Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
Michigan counts dog treats as commercial feed and licenses the firm, not the products. MCL 287.524 requires a Commercial Feed License for each manufacturing facility, and the fee is $100 per year, or $25 per year where the firm distributes in containers of only 5 pounds or less. There is no per-product registration and no per-product fee, but the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development asks for every product label with the application and approves labels before distribution. Every licensee also files an annual tonnage statement at $0.30 per ton. The cottage food exemption is for human food only: the department lists pet food and treats among the products it does not accept as cottage food.
| Item | What Michigan says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Firm instrument | 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 |
| Firm fee | Yes$100 per manufacturing facility per year, or $25 per license per year where the firm distributes in containers of only 5 pounds or less, plus a $50 late fee (license year July 1 to June 30, license expires June 30) | MCL 287.524(3)(a)-(b) and 287.524(4) (Persons required to be licensed; application; fee; late fee) |
| Firm fee period | YesAnnual, license year ending June 30; a license is not transferable between persons, owners or locations | MCL 287.524(8) |
| What one firm instrument covers | YesOne license per Michigan manufacturing facility, plus one for a non-manufacturer distributor or guarantor; MDARD counts licenses by the name and address that appears on the label | MCL 287.524(1)(a)-(b) (Persons required to be licensed) |
| 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 |
| Fee per product | NoneMichigan has no per-product registration, so no per-product fee exists; the only license fees are the $100 and $25 firm tiers and the $50 late fee | MCL 287.524(3)(a)-(b) and 287.524(4), the fee provision that would carry a per-product charge |
| Product registration period | NoneNo product registration exists, so there is no product period; the firm license runs annually and expires June 30 | MCL 287.524(8), the period provision that would carry a product term |
| Small package threshold | DependsContainers of 5 pounds or less, and on the MDARD application the reduced license fee tier is available only if the firm distributes in containers of ONLY 5 lbs or less, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag leaves the firm on the $100 tier; the license itself and the tonnage inspection fee are unaffected by package size | MCL 287.524(3)(a) |
| Small package fee | Depends$25 per license per year in place of $100 where the firm distributes in containers of only 5 pounds or less (license year July 1 to June 30); there is no separate per-package or per-product small-package fee of the Illinois kind | MCL 287.524(3)(a)-(b) |
| Tonnage fee applies | YesAn inspection fee of $0.30 per ton on commercial feed distributed in Michigan, paid by the person whose name appears on the label as manufacturer, guarantor or distributor; pet treat makers file too | MCL 287.526(1) (Inspection fee per ton) |
| Tonnage rate | Yes$0.30 per ton of commercial feed distributed in Michigan; $0.15 per ton on feed ingredients that are by-products of manufacturing processes with a moisture content equal to or greater than 60 percent | MCL 287.526(1) (Inspection fee per ton) |
| Tonnage minimum | DependsThe statutory minimum inspection fee is $50.00 per July 1 to June 30 annual period (MCL 287.526(1)(c)), but on form PI-135 (Rev. 5/2026) line [33] the minimum is charged only where tons have been reported on line [28] or [29], and Section L tells a Pet Treat and Small Quantity Manufacturer that if zero tons are reported no minimum fee is due; whether a sub-ton maker can report zero is unresolved inside the same form, because Section B line [7] says to enter 1 if less than 1 ton while the form header says amounts under half a ton round to zero on the electronic form | MCL 287.526(1)(c) (Minimum inspection fee) |
| Tonnage reporting | YesAn annual statement filed by the last day of July for the preceding July 1 to June 30 period; a report not filed by the due date carries a penalty of $50.00 or 10 percent of the amount due, whichever is greater, and records must be kept two years | MCL 287.526(2)(a) |
| Label goes in with the filing | YesMDARD requires all product labels to be approved before distribution, with new and revised labels submitted with the license application; the statutory hook is the director power to require labels under MCL 287.524(9) | MDARD Commercial Feed Manufacturer/Distributor License Application, 'Important Information' block |
| Out-of-state sellers | YesA distributor or guarantor whose name is on the label of commercial feed distributed in Michigan must hold the license, and one operating from a business location outside Michigan must either keep a registered office and resident agent in the state or keep records available and pay MDARD out-of-state audit costs | MCL 287.524(13) and (13)(a) |
Three flavors, every one of them sold in bags of 5 lb or less by a firm that packs nothing larger, so the $25 tier applies. The tonnage statement is filed separately and is explained below.
This state charges no per-product fee, so the product count does not change the total.
Every figure above is multiplied out from the figures printed beside it, and each of those comes from a quote in the table. Laboratory work for the guaranteed analysis, packaging, a sales tax permit and a business entity filing are separate costs from separate agencies and are not counted here.
Fill in the Commercial Feed Manufacturer/Distributor License Application
One license covers one Michigan manufacturing location. A distributor or guarantor who does not manufacture takes one license too. The department counts licenses by the name and address that appears on the label, so the name on your bag is the name on the license.
