Tonnage
Do dog treat makers pay a feed tonnage fee?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
A tonnage fee is an inspection fee charged per ton of commercial feed distributed in a state, paid by the firm whose name is on the label and reported on a schedule. For most home treat makers it is either replaced by a flat small package fee or too small to matter, but three things about it are worth knowing before you file: whether your state charges one at all, whether a minimum is due even at zero tons, and what the reporting calendar is.
Three positions the verified states take
Some states charge no per-ton fee on pet food at all and instead set the annual firm fee by a band of prior-year tonnage. Some charge a per-ton fee on every ton, with small packages paying a flat product fee in lieu of it. Some charge the per-ton fee only above a free allowance of tons per year, so a small firm registers and reports but pays nothing per ton.
The minimum is the trap. Several states charge a minimum amount per report or per year to anyone who files a tonnage report, whether or not any tons were shipped. One state's own form tells a pet treat maker that no minimum is due when zero tons are reported and then contradicts itself on whether a maker below one ton can report zero. The state pages print those conflicts rather than resolving them for you.
Reports and dates
Where a report is due it is quarterly, semiannual or annual, with a due date written in the statute and sometimes a later administrative date on the agency form. A late report carries a penalty in most states, often the greater of a percentage of the amount due and a flat figure. The table below prints each state's rate, minimum and reporting rule with its citation.
Whether tonnage reaches a treat maker
| State | What the state says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | DependsYes for pet food distributed in containers larger than five pounds, and for a product distributed in both a small and a larger container size; no for a product distributed only in containers of five pounds or less, which pays the flat product fee instead | Form LA 0198 Instructions, Section 3: License Class |
| Florida | NoFlorida charges no per-ton inspection fee; tons distributed in the previous year only select the flat annual master registration band | Fla. Stat. 580.041(1)(b) |
| Ohio | YesAn annual inspection fee of twenty-five cents per ton on all commercial feed distributed in Ohio by the first distributor, with the first two hundred tons sold in a calendar year not collected | ORC 923.44(A)(1) |
| Illinois | DependsYes for pet food and specialty pet food distributed in packages exceeding 10 pounds and for bulk; no for packages of 10 pounds or less, which pay the $90 annual fee per product in lieu of the inspection fee | 505 ILCS 30/6(a)(4) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Michigan | YesAn inspection fee of $0.30 per ton on commercial feed distributed in Michigan, paid by the person whose name appears on the label as manufacturer, guarantor or distributor; pet treat makers file too | MCL 287.526(1) (Inspection fee per ton) |
| Iowa | DependsYes for pet food and specialty pet food in packages that exceed ten pounds and for all other commercial feed; no for a seller whose only products are pet food packages of ten pounds or less, who owes the registration instead | IDALS Commercial Feed License Application, tonnage block on page 1 |
| Missouri | DependsThe inspection fee applies to pet food distributed in packages exceeding ten pounds, in place of product registration; tonnage is not reported for products that are registered | Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 266.190.1(5), last sentence |
| Indiana | DependsYes for products not prepackaged, sold in bulk or by piece, or in packages over ten pounds, at $0.40 per ton per calendar quarter with a $5 minimum per quarter; a company selling the same recipe in both small and large packages owes both the small-package fee and tonnage | OISC handout "Indiana Pet Treat Sales", p.1 |
| California | NoThe inspection tonnage tax in the Food and Agricultural Code reaches only commercial feed, and commercial feed excludes preparations manufactured and distributed for feeding to domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds | Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 14925 (definition that scopes the Ch. 6 inspection tonnage tax) |
| Georgia | NoGeorgia charges no per-ton fee; tons distributed in the previous calendar year only select the flat annual license fee band, and registered small-package tonnage is excluded from that calculation | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-5-5-.02 (Commercial Feed License Fees), the fee schedule that would carry a per-ton rate |
