Starting a Dog Walking Business in Georgia: Local Licenses, Insurance and Rates

No single state office licenses dog walkers or pet sitters as such. What you register is your business, and that happens locally. The office depends on where your business address sits; where you walk does not change it. Working at clients' homes and in public parks does not by itself decide which jurisdiction licenses you, so ask the licensing office whether service outside its area changes anything.

Here is who handles it in five Georgia places:

• Atlanta. The City of Atlanta Office of Revenue says an occupational tax certificate is required for businesses operating within city limits. You apply through the ATLBIZ portal, and the city cites Atlanta Municipal Code sections 30-51 and 30-77. The city's business and occupation taxes are based on gross receipts and employee count.
• Fulton County. Fulton County licenses businesses in the Fulton Industrial District and in other unincorporated areas. Inside a city's limits, that city issues the license.
• DeKalb County. The Business and Alcohol License Office issues certificates for commercial and home-based businesses in unincorporated DeKalb.
• Gwinnett County. The Licensing and Revenue Office issues business licenses for unincorporated Gwinnett. If you are inside a Gwinnett city, call that city.
• Cobb County. For an unincorporated Cobb address, the office is the Cobb County Business License Division. Inside a Cobb city, go to that city. Confirm the current fee directly with whichever office applies.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture issues kennel licenses, and the question is about your premises, not your job title. O.C.G.A. § 4-11-3 requires a license to operate a kennel. Rule 40-13-13 defines a kennel as an establishment where dogs or cats are maintained for boarding, holding, training or similar purposes for compensation.

So, if you pick up a leash at the client's door, walk, and bring the dog back, you are not automatically running a kennel. The Department of Agriculture's kennel license page is where the details live.

The answer can change when dogs stay at your own property. A walker who also offers overnight stays, daytime holding or home boarding should put the actual setup to the Department of Agriculture: where the dogs stay, for how long, and what you charge. The department also warns that some cities and counties limit how many animals can live on a property, and a state license does not remove those local obligations.

Often yes, and the decision belongs to your city or county zoning office. Fulton County states plainly that a business certificate does not establish that the property is legally zoned for the business. A certificate in your hand and a home-occupation approval are two separate things.

Before you pay for anything, ask your planning and zoning office these questions:

• Is dog walking allowed as a home occupation at my address?
• Are there limits on animals kept on the property, or on client visits and parking?
• Do I need a zoning confirmation before I apply for the certificate?

Check your lease or HOA rules too. Atlanta's zoning and permitting page is the starting point inside the city, and Fulton County has a zoning confirmation form.

Georgia does not set one statewide number of dogs per walker for you to follow. The limits you will meet are local: a park rule, a leash ordinance, a property animal count.

Atlanta shows how specific these rules get. Under Atlanta's park ordinance, no more than three dogs per owner may be in a designated off-leash area at one time, and dogs there must be under voice control and sight, with collars and identification tags. That is a rule for that kind of area. It is not a citywide cap on a walking group, so please do not read it as one.

Before you take on group walks, call the city or county parks department and animal control and ask:

• Is commercial dog walking treated differently from personal dog walking?
• Does commercial use of a park need a permit?
• Does this park have a limit on the number of dogs, and does it apply per person, per group or per household?
• Are there leash, area or time restrictions?

Safe handling matters as much as the law. Pet Sitters International expects competent handling, safe leash skills and reading body language, and sets no single number of dogs per walker. If you doubt you can control the dogs on your leashes, take fewer.

Insurance for dog walking is a professional standard; no Georgia statute requires it. That does not make it optional in practice.

Pet Sitters International says a professional pet-sitting or dog-walking business should carry general liability insurance written for pet sitting and dog walking, including care, custody and control coverage for pets and clients' personal property. It also points to bonding or theft coverage where appropriate and workers' compensation as required. The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters insurance material describes liability and care, custody and control coverage as important for pet-sitting risks, and says workers' compensation is needed for employees or independent contractors where applicable.

When you ask an insurer for a quote, use this list:

• General liability written for dog walking and pet sitting.
• Care, custody and control, sometimes called animal-bailee coverage, for the dogs in your hands.
• Property damage in the client's home.
• Lost-key or client-property coverage.
• Bonding or theft coverage.
• Commercial or hired and non-owned auto coverage if you transport pets.
• Workers' compensation if you use helpers, and how the insurer classifies them.
• Every service you advertise: walks, drop-ins, overnights, transport and boarding.

Premiums depend on your business profile, so a quote is the only way to get a real number. A platform's protection does not replace a policy for your own service.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported for Georgia in May 2023 that animal caretakers numbered 9,100, with a mean hourly wage of $14.17 and a mean annual wage of $29,470. Those are employee wages. They are not what a self-employed owner collects in revenue, take-home pay or profit, and they do not convert into a per-dog monthly figure.

For a real price list, look at what an Atlanta company publishes. Its current client rate guide, effective August 10, 2026, lists these rates, each covering up to two pets, with a charge for additional pets:

• 15-minute potty break: $22 on a package, $25 as needed.
• 30-minute visit: $30 on a package, $35 as needed.
• 45-minute visit: $40 on a package, $45 as needed.
• 60-minute visit: $50 on a package, $55 as needed.

That is one provider's menu, not a Georgia average, so compare two or three rates in your own area before you set yours.