Pick the fee tier that matches your packaging
The fee is $100 per year for a manufacturing facility. If the firm distributes in containers of only 5 pounds or less, the fee is $25 per year instead. Packing even one product in a larger bag puts the firm back on the $100 tier. A late application carries a $50 late fee.
Attach every product label
The department requires all product labels to be approved before distribution. New and revised labels go in with the license application, so the label review is part of the filing rather than a separate step with a separate fee.
Mail the application to the department in Lansing
The form is returned to the department at the Lansing post office box printed on it, with the fee. The license year runs July 1 to June 30 and the license expires June 30, whatever month it was issued.
File the tonnage statement by the last day of July
The inspection fee is $0.30 per ton of commercial feed distributed in Michigan, paid by the person whose name is on the label. The annual statement covers July 1 to June 30 and is due by the last day of July. A statement filed late carries a penalty of $50 or 10 percent of the amount due, whichever is greater, and records are kept for two years.
Renew every year before June 30
The license is not transferable between persons, owners or locations, and it lapses on June 30. Renewal is the same form, the same tier choice and any new or revised labels.
The $25 tier exists only for a firm that distributes in containers of only 5 pounds or less. The moment one product ships in a larger bag, the firm pays $100 per year for the license. Package size changes nothing else: there is no product registration in Michigan, and the tonnage fee is owed on every ton at every size.
MCL 287.523 keeps unmixed raw meat and other carcass portions outside commercial feed only when they are sold in their raw or natural state, are not adulterated and are not intended as commercial feed. A raw product marketed as dog food or dog treats is intended as commercial feed, so the exclusion does not reach it and the license applies.
The Michigan license and inspection fee cover distribution in Michigan. Every other state runs its own feed law with its own instrument and its own fee, and AAFCO states that shipping product into a state in response to an internet purchase counts as distribution there.
The one exemption that looks close is for a person making retail sales of commercial feed that carries the label of a licensed manufacturer, distributor or guarantor who has assumed responsibility for the inspection fee. A maker who prepares, mixes, packages or labels their own treats is a manufacturer and is inside the license, whatever the channel.
Michigan defines Pet Treat only in the glossary of its own license application, as a commercial feed provided to an animal as a reward or snack and not intended as pet food. Neither the Feed Law nor Regulation No. 635 carves treats or animal-part chews out of the license or the label, so treat the chew as commercial feed until the department tells you otherwise in writing.
| Item | What Michigan says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Required label items | YesProduct and brand name required (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(ii), R 285.635.3(a)); species designation required, the words dog food or cat food or a similar designation conspicuously on the principal display panel (R 285.635.3(h)); quantity statement of the contents required on the principal display panel (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(i), R 285.635.3(a)); guaranteed analysis required in the fixed order (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(iii), R 285.635.3(c)); ingredient statement required by the common or usual name of each ingredient, using AAFCO official definitions (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(iv), R 285.635.10(1)); nutritional adequacy statement not required by Michigan statute or rule, R 285.635.3(i) instead barring an unqualified complete or balanced claim unless the product meets nutrient requirements set by a recognized authority or passes testing; feeding directions required only for a commercial feed containing drugs and for other feeds the director requires by rule (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(vi)); calorie content statement not required by Michigan statute or rule; guarantor name and principal mailing address required, exactly as it appears on the license (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(v), R 285.635.3(b)); precautionary statements required as the director determines by rule (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(vii)); Michigan additionally requires drug statements where a drug product is used (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(viii)) and a date of manufacture, processing, packing or repacking or a lot code (MCL 287.525(1)(a)(ix)) | MCL 287.525(1)(a)(i)-(iii) (Commercial feed; label; information) |
| Guaranteed analysis | YesCrude protein minimum, crude fat minimum, crude fiber maximum, moisture maximum, in that order, with additional guarantees following moisture; treats are not excused, and MDARD states that treats require a guaranteed analysis | Mich. Admin. Code R 285.635.3(c) (Pet food label information) |
| What a treat is excused from | NoneNeither MCL 287.525 nor Regulation No. 635 carves a treat out of any label item, and Michigan requires no nutritional adequacy statement for a treat carve-out to attach to; MDARD guidance states only that treats require a guaranteed analysis and are not intended to be nutritionally complete | MDARD Pet Food and Treats page, "What's the difference between pet treats and pet food?" |
| AAFCO text adopted | YesR 285.635.1(2) adopts the AAFCO official definitions of feed ingredients and the official feed terms, and MCL 287.523(a) separately freezes the AAFCO official publication at the 2015 edition; no AAFCO Official Publication of any year is in the snapshot | Mich. Admin. Code R 285.635.1(2) (Definitions and terms) |
| AAFCO edition | DependsThe act freezes the reference at the 2015 Official Publication (MCL 287.523(a)) while the 1979 rule text points instead to the current annual AAFCO publication (R 285.635.1(2)); the conflict is not resolved anywhere in the snapshot, and no Official Publication of either kind is in the snapshot | MCL 287.523(a) (Definitions) |
The full item list, both AAFCO editions and the exceptions are in the label guide, and the laboratory side of the guarantees is in where to get a guaranteed analysis.
