual license fee is the only charge attached to the label submission | CDPH 8676 (7/2025), Pet Food Processor Registration Application, fee block items 25 to 28 |
| Product registration period | NoneNo product registration exists to renew; the one year term belongs to the license or registration certificate and is recorded under firm.period | Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 113060, the term provision that would carry a product period |
| Small package threshold | Not statedThe statute delegates small-package exemptions to department regulation, and the section that would carry them, 17 CCR 19015 Exemptions, is not in the snapshot | Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 113095 (Misbranding), delegation of small-package exemptions |
| Small package fee | NoneThe license fee is flat, with no small-package tier, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag changes nothing about the money | CDPH 8676 (7/2025), fee block items 25 to 28, the closed fee list that would carry a small-package tier |
| Tonnage rate | NoneNo tonnage charge reaches processed pet food, because the tonnage tax is scoped to commercial feed and pet preparations are excluded from that term | Cal. Food & Agric. Code Sec. 14925 (Definitions), the definition that scopes the Ch. 6 inspection tonnage tax |
| Tonnage minimum | NoneNo tonnage charge reaches processed pet food, so there is no tonnage minimum to record | Cal. Food & Agric. Code Sec. 14925 (Definitions), the definition that scopes the Ch. 6 inspection tonnage tax |
| Tonnage reporting | NoneThe CDPH pet food license carries no tonnage return; the only recurring act is the annual renewal | Cal. Food & Agric. Code Sec. 14925 (Definitions), the definition that keeps pet food outside the commercial feed reporting scheme |
| Penalties and late charges | YesImprisonment for not more than six months or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both; and imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both, where the violation is committed after a conviction has become final or with intent to defraud or mislead | Cal. Health & Safety Code § 113080(a) (Art. 3, Prohibited Acts and Penalties) |
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California questions on this topic
What does one flavor cost in California in the first year?
$190 in state fees for the first year. The lines: Firm fee (per year, rolling from the date of issue): $190. Every figure is multiplied out from the values quoted in the fee table on this page, and nothing else is added.
Does the fee change with more flavors in California?
No. California charges no per-product fee, so ten flavors cost the same $190 in the first year as one. The firm instrument covers every product, and the label side is a filing rather than a fee.
When does the firm instrument renew in California?
Yes. One year, rolling, good for one calendar year from the date of issue and renewed annually; the license is nontransferable. Source: CDPH, Procedures for Obtaining a Pet Food Processor License or Registration, Revised (8/2025), item 10.
Does package size change the fee in California?
Not stated in the text we read. The statute delegates small-package exemptions to department regulation, and the section that would carry them, 17 CCR 19015 Exemptions, is not in the snapshot. Source: Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 113095 (Misbranding), delegation of small-package exemptions.
Keep reading
DogTreatLicense is an informational reference about state commercial feed laws as they apply to people who make and sell pet treats in the United States. It reprints instrument names, fees, thresholds, label items and citations from state statutes, rules, fee schedules and agency forms, together with the date each state was last verified. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and fees and rules change. Confirm with the state feed control office before you register or sell.
Read the terms before you rely on any figure here.