Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Can you sell dog treats under the Michigan cottage food law?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
No. The Michigan cottage food exemption runs on cottage food product, and MDARD answers that the cottage food exemptions apply only to human food, listing pet food or treats among the categories not allowed as cottage food. What applies to a dog treat maker in Michigan 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 Michigan cottage food text says
What applies to a dog treat maker in Michigan instead
| Item | What Michigan says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| The instrument that applies | YesMichigan Commercial Feed License, one per physical manufacturing location, and one for a non-manufacturer distributor or guarantor; there is no separate pet-treat instrument | MDARD Commercial Animal Feed Licensing page, opening paragraph |
| Home manufacturer | YesA license is required to sell pet food or treats, and the four statutory exemptions turn on retail resale, on-farm mixing, integrated operations and diversion to a licensee, none of them on volume or home production | MDARD Pet Food and Treats page, answer to 'Do I need to be licensed to sell pet food or treats?' |
| Small or home exemption | NoThe four license exemptions turn on retail resale, on-farm mixing, integrated operations and diversion to a licensee, and none of them turns on volume, revenue or home production | MCL 287.524(2)(a)-(d) (persons not required to obtain a license) |
| Retail or direct sales carve-out | DependsOnly a person making retail sales of commercial feed labeled from a licensed manufacturer, distributor or guarantor that has assumed responsibility for the inspection fee is outside the license; a maker who prepares, grinds, mixes, packages, repackages or relabels their own treats is a manufacturer and is inside it, whatever the channel | MCL 287.524(2)(a) |
| Product registration | NoMichigan has no per-product registration, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag needs no product registration and pays no product fee; package size matters only to the firm license fee tier, where distributing in containers of only 5 pounds or less buys the $25 tier and packing both sizes puts the firm back on $100 | MDARD Commercial Animal Feed Tonnage page, "Inspection Fees" section |
| Pet food is commercial feed | YesPet food is defined as a commercial feed prepared and distributed for consumption by dogs or cats, so the Feed Law licensing, labeling and inspection-fee provisions reach it | MCL 287.523(gg) (Definitions) |
More for Michigan
Michigan questions on this topic
Are dog treats cottage food in Michigan?
No. The Michigan cottage food exemption runs on cottage food product, and MDARD answers that the cottage food exemptions apply only to human food, listing pet food or treats among the categories not allowed as cottage food. Source: MDARD Pet Food and Treats page, answer to 'Are pet treats included under the Cottage Food exemptions to Michigan Food Law?'.
Is there a home or small-scale exemption for dog treats in Michigan?
No. The four license exemptions turn on retail resale, on-farm mixing, integrated operations and diversion to a licensee, and none of them turns on volume, revenue or home production. Source: MCL 287.524(2)(a)-(d) (persons not required to obtain a license).
Does selling only at a farmers market change the Michigan answer?
It depends. Only a person making retail sales of commercial feed labeled from a licensed manufacturer, distributor or guarantor that has assumed responsibility for the inspection fee is outside the license; a maker who prepares, grinds, mixes, packages, repackages or relabels their own treats is a manufacturer and is inside it, whatever the channel. Source: MCL 287.524(2)(a).
What does a dog treat maker need in Michigan instead?
Yes. Michigan Commercial Feed License, one per physical manufacturing location, and one for a non-manufacturer distributor or guarantor; there is no separate pet-treat instrument. Source: MDARD Commercial Animal Feed Licensing page, opening paragraph.
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.