A distributor or guarantor whose name is on the label of commercial feed distributed in Michigan must hold the license, wherever they are based. One operating from outside Michigan either keeps a registered office and resident agent in the state or keeps its records available and pays the department's out-of-state audit costs. The same logic points the other way when you ship out of Michigan: the destination state's feed law applies there.
A home kitchen is outside FDA facility registration.
Facility means any establishment, structure, or structures under one ownership at one general physical location, or, in the case of a mobile facility, traveling to multiple locations, that manufactures/processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the United States. [...] The private residence of an individual is not a facility.
Federal package rules still apply to every bag you sell.
Ingredients required to be declared on the label of a food [...] shall be listed by common or usual name in descending order of predominance by weight on either the principal display panel or the information panel in accordance with the provisions of § 501.2 .
Your state label rules come from an AAFCO model, not from FDA.
Pet food labeling is regulated at two levels. The current FDA regulations require proper identification of the product, net quantity statement, name, and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor, and proper listing of all the ingredients in the product from most to least, based on weight. Some states also enforce their own labeling regulations.
MCL 287.526(1)(c) sets a minimum inspection fee of $50 per annual period. Form PI-135, revised May 2026, charges that minimum only where tons are reported, and its Section L tells a Pet Treat and Small Quantity Manufacturer that no minimum is due when zero tons are reported. The same form says in Section B to enter 1 where less than 1 ton was distributed, while its header rounds amounts under half a ton to zero. Whether a maker below one ton owes the $50 is not settled in the text we read, so budget for it.
MCL 287.523(a) fixes the incorporated AAFCO Official Publication at the 2015 edition, while R 285.635.1(2), written in 1979, points at the current annual publication. Nothing in the snapshot resolves the conflict, and no Official Publication of either year is in it, so ingredient names should follow the AAFCO definitions and any question about which year goes to the department.
The only Feed Law text in our snapshot is complete through PA 5 of 2025, while the Food Law PDF read alongside it runs through PA 38 of 2025. Amendments after PA 5 of 2025, if any, are not reflected on this page.
The record for Michigan carries 13 recorded gaps and 13 staleness flags from the reading pass. Those are about the documents, not about your product.
MCL 287.536(2) allows an administrative fine of not more than $1,000 for each violation or attempted violation, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing. MCL 287.536(5) makes a violation a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both, for each violation, in addition to any administrative fine.
A sales tax permit comes from the revenue side of the state and lets you collect tax. It is not a feed instrument and no feed office issues it.
A business entity filing or a trading name registration comes from the secretary of state or the county. It records who you are. It says nothing about feed.
A local food handler card or a home kitchen permit belongs to the human food regime. Services that bundle these three and call the bundle a license are selling you paperwork you may well need, but not the instrument on this page.
The Michigan text we read gives no route around the license. The department answers its own question, do I need to be licensed to sell pet food or treats, with yes, a license is required, and the four statutory exemptions in MCL 287.524(2) turn on retail resale, on-farm mixing, integrated operations and diversion to a licensee, not on volume or home production.
No. The department's own answer to whether pet treats fall under the cottage food exemptions is that those exemptions apply only to human food, and it lists pet food or treats among the categories it does not accept as cottage food. Dog treats sit under the Feed Law and its Commercial Feed License instead.
The license attaches to manufacturing or distributing commercial feed in Michigan, not to the channel you sell through. Your own site, a marketplace listing and a market table all count as distribution. Shipping into other states adds their feed laws on top, and a buyer's state may want a license or registration of its own.
The Commercial Feed License is $100 per year, or $25 per year where the firm distributes in containers of only 5 pounds or less. There is no per-product fee, so three flavors cost the same as one. The tonnage inspection fee is $0.30 per ton on top, with a statutory minimum of $50 that the current form does not charge to a maker reporting zero tons.
No. Michigan has no per-product registration. What the department wants instead is a label for every product with the license application, approved before distribution, and a revised label whenever one changes. A new flavor means a new label sent in, not a new fee.
The product or brand name, the words dog food or a similar designation conspicuously on the principal display panel, a quantity statement on that same panel, the guaranteed analysis in the order crude protein minimum, crude fat minimum, crude fiber maximum and moisture maximum, an ingredient statement by common or usual name using AAFCO definitions, the guarantor's name and principal mailing address exactly as it appears on the license, and a date of manufacture, processing, packing or repacking or a lot code. Michigan requires no nutritional adequacy statement and no calorie statement, and it carves nothing out for treats.
Statute: yes: Feed Law, 1975 PA 120, MCL 287.521 to 287.539. Rules: yes: Mich. Admin. Code R 285.635.1 to R 285.635.17 (Regulation No. 635, Commercial Feed). Agency: yes: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Animal Feed Program (program page).
Snapshot read and adjudicated September 7, 2026, record date 2026-09-07. 38 recorded facts for Michigan.
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.