Minnesota pet food registration

Firm license
$75
annual, due Dec 31

Per product
$100
packages ≤10 lb · annual, due Jun 30

Tonnage
none for small packages
annual, due Jan 31

How to file
mixed · MDA Online Licensing and Payment System
Pay by check (mail to Cashier), online via MDA eRenewal (renewals/added products for existing licensees): Visa, Mastercard, Discover, e-check + handling fee

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

Calculate my Minnesota fees

Details

Firm license fee	$75 $75 per location + $5 MDA license surcharge (5% of fee, $5 minimum, Minn. Stat. 17.033, since Jan 1 2025) = $80
License late fee	$100 penalty (plus the $75 fee + $5 surcharge) if renewed after Dec 31 or if operating unlicensed
Product fee	$100 $100/product/year for pet & specialty pet food sold EXCLUSIVELY in packages ≤10 lb (in lieu of tonnage). Products sold in both ≤10 lb and >10 lb sizes pay tonnage instead, not registration. Identical product in multiple ≤10 lb sizes = one product.
Product late fee	$100 penalty per product (in addition to the $100 fee) if renewed after Jun 30 or if an unregistered product is found in distribution
Renewal window	registration year Jul 1 – Jun 30; renewal notices mailed mid-May; renew on or before Jun 30 (postmark)
Exempt	Pet treats registered under the Minnesota Cottage Food Law (Minn. Stat. 28A.152) — in-state producers only, sales cap, direct-to-consumer Bones, hides, chews, hooves, ears, snouts, pizzles/bully sticks with no added ingredients other than flavoring and NO nutrition/'treat'/'food'/'snack' claim or guaranteed analysis (Exempt Pet Products policy)
Tonnage note	Registered ≤10 lb pet food pays no tonnage. Pet food in >10 lb packages (or mixed sizes) pays $0.16/ton or $75 minimum by Jan 31 for prior calendar year; late penalty $10 or 10% of tonnage fee, whichever is greater.
Third-party filing	unknown: “Form AG-01368 signature block: 'I hereby certify that the information contained in and submitted with this form is true and correct.' Signature / Date / Name (Please Print) / Title / Contact Telephone / Fax # / Email Address — no agent, consultant or 'submitted by' block, and no officer/owner attestation. eRenewal is keyed by licence # + PIN (no agent role). Neither an agent rail nor a registrant-only restriction is stated — forms/MN/pet-food-registration-application-AG01368.pdf; MDA page (re-read 2026-10-08).”
Before you file	A Minnesota Commercial Feed License number is required on the product registration form (license first, then products) Guarantor name/city/state/zip on labels must match the license holder Current labels must be furnished within 5 business days on request
Check payable to	Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Mail to	Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Attn: Cashier, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155-2538
Public registry	html_search

How the online filing goes

Online or paper?
Order of operations — online renewals pay at the end of the same session; paper filings pay by check
Pet Food Product Registration ('Register and Renew Pet Food Products Online') → Pet Food Program - Get PIN (seen)
Product renewal / add-product list (after PIN — not seen; expect the AG-01368 content)
Renewal Applications — Commercial Feed License (seen)
Invoice Payments (seen) — pay an MDA invoice

Your packet lists every value for each screen. Online (renewals and added products for an existing licence only): Visa, Mastercard, Discover or e-check at the end of the eRenewal session, plus an MDA handling fee (amount not published); licence fees non-refundable; e-check needs the on-screen Payment ID. Keys: licence number + PIN (notice) or emailed single-use PIN; invoices: Invoice Number + PIN printed on the invoice, paid in full. Paper filings (first licence, AG-01368 registrations, mailed renewal notices): check payable to 'Minnesota Department of Agriculture', Attn: Cashier, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155-2538, mailed with the form. Fees: licence $75 + $5 surcharge per location per calendar year; $100 per registered product per July 1 – June 30 year; tonnage only on >10 lb products ($0.16/ton, $75 minimum, due Jan 31). Penalties: $100 late licence; $100 per late or unregistered product; tonnage $10 or 10%.

Forms

Pet and/or Specialty Pet Food Registration for Products Distributed in Minnesota (AG-01368, 9/18/23)fillable

Good to know

Three different clocks: license Dec 31 (calendar year), product registration Jun 30 (Jul 1–Jun 30 year), tonnage Jan 31.
Penalties are stiff and automatic: $100 per late/unregistered product and $100 for a late license; postmark date governs.
Registration status is NOT visible online — only license status is in the Licensing Information Search; request a product list by email.
Products listed on a website are treated as distributed into Minnesota unless the site excludes MN.
Discontinued products must be out of distribution by Jun 30 or be re-registered.
Website content counts as 'labeling' under the Commercial Feed Law.
No CBD/hemp ingredients permitted in pet food.

Agency

Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Food and Feed Safety Division – Commercial Feed Program / Licensing
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/license-registration-tonnage-new-renewal
651-201-6062 (licensing/registration); 651-201-6221 (Pet Food Unit); 651-201-6027 (Feed Program)

Sources: License, Registration, Tonnage - New and Renewal | MDA · How to Start a Pet Food Business in Minnesota | MDA · Exempt Pet Products | MDA · AG-01368 Pet and/or Specialty Pet Food Registration · MDA eRenewal — Pet Food Product Renewal / Pet Food Program - Get PIN ('Register and Renew Pet Food Products Online') · Licenses & Inspections Locator — Feed, Pet Food | MDA · Online Licensing & Payment Options | MDA · Licenses, Permits, and Certificates at the MDA (new customer portal) · Commercial Feed License and Tonnage Reporting | mn.gov eLicense · Minnesota | AAFCO. Verified 2026-10-08. Not legal advice; confirm with the state before paying.