How to Start a Dog Breeding or Boarding Kennel in Michigan: MDARD Registration and Local Kennel Licenses

If you want to start a dog breeder business in Michigan, the first question is not which form to file. It is which regulatory track your kennel falls on. Most small breeders and boarding kennels answer to their township, city or county. Only large-scale breeding kennels register with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Get that split right and the rest of the setup gets much simpler.

This article is informational, not legal or tax advice. Kennel rules, zoning and tax treatment depend on your property, your local government and your entity type. Confirm everything in this guide with the agency named, and consult a qualified attorney or CPA before you sign leases, form an entity or start selling animals.

What you need before you start

Gather these items before you file anything. Several of them take weeks to get, and the zoning answer can change your whole plan.

• A written answer from the township, city or village planning or zoning office about whether kennel use is allowed at your address
• A site plan showing kennel runs, buildings, setbacks, waste handling and parking
• A count of the intact female dogs you plan to keep, and a record of which of them have whelped before
• A business name that is available on the MiBusiness Registry
• A named resident agent with a physical Michigan address for an LLC or corporation
• A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS if you will have employees or a business bank account that requires one
• A relationship with a veterinarian who will provide vaccination and health records
• A separate business bank account and a bookkeeping system that tracks every dog from birth or intake to sale or discharge
• Your target start date, so you can work backward from any local inspection or renewal dates

Step 1: Work out which track your kennel falls under

Michigan splits dog kennels into two tracks. The split depends on what you keep and how you breed, not on how you advertise.

Large-scale breeding kennels need MDARD registration. The threshold is a facility with more than 15 intact female dogs that have whelped before. Registration costs $500 per year and expires December 31. Act 287 and Regulation 151 set the rules for care, facilities and records. A large-scale kennel also cannot sell, exchange or transfer a dog that is under eight weeks old.

Smaller breeders and boarding kennels are licensed and inspected locally under Michigan's Dog Law of 1919 (Public Act 339) and Regulation 129. There is no MDARD registration for these operations under the large-scale rules.

Two cautions apply. First, check with MDARD how it counts dogs for the threshold, including whether dogs you own but keep off-site count toward it. Second, the large-scale law does not exempt anyone from local kennel, animal and zoning ordinances. Even a registered large-scale kennel still needs the local approvals covered in Steps 2 and 5.

Step 2: Check zoning and local rules before anything else

Zoning is the step that stops most kennel plans. Call the planning or zoning office for the township, city or village where the property sits. Michigan has 83 counties, roughly 275 to 280 cities, about 255 to 258 villages and 1,240 townships. The local unit that controls your address may not be the one you expect, so confirm which government has jurisdiction over your parcel.

Ask these questions and get the answers in writing:

• Is kennel use permitted in this zone, or does it need a special use permit or variance?
• Is there a limit on the number of dogs, runs or buildings?
• What are the setback, noise, waste and odor rules?
• Does a change of use require a certificate of occupancy, and what health approvals apply?
• Do deed restrictions or a homeowners association prohibit kennels, even where zoning allows them?

A verbal yes from a front-desk clerk is not enough. Ask for the written determination, and keep it with your entity documents.

Step 3: Choose and form your business entity

Michigan has no general statewide business license. The Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) receives and files the documents that form and maintain an entity. Registering a business through the MiBusiness Registry is a filing, not a license. Your kennel's actual operating permissions come from the trade, activity and local rules described in Steps 2, 5 and 6.

Your entity choice determines which office you file with:

• Sole proprietorship or general partnership: If you operate under a name other than your own, you file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in each county where you do business, under MCL 445.1. County fees are set by statute and by each county clerk, so confirm the amount locally.
• Limited liability company (LLC): You file Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) with LARA. The name must include Limited Liability Company or the abbreviation L.L.C. or L.C. Your articles must name a resident agent and a registered office. Michigan calls this a resident agent, and the registered office must be a physical location, so a P.O. box alone does not work.
• Corporation: You file Articles of Incorporation for Profit Corporation (Form CSCL/CD-500) with LARA.

Check the name on the MiBusiness Registry business search before you file. If you need time to decide, you can reserve a name with Form CSCL/CD-540 for six months following the month of filing.

Current LARA fees, as verified for this guide:

Filing	Fee	Due or duration
LLC Articles of Organization (CSCL/CD-700)	$50	One-time filing
LLC Annual Statement (CSCL/CD-2700)	$25	Due February 15 each year, beginning the year after formation
Corporation Articles of Incorporation (CSCL/CD-500)	$60	One-time filing
Corporation Annual Report (CSCL/CD-2500)	$25	Due May 15 each year, beginning the year after incorporation
Name reservation (CSCL/CD-540)	$25	Six months following the month of filing
Assumed name certificate, LLC (CSCL/CD-541)	$25	Effective through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after filing
Assumed name certificate, corporation or limited partnership	$10	Same term as above

An LLC formed after September 30 does not owe the Annual Statement due on the February 15 immediately following. Optional expedited review adds fees on top of the filing fee, starting at $50 for a 24-hour review of a formation document. Use the expedited tiers only if you have a firm opening date. Confirm the current expedited schedule on the LARA page before you pay.

Start at the LARA Corporations Division page at https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps and file through the MiBusiness Registry Portal at https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/.

Step 4: Register with Treasury if you will sell

The sales tax question is separate from the entity filing. The Michigan Department of Treasury sets the state sales tax rate at 6%. Retailers must register with Treasury for a sales tax license. The registration is free and can arrive in as little as 7 business days. Register online at https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/business-taxes/new-biz/online-business-registration.