The rate per ton
| State | What the state says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Yes$0.19 per ton of commercial feed distributed, the rate published by the Service as of June 19, 2007; the statutory base rate is 15 cents per ton, which the director may move in increments of 1 cent | OTSC Fees.aspx, 'Commercial Feed Inspection Fees' table, row 'Feed Tonnage fee as of June 19, 2007' (cell text; Cost cell '19¢/ton') |
| Florida | NoneNo per-ton amount appears anywhere in the fee provision; the annual master registration fee is a flat amount by tonnage band | Fla. Stat. 580.041(1)(b), the fee schedule that would carry a per-ton rate |
| Ohio | Yes$0.25 per ton on commercial feed distributed in Ohio, with the first 200 tons per calendar year not collected | ORC 923.44(A)(1) |
| Illinois | Yes$0.30 per ton of commercial feed, paid by the person who first distributes it in Illinois | 505 ILCS 30/6(a) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Michigan | Yes$0.30 per ton of commercial feed distributed in Michigan; $0.15 per ton on feed ingredients that are by-products of manufacturing processes with a moisture content equal to or greater than 60 percent | MCL 287.526(1) (Inspection fee per ton) |
| Iowa | Yes$0.12 per ton as the rate in force, fixed annually by the secretary; the statute sets only a ceiling of not more than sixteen cents per ton | Iowa Code Sec. 198.9(1)(a) (statutory ceiling) |
| Missouri | Yes$0.14 per ton on commercial feeds distributed in Missouri, including pet and specialty pet foods outside the registration track | Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 266.190.1 (Inspection fees) |
| Indiana | Yes$0.40 per ton on all commercial feeds distributed into or within Indiana | IC 15-19-7-30(a) (Inspection fees) |
| California | 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 |
| Georgia | NoneNo per-ton amount appears anywhere in the Georgia fee provisions; prior-year tonnage only selects the flat annual license fee band | O.C.G.A. Sec. 2-13-6(b), the fee provision that would carry a per-ton rate |
The minimum per report
| State | What the state says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Yes$100 per licensee per state fiscal year (September 1 to August 31), paid in advance and credited against the first tonnage inspection fee owed in that fiscal year | Tex. Agric. Code §141.071(d) (Inspection Fee) |
| Florida | NoneThere is no per-ton fee and therefore no tonnage minimum; the lowest annual master registration band is $40 for zero up to and including 25 tons, recorded under firm.fee | Fla. Stat. 580.041(1)(b), the fee schedule that would carry a tonnage minimum |
| Ohio | NoneORC 923.44 sets no minimum inspection fee; below two hundred tons in a calendar year only the $50 annual registration fee is due | Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 923.44(A)(1) (Inspection fee), the fee provision that would carry a minimum |
| Illinois | Yes$25 per tonnage filer per semiannual reporting period (January to June and July to December), charged twice a year to a filer who owes tonnage at all | 505 ILCS 30/6(b) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Michigan | DependsThe statutory minimum inspection fee is $50.00 per July 1 to June 30 annual period (MCL 287.526(1)(c)), but on form PI-135 (Rev. 5/2026) line [33] the minimum is charged only where tons have been reported on line [28] or [29], and Section L tells a Pet Treat and Small Quantity Manufacturer that if zero tons are reported no minimum fee is due; whether a sub-ton maker can report zero is unresolved inside the same form, because Section B line [7] says to enter 1 if less than 1 ton while the form header says amounts under half a ton round to zero on the electronic form | MCL 287.526(1)(c) (Minimum inspection fee) |
| Iowa | Yes$20 per tonnage filer per semiannual report (periods January to June and July to December), due even when net tonnage is zero | Iowa Code Sec. 198.9(1)(a)(4) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Missouri | Yes$5 per tonnage filer per quarter (calendar quarters, reports due the last day of January, April, July and October) | Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 266.190.1(6) (Inspection fees) |
| Indiana | Yes$5 per tonnage filer per calendar quarter, where a quarterly feed tonnage report is required | IC 15-19-7-30(a)(4), inside the section 30 fee run |
| California | 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 |
| Georgia | NoneThere is no per-ton fee and therefore no tonnage minimum; the lowest annual license fee band is $75 for 0 to 2,500 tons, recorded under firm.fee | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-5-5-.02 (Commercial Feed License Fees), the fee schedule that would carry a tonnage minimum |
