Pet Sitting Service Permit Requirements in Saint Paul, MN

Complete permit and license guide for starting a pet sitting service in Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota.

Verified 2026-09-03 6 stops $100–$600 est. 1–3 weeks for in-home visiting pet sitting; up to 6 weeks if boarding from a home or commercial facility
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Not legal advice. Requirements may change — always verify with your local government authority before applying. Key agencies and fees on this page were re-checked against official government sources on .

Federal — start here

2 stops

  1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

    Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS. Also recommended if you plan to open a dedicated business bank account.

    Official government source

    FreeImmediate (online application)

  2. Pet Sitter / Pet Care Insurance

    While not federally required, pet sitting businesses should carry general liability insurance and pet care, custody, and control (CCC) insurance to cover injuries, escapes, or accidental deaths of animals in your care. Professional organizations like PSI (Pet Sitters International) and NAPPS offer member insurance programs. Most clients and professional standards bodies recommend at least $1 million in liability coverage.

    Official government source

    $200–$1,500/year depending on coverage and business sizeObtained before accepting clients

State of Minnesota

2 stops

  1. Minnesota — Pet Sitting License Requirements

    Minnesota does not require a state license for pet sitting or dog walking. The Board of Animal Health's kennel license under Minn. Stat. 347.31 to 347.40 is narrower than it sounds: it covers places keeping dogs or cats obtained from municipalities, pounds, auctions, strays, or by advertising for unwanted animals, and expressly excludes a person's home where dogs or cats are kept as pets. Local licensing is what usually bites — Saint Paul licenses Animal Boarding, Animal Day Care, Pet Grooming Facility and Pet Shop businesses.

    Official government source

    $0 for an in-home pet sitter. Where the state kennel license does apply, Minn. Stat. 347.33 sets it at $15 per year for each kennel and $100 per year for each dealer.Not applicable to an individual in-home sitter; the state kennel license is annual and issued after a Board of Animal Health inspection

  2. Minnesota Sales Tax Registration (Minnesota Tax ID)

    Pet sitting and dog walking ARE taxable services in Minnesota. The Department of Revenue treats caring for an animal at the owner's home or the provider's home, and walking, exercising or entertaining animals, as taxable pet care services when you are in the business of providing them. You must register for a Minnesota Tax ID and collect tax on those services, and on any pet products you sell. Combined rates are 9.875% in Saint Paul and 8.125% in Rochester.

    Official government source

    FreeOnline through e-Services (Business Tax Registration)

City of Saint Paul / Ramsey County

2 stops

  1. No General Business License in Saint Paul

    Saint Paul issues no general business license or occupational tax certificate — the city licenses only the business types listed in its business-license directory. Pet sitting, dog walking and in-home pet care at clients' homes are not among them. Saint Paul does license Animal Boarding, Animal Day Care, Pet Grooming Facility and Pet Shop, so a sitter who boards, day-cares or grooms animals at a facility needs the matching animal license. Home-based operators receiving pets at their residence must also meet the city's home-occupation zoning rules.

    Official government source

    $0 — Saint Paul has no general business license or occupational tax certificateNot applicable — there is no general city license to apply for

  2. Saint Paul Animal Boarding License

    Saint Paul's Department of Safety and Inspections licenses animal boarding under Chapter 348 of the Legislative Code. Animal boarding means any place kept for the care or socializing of live dogs or cats for any amount of time by someone other than the owner, so there is no small-numbers exemption; daycare is covered by the same licence. Applications go through the city's PAULIE portal and require proof of Secretary of State registration and assumed name filing, a lease or proof of ownership, a site or floor plan, a workers' compensation form, and - unless the location was previously licensed for animal boarding - a written consent petition signed by owners of residences within 150 feet. Pure visiting pet sitting in the client's own home is not animal boarding.

    Official government source

    Annual licence fee set in the DSI business licence fee table; the table published online does not list an animal boarding line, so confirm the current amount with DSI at 651-266-8989 (the '$50-$300' figure is not a published Saint Paul fee)Expires one year from issuance and renews annually; allow time for inspection and the neighbour consent petition

Terminus

Open for business — est. $100–$600 · 1–3 weeks for in-home visiting pet sitting; up to 6 weeks if boarding from a home or commercial facility

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