Whether a puppy sale, a boarding fee or a related product sale is taxable depends on how the transaction is structured. Do not assume an answer. Ask Treasury, and ask a CPA to review your pricing and invoices before you open for business.

Income tax is also an entity question. A standard LLC is a pass-through entity, so members report the income on the Michigan individual income tax at the flat 4.25% rate for the 2026 tax year. An LLC that elects federal C corporation treatment is subject to the 6% Michigan Corporate Income Tax. If your city levies an income tax, confirm whether it applies to you, since only 24 Michigan cities have one.

Step 5: Apply for your local kennel license and inspection

Smaller breeders and boarding kennels are licensed and inspected locally under the Dog Law of 1919 and Regulation 129. Ask the township, city or county which office issues the kennel license, what the application requires, what the license fee is, and when it renews. Those figures vary by jurisdiction and are not set out in this guide, so confirm each one with the issuing office.

Expect the inspector to look at your facility as it will operate, not as it looks on paper. Have your runs, shelters, fencing, water and waste areas ready before the visit. Keep veterinary and vaccination records on site and up to date.

Each dog may also need a local dog license. Confirm the requirements and fees with the local clerk or animal control office.

Local animal control is also where complaints about small breeders go. A clean inspection history and a responsive complaint process are the best protection against a problem that starts with a neighbor.

Step 6: If you are large-scale, register with MDARD

If your count of intact female dogs that have whelped before is more than 15, you need MDARD registration. The steps are:

1. Confirm your dog count and how MDARD counts dogs for the threshold.
2. Build or adapt your facility to the care and facility standards in Act 287 and Regulation 151. Ask MDARD for the current standards before you buy materials.
3. Set up records that show each dog's identity, health, breeding and whelping history, and each sale or transfer.
4. Apply for registration with MDARD and pay the $500 annual registration fee.
5. Calendar the renewal. Registration expires December 31 each year.

Do not sell, exchange or transfer any dog under eight weeks old. Build that rule into your sales contracts, your staff instructions and your records so it is enforced every time, not only when you remember.

Remember that MDARD registration does not replace local approvals. You still need zoning confirmation, the local kennel license and any building or health approvals.

Step 7: Set up records, contracts and insurance

Records are what inspectors, MDARD and animal control look at first. Set up one file per dog from the start. Include the dog's identity, birth and acquisition dates, vaccination and veterinary history, breeding and whelping dates for females, and sale or boarding discharge details. Keep sales records that show buyer name, date, age of the dog at sale and any health guarantee you offered.

Use written agreements for every sale and every boarding stay. A boarding agreement should cover vaccination requirements, emergency treatment authority, pickup procedures and what happens if a dog is not picked up. A sales contract should cover the dog's age, health disclosures and your return or refund terms. Have an attorney review your templates, since the right language depends on your entity and Michigan law.

Talk to an insurance agent about general liability coverage and any coverage specific to animal care. Ask what your policy excludes, especially for boarding and for injuries caused by dogs. Keep your business finances in a separate bank account from the start.

Step 8: Build a compliance calendar

Most kennel owners fail on renewals, not on the initial setup. Put every date in one calendar with reminders at least 30 days out:

• February 15: LLC Annual Statement, $25, for LLCs that owe one.
• May 15: Corporation Annual Report, $25.
• December 31: MDARD registration expires, if you are large-scale. Renew before it lapses.
• Local dates: Kennel license renewal and dog license renewals, as set by your township, city or county.
• Treasury: Sales tax filing schedule, if Treasury assigns you one. Confirm the schedule when you register.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming you are small. Count your intact females that have whelped before, not your total dog count, and recount whenever you add a breeding female.
• Treating state registration as the finish line. The large-scale law does not exempt you from local kennel, animal and zoning ordinances.
• Skipping the zoning letter. A kennel that opens in a zone that does not allow it can face forced closure and wasted equipment spend.
• Using a P.O. box as the registered office. Michigan requires a physical location for the resident agent and registered office.
• Confusing the filing with a license. A MiBusiness Registry filing creates or maintains your entity. It does not authorize you to run a kennel.
• Selling young puppies. Large-scale kennels cannot sell, exchange or transfer a dog under eight weeks old. Use the same standard for every sale so your records stay consistent.
• Missing the LLC February 15 deadline. The Annual Statement is a recurring $25 filing so set your own reminder.

Pet shop licensing is not covered in this guide. If you plan to sell animals through a retail storefront, confirm that separately with the agencies that regulate it.

Expected results

A kennel set up this way may be easier to open on schedule, may face fewer surprises at inspection and may be easier to renew each year. Those results depend on your site, your local office and your own follow-through. This guide cannot promise approval, revenue, inspection outcomes or the timing of any agency decision. Treat the steps above as a checklist for what to confirm, not a guarantee of what you will receive.

The operators who usually run into the fewest problems are the ones who confirm zoning in writing first, form the entity second and build their records from the first day. For support with the business side, the Michigan Small Business Development Center at https://michigansbdc.org/ and the SBA Michigan district page at https://www.sba.gov/district/michigan are good places to start.

When to get professional help

Talk to a Michigan business attorney before you choose an entity, draft a boarding or sales contract, or contest a zoning or inspection decision. Talk to a CPA before you set prices, choose a sales tax approach or decide whether an LLC should elect C corporation treatment. Both professionals can review your specific facts in a way this guide cannot.

Reminder: this article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Verify fees, deadlines and requirements with LARA, the Michigan Department of Treasury, MDARD and your local government before you act.