Illinois Department of Agriculture
How much does it cost to sell dog treats in Illinois?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
Illinois charges $30 per year for the firm instrument, which is the Commercial Feed License plus product registration. Each product in 10 lb or less packages adds $90 per product per year. 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 Illinois, added up
| Products | Every package 10 lb or less | Some packages over 10 lb |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $120 | $30 plus tonnage |
| 2 | $210 | $30 plus tonnage |
| 3 | $300 | $30 plus tonnage |
| 5 | $480 | $30 plus tonnage |
| 10 | $930 | $30 plus tonnage |
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 Illinois fee, with its citation
| Item | What Illinois says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Firm fee | Yes$30 per firm license per year or any portion thereof (calendar year, all firm licenses expire December 31) | 505 ILCS 30/4(a) (Product Registration and Firm License) |
| Firm fee period | YesAnnual, calendar year; all firm licenses expire December 31 | 505 ILCS 30/4(a) (Product Registration and Firm License) |
| Fee per product | Yes$90 per product per year for pet food in containers of 10 lb or less, paid in lieu of the tonnage inspection fee (calendar year, due on registration and on each renewal) | COMMERCIAL FEED REGISTRATION APPLICATION, fee block headed 'Registration Inspection Fees', item 1 (form IL406-0039) — the fee schedule sits on the form, not in the rules |
| Product registration period | YesAnnual, calendar year; the $90 fee is due on registration and again on each renewal, and IDOA states that product registrations expire December 31 | IDOA Feed FAQ Q7 |
| Small package threshold | YesPackages of 10 pounds or less, tested package by package rather than by business, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag pays the $90 annual fee on the small package and tonnage on the larger one | 505 ILCS 30/6(a)(4) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Small package fee | Yes$90 per product per year in lieu of the inspection fee (calendar year, due on registration and on each renewal) | IDOA Feed Frequently Asked Questions, Q7 'What is the inspection fee for pet/specialty pet foods packaged in containers of 10 lbs. or less?' |
| Tonnage rate | 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) |
| Tonnage minimum | 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) |
| Tonnage reporting | 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?' |
| Penalties and late charges | YesA person convicted of violating the Act is adjudged guilty of a business offense (505 ILCS 30/12(a)); no fine range for a business offense appears in the Act and the general sentencing provision is not in the snapshot, so the monetary consequence that can be evidenced here is the collection fee of 10 percent of the inspection fee due or $50, whichever is greater, when a tonnage report or payment is more than fifteen days late (505 ILCS 30/6(c)(1)), alongside suspension or revocation of the registration or firm license (505 ILCS 30/14.2) | 505 ILCS 30/12(a) (Penalties) |
More for Illinois
Illinois questions on this topic
What does one flavor cost in Illinois in the first year?
$120 in state fees for the first year. The lines: Firm fee (per year, expires December 31): $30; 1 product (per product per year, containers of 10 lb or less) (1 × $90): $90. 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 Illinois?
Yes. Each product in 10 lb or less packages adds $90 per product per year. Ten flavors in small packages come to $930 in the first year against $120 for one, and the difference is the product fee times nine.
When does the firm instrument renew in Illinois?
Yes. Annual, calendar year; all firm licenses expire December 31. Source: 505 ILCS 30/4(a) (Product Registration and Firm License).
What if my bags are larger than 10 lb in Illinois?
It depends. Yes 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. Source: 505 ILCS 30/6(a)(4) (Inspection fees and reports).
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.