Missouri Department of Agriculture
Can you sell dog treats under the Missouri cottage food law?
Verified September 7, 2026. Figures quoted from the statute, rule, fee page or form.
No. The Missouri home-based kitchen food production law reaches food for human consumption, and the state guidance answers that pet foods and treats do not fall under it and are regulated by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. What applies to a dog treat maker in Missouri 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 Missouri cottage food text says
What applies to a dog treat maker in Missouri instead
| Item | What Missouri says | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| The instrument that applies | YesMissouri Commercial Feed License, one per facility, applied for on form MO 350-1186 | Commercial Feed License Application, form MO 350-1186 (8-19), activity checklist |
| Home manufacturer | YesAnyone who manufactures, distributes or labels pet food or treats within or into Missouri must obtain a Missouri Commercial Feed License, and MDA states this applies to production in the maker own home as much as in a commercial facility | MDA "Guide to Making and Selling Pet Food & Pet Treats", Missouri Commercial Feed License slide |
| Small or home exemption | NoNo volume, revenue or home-scale exemption from the license; MDA states that the license requirement applies to anyone producing pet food or treats in their own home as much as in a commercial facility | MDA 'Guide to Making and Selling Pet Food & Pet Treats', page 1 scope statement |
| 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 who labels their own treats is inside it | Mo. Rev. Stat. section 266.165.1 |
| Product registration | DependsRegistration is required for pet food distributed in Missouri only in packages of ten pounds or less, and for specialty pet food only in packages of one pound or less, so the same recipe sold in a two pound bag and a six pound bag is registered while the same recipe sold in both a small package and a package over ten pounds falls out of registration and pays tonnage on all of it; MDA separately treats rawhides and bones as exempt from registration and from state labeling requirements unless the label or advertising lists feed ingredients or claims nutritional value | Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 266.190.1(5) (Inspection fees) |
| Pet food is commercial feed | YesPet food is defined as a class of commercial feed | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 266.160(21) |
More for Missouri
Missouri questions on this topic
Are dog treats cottage food in Missouri?
No. The Missouri home-based kitchen food production law reaches food for human consumption, and the state guidance answers that pet foods and treats do not fall under it and are regulated by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Source: Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug 2023), FAQ 'Do pet foods and pet treats fall under the Missouri Cottage Law?'.
Is there a home or small-scale exemption for dog treats in Missouri?
No. No volume, revenue or home-scale exemption from the license; MDA states that the license requirement applies to anyone producing pet food or treats in their own home as much as in a commercial facility. Source: MDA 'Guide to Making and Selling Pet Food & Pet Treats', page 1 scope statement.
Does selling only at a farmers market change the Missouri 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 who labels their own treats is inside it. Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. section 266.165.1.
What does a dog treat maker need in Missouri instead?
Yes. Missouri Commercial Feed License, one per facility, applied for on form MO 350-1186. Source: Commercial Feed License Application, form MO 350-1186 (8-19), activity checklist.
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.