Do I Need a License to Sell Dog Treats in Texas? (Solved!)

Yes, you are going to need a business license if you want to sell dog treats in Texas. The typical cost for this is going to be $300 for forming your LLC. After that, you want to fill out an SS-4 form to get your tax id and after that, you will be ready to sell your treats.

Now, if you are running an online business from outside of Texas, then you will need to obtain a Seller’s permit if you want to market your treats in the Lone Star State. This is free of charge, you’ll just need to fill out and submit your application, and once approved then you can sell your treats to Texans and their dogs.

Also, if you make dog treats in Texas they are regulated under the Texas Feed & Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemists (use that link to contact them and get setup). If you’re a glutton for punishment you can read their full rules here. Watch the video below which covers Cottage Food Laws in Texas. Note that that applies only to food you plan to sell to humans.

There’s a lot of confusion as well about having a commercial kitchen or not. In short, even selling treats to humans (not pets), the state of Texas allows you to do this on a small scale without a commercial kitchen and getting all the permitting needed but you can only do this up to $50,000 in annual revenue. If you plan to grow beyond this (and you should!) then contact the Office of the Texas State Chemists, get setup right and grow, grow, grow!

They’ll also help you with the sticky situation of shipping treats out of Texas.

In today’s article, we’re going to take a look at the technical side of your dog treat business. Do you need a permit to sell dog treats through Facebook marketplace? Are dog treats taxable in Texas? Find out the answers to these questions and more – you’ll find important answers that you need waiting below!

What is the cost of a business license to sell dog treats in Texas?

The costs behind getting a business license in Texas are pretty straightforward. An LLC certificate of formation requires that you fill out a form and costs about $300 in order to get started. Once this is approved, then you are licensed to do business in Texas.

If you are functioning from outside of Texas and merely wish to sell to Texas customers, then you will need a license in your home state or country and you will need to apply for a Seller’s license. The seller’s license is free to apply for and obtain, you need only fill out the form and wait for approval.

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How much does it cost to get a tax ID number for my dog treat business in Texas?

To get an EIN for a Texas business there is no charge. What you will need to do is simply fill out and file the Form SS-4. After that, you simply have to wait for it to be processed and approved, at which point you will obtain your Tax id number at not charge to you.

Do I need a business license to sell dog treat online Texas?

Technically, yes, as you will need a license in your home location to sell in the first place, but as far as additional licensing for selling to Texas you will need a Seller’s license, rather than a business license.

Selling to other states may have other requirements, but for Texas you only need that Seller’s license and it is free to apply for. You just need to fill out an application, wait on processing, and once approved then you can sell your dog treats to Texas customers.

Do I need a seller’s permit to sell dog treats online to Texas?

Yes, you absolutely need the seller’s permit, however this is quite simple to obtain and once you have it, the only other guidelines that you need to worry about are going to be labelling your product to federal FDA standards.

Keep in mind that when selling dog treats online, you need a local business permit, plus you need to check the requirements of each state that you sell in so that you can file for the appropriate permissions.

Some states may require special labelling, for instance. With Texas, it’s easy, you just need that seller’s license and you are good to go.

How much is a sales permit in Texas?

For a Seller’s permit, you won’t need to pay any fees, you will just need to apply for the permit and once it has been approved, then you will be able to sell your dog treats in Texas.

Just make sure that you get your business license first and after that, just fill out the paperwork and you’ll soon be selling your treats to customers in the Lone Star state.

Can you sell dog treats from home in Texas?

Yes, you can sell your dog treats from home if you would like to center your business there, you will just need to get yourself a business license and you should get liability insurance as well.

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After that, you can sell in local venues or online to Texas customers, just keep in mind that if you sell to other states then you will need seller’s permits and possibly additional permits which will vary from state to state.

Can I make dog treats at home and sell them?

Manufacturing the dog treats at home is just fine, as a licensed kitchen is typically not going to be required when selling dog treats. As long as you have your business license then you can make and sell them through local venues or even an online store.

Do you need FDA approval to sell dog treats?

The FDA does not require premarket approval to sell your dog treats, however you will need to make sure that your treats are labelled honestly. All ingredients need to be listed in your labelling and as long as this labelling is honest and accurate, then your product should be compliant with the FDA.

Check current requirements from time to time to ensure that there are no changes, however, at current only accurate labelling is required for selling your dog treats.

Are dog treats taxable in Texas?

Yes. While grocery food items meant for human consumption are generally not taxed, with pet foods and treats in Texas you will need to pay tax from your sales like any other business.

When selling to different states, however, this may not always be the case, so be sure when you get your seller’s license for these markets that you look for additional requirements.

Do I need a special permit to sell in Texas through Facebook?

You will need your business license and if you are selling from out of state, then you will need a seller’s permit for Texas. Facebook posting aren’t going to ask you for these things, however, a sale is a sale and you should treat it as if you were selling from your own website.