Georgia Pet Dealer, Dog Breeder and Pet Store License: GDA Fees by Gross Sales

If you sell dogs, cats, fish, reptiles or other animals kept as pets in Georgia, you may need a pet dealer license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA). The license comes from GDA's Companion Animals program under Chapter 40-13-13 of the Georgia rules and the Georgia Animal Protection Act. The fee depends on your gross pet sales, so the first question is how much you expect to sell in a year. This guide covers who needs the license, what it costs at each sales level, how the application works, and what to set up around it.

Georgia does not issue a general state business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and registering for sales tax is not a business license. The GDA pet dealer license is the state license that matters for animal sellers, and local business licensing and zoning still apply on top of it.

Who needs a Georgia pet dealer license

Under Rule 40-13-13-.01, a pet dealer is anyone who sells, offers to sell, exchanges or offers for adoption dogs, cats, fish, reptiles or other animals customarily kept as pets within Georgia. It does not matter whether you produced the animals or bought them from someone else. Pet stores are pet dealers. The rule excludes equine animals, so a person who deals in horses needs a livestock dealer license from GDA instead.

Breeders: when the exemption does not apply

Most dog and cat breeders want to know whether they can skip the license. A person who sells only animals they have produced is not a pet dealer under Rule 40-13-13-.07, but the exemption does not apply if any of the following is true:

• You are licensed for an animal-related business by a local government.
• You have a Georgia sales tax number for an animal-related business.
• You are subject to the Bird Dealers' Licensing Act.
• You sell, offer or exchange more than one litter in any twelve-month period.
• You sell, offer or exchange more than 30 adult animals in any twelve-month period.
• You produce animals that pose a public health risk or show illness or chronic pain and suffering.
• GDA has found that you do not treat animals humanely, or you have been convicted of cruelty to animals.

GDA's own guidance states the dog version plainly: a dog breeder needs a pet dealer license if they sell more than one litter or more than 30 adult dogs in 12 months. For the rule's purposes, an adult dog is over 12 months old and an adult cat is over eight months old.

Do not assume the exemption covers you because you only sell your own animals. If you hold a local business license or a Georgia sales tax number for the animal business, the exemption may not apply, since either one can trigger the license. Check both before you rely on the exemption.

Materials and information to gather before you apply

Collect these items before you open the online application. Stopping mid-application to look up a figure is a common cause of delay.

• An estimate of total gross pet sales for the coming 12 months, plus your records from any prior sales year. This sets your fee tier.
• Every address where animals will be kept or sold, including your home if you operate from it.
• Names and details of every officer or member of the business.
• Any record of prior violations, which the application asks you to disclose.
• A secure and verifiable document proving citizenship or lawful presence from GDA's accepted list. Check that list on GDA's pet dealer license page before you apply.
• Your entity paperwork and EIN, if you have formed an LLC or corporation (see Step 2 below).
• A payment method for the online license fee, which you pay after GDA approves the application.
• An email inbox you check every day. GDA emails its document request, and a missed message can stall your application.

Georgia pet dealer license fees by gross sales

GDA sets the pet dealer license fee under Rule 40-13-13-.02 based on your gross pet sales:

Gross pet sales	GDA license fee
$101 to $5,000	$100
$5,001 to $10,000	$200
$10,001 to $15,000	$300
$15,001 and up	$400

The fee table starts at $101 in gross sales. If your gross sales are $100 or less, confirm with GDA which fee applies before you apply.

Two special cases carry their own fees:

Dealer type	GDA license fee
No permanent fixed facility in Georgia, selling only at exhibition events	$200
No permanent fixed facility in Georgia, all other sales	$400

A few rules apply to every pet dealer license:

• One license per activity. GDA does not issue combination licenses. If you also board or groom, you need a separate kennel license.
• One year of coverage. The license runs for one year from the time payment is processed.
• Named person and premises only. The license covers the person and premises named on it and cannot be transferred.
• Late renewals cost 100% of the fee. A renewal made after the expiration date carries a late fee equal to 100% of the license fee. GDA says it cannot waive this fee, and you may not keep selling on an expired license.

Step-by-step: how to get your Georgia pet dealer license

1. Confirm that you need the license. Work through the dealer and breeder rules above. Selling animals you did not produce, selling more than one litter in a year, or selling more than 30 adult animals in 12 months each triggers the license. If you are unsure, contact GDA's Companion Animals program before you spend money on setup.
2. Set up your business entity and tax accounts. If you operate as an LLC, file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State through eCorp. The filing costs $110 total, which is the $100 fee plus a $10 service charge. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days, and paper filings take about 15 business days. Then get an EIN. For background, read how to start an LLC in Georgia and how to get an EIN in Georgia.
3. Estimate your gross pet sales and pick your fee tier. Be realistic about the year ahead. Include the sales you expect from every location and sales channel, including online sales. Write down how you calculated the number, because it sets the fee you will pay.
4. Check local rules and zoning. GDA states that a state license does not excuse compliance with local ordinances, and some cities and counties limit the number of animals allowed on a property. Confirm that your location allows the use, especially for a home kennel or breeding operation. See Georgia home-based business laws, zoning and permits.
5. Register for sales tax if you sell taxable animals. Sales of dogs, cats and other pets are subject to sales tax under Department of Revenue Rule 560-12-2-.55 unless the animals are bought for resale or otherwise exempt. Register through the Georgia Tax Center at gtc.dor.ga.gov. Registration is free.
6. Set up your GDA account. All applications and renewals are filed online through the Kelly Registration Systems link on GDA's pet dealer license page. Have your materials list ready before you begin.
7. Submit the online application. Enter your total gross sales, every premises address, all officers or members, and any record of prior violations. Be accurate. Your fee tier and the pre-inspection both depend on what you enter.
8. Complete the pre-inspection. GDA conducts a pre-inspection of your premises and works with you on any problems it finds. Address each problem the inspector identifies, and keep a written list of what you corrected.
9. Respond to GDA's document request. After the pre-inspection, GDA emails a request for your secure and verifiable documents. Reply promptly, because a slow response can hold up your approval.
10. Pay online after approval. Once GDA approves the application, you pay the license fee online. GDA states that the certificate is mailed within about 1 to 7 business days.
11. Calendar your renewal. Your license runs one year from the date payment is processed. Start renewal before the expiration date, since a late renewal costs 100% of the fee and you may not sell until it is renewed.

