Georgia Department of Agriculture
Can you sell dog treats under the Georgia cottage food law?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
No. GDA states that cottage foods are intended for human consumption and that pet food and pet treats require a feed license from Agriculture Inputs. What applies to a dog treat maker in Georgia 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 Georgia cottage food text says
What applies to a dog treat maker in Georgia instead
| Item | What Georgia says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| The instrument that applies | YesCommercial feed license issued by the Commissioner, one per firm | O.C.G.A. § 2-13-6(a) |
| Home manufacturer | YesAny person who manufactures a commercial feed in Georgia, and any person whose name appears on the label as guarantor, must obtain a commercial feed license; the only exemption is feed made for the maker own domestic animals, livestock or poultry | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-5-5-.01(a)-(c) |
| Small or home exemption | NoNo size, revenue, premises or home-kitchen exemption; the only exemption is feed manufactured or produced for the maker own domestic animals, livestock or poultry | O.C.G.A. § 2-13-22(a) |
| Retail or direct sales carve-out | DependsThe license exemption reaches only a distributor moving a licensee feed unchanged, either in the original packages of a licensed manufacturer, guarantor or distributor (r. 40-5-5-.01(c)1) or in bulk as received from a licensee with that licensee label information except for the net weight statement (r. 40-5-5-.01(c)2); a maker who manufactures and labels their own treats falls under (a) and (b) and is inside the license | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-5-5-.01(a)-(c), including both limbs of the distributor exemption |
| Product registration | DependsEvery pet food or specialty pet food distributed in packages of ten pounds or less must be registered before distribution, at $40 per product, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag is registered once; a product distributed only in packages over ten pounds needs no registration, and its tonnage instead feeds the license fee band | O.C.G.A. Sec. 2-13-6(d) |
| Pet food is commercial feed | YesPet food is defined as a class of commercial feed | O.C.G.A. § 2-13-1(17) |
More for Georgia
Georgia questions on this topic
Are dog treats cottage food in Georgia?
No. GDA states that cottage foods are intended for human consumption and that pet food and pet treats require a feed license from Agriculture Inputs. Source: GDA Cottage Food page, "About this Program".
Is there a home or small-scale exemption for dog treats in Georgia?
No. No size, revenue, premises or home-kitchen exemption; the only exemption is feed manufactured or produced for the maker own domestic animals, livestock or poultry. Source: O.C.G.A. § 2-13-22(a).
Does selling only at a farmers market change the Georgia answer?
It depends. The license exemption reaches only a distributor moving a licensee feed unchanged, either in the original packages of a licensed manufacturer, guarantor or distributor (r. 40-5-5-.01(c)1) or in bulk as received from a licensee with that licensee label information except for the net weight statement (r. 40-5-5-.01(c)2); a maker who manufactures and labels their own treats falls under (a) and (b) and is inside the license. Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-5-5-.01(a)-(c), including both limbs of the distributor exemption.
What does a dog treat maker need in Georgia instead?
Yes. Commercial feed license issued by the Commissioner, one per firm. Source: O.C.G.A. § 2-13-6(a).
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.