The reporting calendar
| State | What the state says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | DependsA facility generating $100 or more in tonnage fees during a license year files a quarterly sworn report with payment, due on or before the 31st day following the last day of November, February, May and August; a facility producing less than $100 a license year files one annual sworn report, due on or before the 31st day following the last day of August; a report is due even when no tonnage was distributed | Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 141.072(a) (Quarterly Tonnage Reporting and Inspection Fee Payment) |
| Florida | YesA quarterly report of tons of feed distributed in Florida, filed within 30 days after the end of each quarter (July to September, October to December, January to March, April to June); a report is due even when no tons were distributed | Fla. Admin. Code 5E-3.020(1) |
| Ohio | YesAn annual statement of net tons of commercial feed distributed in Ohio in the previous calendar year, filed with the registration by February 1; a late statement or late fee carries a penalty of ten per cent of the amount due or fifty dollars, whichever is greater | Ohio Rev. Code § 923.44(B) |
| Illinois | YesA semiannual statement of net tons with payment, filed not later than the last day of January and July; IDOA states the deadlines as July 31 for January 1 to June 30 and January 31 for July 1 to December 31 | IDOA Feed Frequently Asked Questions, Q6 'What is the Semi-Annual Tonnage Report?' |
| Michigan | YesAn annual statement filed by the last day of July for the preceding July 1 to June 30 period; a report not filed by the due date carries a penalty of $50.00 or 10 percent of the amount due, whichever is greater, and records must be kept two years | MCL 287.526(2)(a) |
| Iowa | YesA semiannual statement of net tons with payment, for the periods January to June and July to December; the statute sets the last day of January and July, while the agency form and guides administer August 15 and February 15 | Iowa Code Sec. 198.9(2)(a)(1) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Missouri | YesA quarterly tonnage report of net tons distributed in the preceding calendar quarter, due the last day of January, April, July and October; a report postmarked after the fifteenth of the following month carries 20 percent of the amount due or $5, whichever is greater | Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 266.190.2(1) (Inspection fees; reports) |
| Indiana | YesQuarterly tonnage reports of net tons distributed in the preceding calendar quarter, filed not later than January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31, with payment; fees not remitted within fifteen days after the due date carry a penalty of ten percent of the amount due or $50, whichever is greater | IC 15-19-7-31(a) (Quarterly tonnage reports) |
| California | 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 |
| Georgia | YesThe licensee declares the prior calendar year tons of commercial feed distributed in Georgia once a year on the license application, and that figure sets the license fee band; tonnage of registered small-package products is excluded, and there is no separate periodic tonnage report | O.C.G.A. Sec. 2-13-6(b) |
Verified states on this site
This guide prints only what the verified state records support. More states are added a block at a time as they clear verification.
Questions people actually type
If every product I sell is in small packages, do I file a tonnage report?
In the states that charge the flat small package fee in lieu of the inspection fee, the registered products are not reported as tonnage, and a maker with no other products files no tonnage report. In the states that charge tonnage on every ton regardless of package size, the report is due even if the number is tiny, and the state page says whether a minimum comes with it.
What counts as a ton for a treat maker?
Net weight of commercial feed distributed in the state during the reporting period, added up across every package. Two thousand pounds of treats is one ton. The forms round in different ways and one asks for a whole number even below one ton, which is why the minimum question matters more than the rate for a small firm.
Who pays when a co-packer makes my treats?
The model bill puts the inspection fee on the person whose name appears on the label as manufacturer, guarantor or distributor, and lets the parties agree between themselves who files. If your brand is on the bag, assume it is you unless the co-packer has taken the fee on in writing and the state accepts that arrangement.
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.
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