Office of Indiana State Chemist
How much does it cost to sell dog treats in Indiana?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
Indiana charges $50 per calendar year for the firm instrument, which is the Commercial Feed License plus small-package product listing. Each product in 10 lb or less packages adds $50 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 Indiana, added up
| Products | Every package 10 lb or less | Some packages over 10 lb |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $100 | $50 plus tonnage |
| 2 | $150 | $50 plus tonnage |
| 3 | $200 | $50 plus tonnage |
| 5 | $300 | $50 plus tonnage |
| 10 | $550 | $50 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 Indiana fee, with its citation
| Item | What Indiana says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Firm fee | Yes$50 per license per calendar year (January 1 to December 31, renewal received after January 16 carries a further $50 late filing fee, and distributing before filing carries a $50 late filing fee) | IC 15-19-7-24(c)(1)-(3) (licence fee and both late fees) |
| Firm fee period | YesCalendar year; the license is issued for a calendar year and expires December 31 of the year for which it was issued | IC 15-19-7-24(c) |
| Fee per product | Yes$50 per product per calendar year for packages of ten pounds or less, renewed before January 1, with a $10 per product late filing fee if the renewal is received after January 16 or an unlisted product is distributed | IC 15-19-7-31(c)(1) |
| Product registration period | YesAnnual, calendar year; the listing is renewed before January 1 of each year | IC 15-19-7-31(c)(1) |
| Small package threshold | YesPackages of ten pounds or less, tested package by package, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag pays the $50 annual small-package fee on the small bag and the tonnage fee on the larger one | IC 15-19-7-30(b), inside the section 30 fee run |
| Small package fee | Yes$50 per product per calendar year in place of the tonnage inspection fee, for pet food and specialty pet food distributed in packages of ten pounds or less | IC 15-19-7-30(b) (amount and substitution) |
| Tonnage rate | Yes$0.40 per ton on all commercial feeds distributed into or within Indiana | IC 15-19-7-30(a) (Inspection fees) |
| Tonnage minimum | 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 |
| Tonnage reporting | 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) |
| Penalties and late charges | YesA Class A infraction for the prohibited acts, including failure to obtain a commercial feed license and failure to pay inspection fees or file reports (IC 15-19-7-40(5)-(6)), and separately for distributing any animal feed stated, promoted or advertised as suitable for human food unless it meets all federal, state and local health and labeling requirements for human consumption (15-19-7-40(8)); the money judgment for a Class A infraction sits in the general Indiana infraction sections, which are not in this snapshot, so the monetary consequences that can be evidenced here are the $50 late license filing fees (15-19-7-24(c)(2)-(3)), the $10 per product late listing fee (15-19-7-31(c)(2)) and the ten percent or $50 late tonnage penalty (15-19-7-31(a)) | IC 15-19-7-40(1)-(6) (Prohibited acts) |
More for Indiana
Indiana questions on this topic
What does one flavor cost in Indiana in the first year?
$100 in state fees for the first year. The lines: Firm fee (per calendar year, expires December 31): $50; 1 product (per product per calendar year, packages of 10 lb or less) (1 × $50): $50. 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 Indiana?
Yes. Each product in 10 lb or less packages adds $50 per product per year. Ten flavors in small packages come to $550 in the first year against $100 for one, and the difference is the product fee times nine.
When does the firm instrument renew in Indiana?
Yes. Calendar year; the license is issued for a calendar year and expires December 31 of the year for which it was issued. Source: IC 15-19-7-24(c).
What if my bags are larger than 10 lb in Indiana?
It depends. Yes 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. Source: OISC handout "Indiana Pet Treat Sales", p.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.