Kennel licenses are separate from the pet dealer license

If you board, run daycare or keep pets for a fee, including at a breeding establishment, you need a kennel license from GDA. Kennel fees depend on holding capacity:

Holding capacity (pets)	GDA kennel license fee
Up to 20	$100
21 to 40	$200
41 to 80	$300
Over 80	$400

Stable licenses are a separate category for equine operations and are priced by the number of equine present. For kennel and grooming setup details, see how to start a pet grooming business in Georgia.

If you sell animals over the internet, you may also need a federal USDA license. Check GDA's pets page and the USDA before you ship any animal.

Taxes and entity setup

Once your animals are taxable sales, you need to collect sales tax correctly. The state rate is 4%. Combined state and local rates run from 6% to 9% depending on county and city, with Atlanta at 8.9%. Confirm the combined rate for your location before you set your prices. Registration through the Georgia Tax Center carries no fee, and Georgia issues no separate resale permit. If you buy animals or supplies for resale, the resale instrument is Form ST-5, the certificate of exemption. See how to get a resale certificate in Georgia. Remote sellers owe collection once they reach $100,000 of Georgia sales or 200 separate transactions. Read Georgia sales tax for new businesses and online sellers for the details.

For entity taxes, Georgia levies no franchise tax on a typical single-member or partnership LLC, and its income passes through to the owner's return. Corporations, and LLCs taxed as corporations, pay a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 depending on net worth. For an overview, see Georgia business taxes.

The entity also has ongoing filings. An LLC files an annual registration for $60 ($50 plus a $10 service charge) between January 1 and April 1 each year, beginning the year after it forms. A new corporation files its first annual registration within 90 days of incorporating. Confirm the current window with the Secretary of State at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. If you do business under a name other than your legal name, you need a trade name registration. Trade names are filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on, not with the Secretary of State. Clerk fees run about $165 plus a newspaper publication charge, so confirm the exact amount with your county clerk.

Local occupation tax certificate, E-Verify and workers' compensation

Georgia has no state business license, so the local occupation tax certificate is what most pet businesses need from a government beyond GDA. Often called a business license, it is issued by the city, or by the county for unincorporated areas, under O.C.G.A. Title 48, chapter 13. A business inside a city pays the city, not the county. More than half of Georgians live outside any city, so for many readers the county is the issuer. Georgia has 159 counties and about 537 cities and towns, and each sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. See Georgia business license requirements to learn how the local certificate works.

Private employers with more than 10 employees must file an E-Verify affidavit to get the local certificate under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6. Read Georgia E-Verify requirements for business licenses. Workers' compensation insurance is required once you have three or more workers, including part-time workers. See Georgia workers' compensation insurance requirements.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the breeder exemption applies. A local business license or a Georgia sales tax number for the animal business can end the exemption, even if you only sell animals you produced.
• Treating sales tax registration as a business license. Registering for sales tax does not satisfy GDA's license requirement or the local certificate.
• Underestimating gross sales. Your application records your sales figures, and GDA sets the fee from them. Estimate honestly, and keep the records that support your number.
• Assuming one license covers everything. Each activity needs its own license. Boarding or grooming needs a kennel license in addition to the pet dealer license.
• Ignoring local rules. A GDA license does not excuse compliance with local ordinances, and some localities cap the number of animals on a property.
• Letting the license expire. A late renewal costs 100% of the fee, and you may not keep selling on an expired license.
• Skipping the federal check for online sales. If you sell animals over the internet, check whether you need a USDA license.
• Waiting on the name. If you want to reserve a business name, a reservation lasts 30 days and costs $35.

What to expect from the process

Results depend on your facility, your records and how quickly you respond. GDA makes the approval decision, so the steps above can help you prepare but cannot guarantee an outcome. Applicants who gather documents early and reply quickly to GDA may find the process moves along closer to GDA's stated timeline. The pre-inspection and document request can add time, so plan for a delay before you commit to a sales date or a litter schedule. The Georgia Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia, found at georgiasbdc.org, can help you think through the business side of the decision.

Disclaimer

This article is informational content, not legal, tax or licensing advice. Fees, dates and rules change. Confirm current figures with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Secretary of State, the Department of Revenue and your city or county before you act. If your situation is complex, such as a breeding operation that also sells at retail, multiple locations, or a choice of entity structure, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.