Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Can you sell dog treats under the Iowa cottage food law?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
No. The Iowa cottage food exemption covers cottage food, which the same chapter defines by reference to food, and food in that chapter means an edible substance intended for human consumption. What applies to a dog treat maker in Iowa 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 Iowa cottage food text says
What applies to a dog treat maker in Iowa instead
| Item | What Iowa says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| The instrument that applies | YesCommercial feed license, one per facility, applied for on the IDALS Commercial Feed License Application | Iowa Code § 198.4(2) (Licenses) |
| Home manufacturer | YesIDALS states that bakeries, homemakers and farmers market sellers must license, register and label according to state and federal law, with no exception in the law; Iowa Code ch. 198 carries no small-producer or home-producer exemption | IDALS 'Pet Food Registration in Iowa', item 6.E (Registration Variations) |
| Small or home exemption | NoIowa Code ch. 198 contains no volume, revenue or home-producer exemption, and IDALS states there are no exceptions in Iowa law in the fees or with label compliance | IDALS 'Pet Food Registration in Iowa', item 1.C |
| Retail or direct sales carve-out | DependsOnly a person making retail sales of commercial feed that bears labeling showing it is from a licensed manufacturer, guarantor or distributor who has assumed responsibility for the tonnage inspection fee is outside the license; a maker whose own name is the label guarantor is inside it, and direct, farmers market and internet sales make no difference | Iowa Code § 198.4(2), second sentence (Licenses) |
| Product registration | DependsEach pet food or specialty pet food product distributed in packages of ten pounds or less must be registered, at $50 per product, in lieu of the per ton rate, while the same product distributed in packages of more than ten pounds pays the inspection fee instead, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag is registered once and, if it is also sold above ten pounds, pays both; IDALS separately exempts plain bones, chews, rawhides, hooves, ears, animal ears, ligaments and snouts, and chews or toys made of animal skin, hide, wood or man-made material, from registration whether flavored or unflavored, until the label claims the product is animal food, carries feeding directions or a guaranteed analysis, claims nutritional value, or combines an exempt item with a non-exempt one | Iowa Code Sec. 198.9(1)(b) (Inspection fees and reports) |
| Pet food is commercial feed | YesPet food is a class of commercial feed | Iowa Code § 198.3(19) (Definitions) |
More for Iowa
Iowa questions on this topic
Are dog treats cottage food in Iowa?
No. The Iowa cottage food exemption covers cottage food, which the same chapter defines by reference to food, and food in that chapter means an edible substance intended for human consumption. Source: Iowa Code § 137F.1(8) (Definitions), the chapter containing the cottage food exemption at § 137F.20.
Is there a home or small-scale exemption for dog treats in Iowa?
No. Iowa Code ch. 198 contains no volume, revenue or home-producer exemption, and IDALS states there are no exceptions in Iowa law in the fees or with label compliance. Source: IDALS 'Pet Food Registration in Iowa', item 1.C.
Does selling only at a farmers market change the Iowa answer?
It depends. Only a person making retail sales of commercial feed that bears labeling showing it is from a licensed manufacturer, guarantor or distributor who has assumed responsibility for the tonnage inspection fee is outside the license; a maker whose own name is the label guarantor is inside it, and direct, farmers market and internet sales make no difference. Source: Iowa Code § 198.4(2), second sentence (Licenses).
What does a dog treat maker need in Iowa instead?
Yes. Commercial feed license, one per facility, applied for on the IDALS Commercial Feed License Application. Source: Iowa Code § 198.4(2) (Licenses).
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.