California Department of Public Health
Can you sell dog treats under the California cottage food law?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
No. Processed pet food is not on the approved food products list for cottage food operations, and CDPH states that animal food products are not covered under the California Cottage Food Law. What applies to a dog treat maker in California instead is the feed side of the state: the instrument, the home and small-scale position, and the retail carve-out are set out below with their citations, and the first-year cost is added up on its own page.
What the California cottage food text says
What applies to a dog treat maker in California instead
| Item | What California says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| The instrument that applies | YesPet Food Processor License for an in-state manufacturer or warehouse, and a registration certificate for an out-of-state manufacturer, one per processing facility, applied for on CDPH 8676 | CDPH, Procedures for Obtaining a Pet Food Processor License or Registration, Revised (8/2025), in-state item 1 |
| Home manufacturer | DependsA license is required of every person who manufactures processed pet food in California, and CDPH will not accept a residence as the facility, so processed pet food including treats cannot be manufactured, packaged, labeled or stored in a residential home and must come from an approved facility | Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 113060 (Licenses and Registration Certificates), the licence trigger |
| Small or home exemption | NoNo volume, revenue or home-scale exemption anywhere in Cal. Health & Safety Code ch. 10, and CDPH bars production in a residence; failure to obtain a license is itself a prohibited act under Sec. 113075(h) | CDPH, Frequently Asked Questions for Pet Food Processor Registration, Q5 |
| Retail or direct sales carve-out | DependsA retailer repackaging from a bulk container at the time of sale to its ultimate consumer is outside the word manufacture (FAQ Q7), and separately a brand owner who contracts out every part of the manufacture and distribution of pet foods under its own brand needs no registration itself while each contracting facility does (FAQ Q4); neither reaches a maker who bakes the treats | CDPH, Frequently Asked Questions for Pet Food Processor Registration, Q7 |
| Product registration | NoCalifornia has no product registration, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag needs no product registration and pays no product fee; what the applicant files instead is the label that would be attached to the container of each type of processed pet food, with the ingredient list in order of predominance by weight, submitted with the firm application | Cal. Health & Safety Code § 113070(c) (conditions of issuance of the annual license or registration certificate) |
| Pet food is commercial feed | NoThe California commercial feed definition excludes preparations manufactured and distributed for feeding to domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds, so a dog treat sits in the CDPH processed pet food scheme and not in the CDFA commercial feed scheme | Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 14925 (Div. 7, Ch. 6, Art. 2, Definitions) |
More for California
California questions on this topic
Are dog treats cottage food in California?
No. Processed pet food is not on the approved food products list for cottage food operations, and CDPH states that animal food products are not covered under the California Cottage Food Law. Source: CDPH, Frequently Asked Questions for Pet Food Processor Registration, Q5.
Is there a home or small-scale exemption for dog treats in California?
No. No volume, revenue or home-scale exemption anywhere in Cal. Health & Safety Code ch. 10, and CDPH bars production in a residence; failure to obtain a license is itself a prohibited act under Sec. 113075(h). Source: CDPH, Frequently Asked Questions for Pet Food Processor Registration, Q5.
Does selling only at a farmers market change the California answer?
It depends. A retailer repackaging from a bulk container at the time of sale to its ultimate consumer is outside the word manufacture (FAQ Q7), and separately a brand owner who contracts out every part of the manufacture and distribution of pet foods under its own brand needs no registration itself while each contracting facility does (FAQ Q4); neither reaches a maker who bakes the treats. Source: CDPH, Frequently Asked Questions for Pet Food Processor Registration, Q7.
What does a dog treat maker need in California instead?
Yes. Pet Food Processor License for an in-state manufacturer or warehouse, and a registration certificate for an out-of-state manufacturer, one per processing facility, applied for on CDPH 8676. Source: CDPH, Procedures for Obtaining a Pet Food Processor License or Registration, Revised (8/2025), in-state item 1.
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.