Iowa pet food registration

Firm license
$20
biennial, due Jun 30

Per product
$50
packages ≤10 lb · annual, due Dec 31

Tonnage
none for small packages
semiannual, due Feb 15 / Aug 15

How to file
state_portal · IDALS Commercial Feed and Fertilizer Online Licensing Portal
Pay by electronic payment via portal, check or money order by mail (payee IDALS)

You sign, pay and submit We fill the forms, compute the fee and tell you where it goes.

Calculate my Iowa fees

Details

Firm license fee	$20 flat $20 per company for two years, not prorated; required if you manufacture, distribute into Iowa, or are the label guarantor; retail-only sellers exempt
Product fee	$50 $50/product/yr for pet & specialty pet food (incl. supplements/treats) in packages of 10 lb or less; product = recipe (sizes/shapes share one registration); products also sold >10 lb pay $50 AND tonnage
Product late fee	greater of 10% of total renewal fee or $50, for renewals postmarked Feb 16 or later; new products registered mid-year are exempt from penalty
Renewal window	labels expire Dec 31; portal renewal opens Dec 1; renewal date Jan 1; penalty if postmarked on/after Feb 16
Exempt	chews/bones/toys of animal skin, hide, wood or man-made material (flavored or not), hooves, ears, ligaments, snouts – unless labeled as food/treat, with feeding directions, guaranteed analysis, nutritional claims, or named only 'beef/chicken/lamb' without 'flavor/basted/bone' exempt item combined with non-exempt (e.g. peanut-butter-filled bone) must register
Tonnage note	FAQ: 'If pet food packages of 10 lbs. or less are the only products you sell, you will only owe the registration.' Large-package pet food must be reported (Jan–Jun opens Jun 1, due Aug 15; Jul–Dec opens Dec 1, due Feb 15); late fee greater of $50 or 10%; license suspended Aug 16 / Feb 16 until paid.
Third-party filing	registrant_only: “Commercial Feed License Application: 'Only one contact is accepted in the database. It is the responsibility of the licensee to notify the bureau of changes in contact information.' Certification: 'On behalf the company herein, the undersigned certifies the information on this Iowa commercial feed license application is true and correct.' No agent/submitter/'on behalf of another company' block on the license or pet-food registration paperwork; the Salesforce portal account belongs to the licensee (re-read 2026-10-08).”
Before you file	Paper route: labels on disk/flash drive + check; 'No electronic payment option available' per older Pet Food Summary PDF (superseded by portal page which offers electronic payment) Licensees without email/internet can call 515-281-5321 for assistance
Check payable to	IDALS
Mail to	IDALS / Feed Bureau / Pet (or / License), Wallace Bldg, 502 E 9th St, Des Moines, IA 50319
Public registry	html_search

How the online filing goes

Online or paper?
Create Account (public screen, seen)
Commercial Feed License application (from IDALS guides)
Pet & specialty pet food product registration (from IDALS guides)
Pay and Submit (from the Tonnage SOP — same payment flow)

Your packet lists every value for each screen. Inside the portal: ACH (electronic transfer) or credit card — complete within the 2-minute payment window — or choose 'Check payment', print the Payment details page and mail it with a check or money order payable to IDALS (IDALS / Feed Bureau / Pet, Wallace Bldg, 502 E 9th St, Des Moines, IA 50319). Fees: $20 licence per two years; $50 per pet-food product (≤10 lb) per year; tonnage only on >10 lb products ($0.12/ton, $20 minimum, semiannual).

Forms

Good to know

No separate product-registration paper form is posted: list products 'as illustrated on registration page' (portal) or send a product list + labels on disk/flash drive with a check.
Discontinued and old-version labels must stay registered until no Iowa inventory remains (one year recommended).
Variety packs: each item sold separately must be registered separately; samples must be registered.
'NO EXCEPTIONS in Iowa law' for bakeries/homemakers/farmers-market sellers – license, register and label.
Products entered in December count toward the following year's registration.
Non-payment of registration/tonnage = immediate license cancellation and Stop Sale & Removal Order.

Agency

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Commercial Feed and Fertilizer Bureau
https://iowaagriculture.gov/commercial-feed-and-fertilizer-bureau/commercial-feed
515-281-5321 (bureau); Alan Keller, Bureau Chief 515-242-6338; April Schroeder 515-281-8597

Sources: Pet Food Registration in Iowa · Animal Food Due Dates Guide · Animal Food Requirements Guide · Commercial Feed License Application · IDALS Commercial Feed page + FAQ · Online Licensing Portal · Licensed Businesses & Ag Directories. Verified 2026-10-08. Not legal advice; confirm with the state before paying.