Here is the arithmetic, for illustration only. One $35 as-needed 30-minute visit each weekday for 20 weekdays comes to $700 in gross billings. Before you are paid, that $700 has to cover drive time between clients, insurance, taxes, any platform fees, cancellations, supplies and the unpaid hours you spend on messages and bookkeeping. Revenue depends on booked visits, schedules, how close clients live to each other, staffing and expenses; none of this is a promise of what you will earn.

A Georgia LLC filed online costs $110 ($100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge), with a $60 annual registration, according to the Georgia Secretary of State. An EIN is free directly from the IRS, and is generally needed for employees or an LLC. The Georgia Department of Revenue handles tax registration through the Georgia Tax Center, and it says businesses should determine whether their activities meet the definition of a dealer. That is a question to put to the Department of Revenue. An LLC, an EIN and a state tax account are three separate decisions.

Use a meet-and-greet before the first paid visit, then collect these in writing:

• Client name, address, phone number and emergency contact.
• Pet name, age, identifying details and normal routine.
• Written instructions for walks, food, water, access and care of the home.
• Vaccination information, when it fits the service and local policy.
• Bite history, escape behavior, fear triggers and handling concerns.
• Primary veterinarian and emergency clinic.
• A signed emergency veterinary authorization, plus who pays vet charges.
• A service agreement with rates, payment, cancellations, holidays and missed visits.
• Key, alarm, lockbox and smart-lock procedures, with keys and codes kept confidential.
• Your backup-care plan if you are sick or cannot finish a visit.

Pet Sitters International's veterinary release form lets the client authorize you to take the pet to a veterinarian for emergency care and can ask the vet's office to acknowledge it. Its client interview guidance recommends a written contract, clear service descriptions, schedule and pricing, vet consent, emergency procedures and secure handling of client data and keys.

Keep an incident record for every escape, injury, bite, property mishap or unusual event: date, what happened, what you did, who you told. Any health concern goes back to the client and their veterinarian.

Work through these in order.

1. Google Business Profile. Google lets a service-area business that visits customers remove its address and list the area it serves, so your home address does not have to show.
2. Clear English wording. Use plain terms such as "dog walking," "drop-in visits," "in-home pet sitting" and the name of your city or neighborhood, like "Atlanta dog walker."
3. DogServ's Georgia directory and city pages. Create or claim a listing so owners searching your area can find you.
4. Reviews that describe the service accurately. Ask happy clients to say what you actually did.
5. Referrals. Introduce yourself to groomers, trainers, veterinarians, apartment communities and other local dog businesses, without implying that any of them endorse you.
6. Rover and Wag. Both can bring first bookings. Rover says sitters and walkers set their own rates, and its service fee page says the list price includes the service fee the provider pays, so confirm the exact current fee in your account terms. Wag says walk and drop-in bookings typically carry a $2.99 booking fee for the customer; read its caregiver agreement for what you would keep. Check fees at signup, because they change.
7. A direct booking page. Offer your own website and service agreement to clients who book independently.

Georgia's licensing and tax pages are mostly in English, so offer plain-language explanations in both languages. Pair Spanish service words with the English city and service terms people also type. Useful phrases include "paseos de perros," "cuidado de mascotas a domicilio," "visitas para perros," "paseador de perros en Atlanta" and "paseos de perros cerca de mí." A bilingual description might read: "Dog walking and in-home pet sitting in Atlanta, with scheduled walks, drop-in visits and vacation care. Paseos de perros y cuidado de mascotas a domicilio en Atlanta, con visitas programadas, paseos y cuidado durante viajes."

Short answers before you pick up the phone.

No single statewide occupational license is issued for dog walking. Registration is local, through the city or unincorporated county where your business is based, so start with that licensing office and ask what it needs. The Department of Agriculture kennel license is a separate question that only comes up if dogs are kept at your premises.

Collecting vaccination information is a normal part of client intake when it fits your service and local policy. Ask the client for the paperwork, store it with their file, and send any health question to their veterinarian.

That is a question for the Georgia Department of Revenue. The department says businesses determine whether their activities meet the definition of a dealer, and registration runs through the Georgia Tax Center. Ask the department about your exact services before you register or decide not to.

Yes, if you visit customers instead of seeing them at your home. Google lets a service-area business remove its address from the Business Profile and list the area it serves. Zoning and licensing still use your real business address.

Here is the order I would work in.

1. Decide what you will sell: walks, drop-ins, vacation sitting, transport, or any boarding at your home.
2. Pin down your business address and whether it sits in a city or an unincorporated county.
3. Call that licensing office about the occupational tax certificate and its fee.
4. Ask planning and zoning about home occupation, animals on the property and client traffic.
5. If dogs will stay at your property, ask the Georgia Department of Agriculture about the kennel license.
6. Choose a business structure, and get a free EIN from the IRS if you need one.
7. Ask the Department of Revenue about state tax registration.
8. Get insurance quotes, and say "care, custody and control" out loud when you ask.
9. Build your service agreement, emergency veterinary authorization, intake form and incident log.
10. Publish your service area, your prices and how to book.

Make the first phone call today. Then claim your listing in the DogServ Georgia directory, with your service area and prices on the page.

• agr.georgia.gov: Department of Agriculture's kennel license page
• atlanta.elaws.us: Atlanta's park ordinance
• atlantaga.gov: City of Atlanta Office of Revenue
• atlantaga.gov: zoning and permitting page
• bls.gov: Georgia in May 2023
• cdn.ymaws.com: National Association of Professional Pet Sitters insurance material
• cobbcounty.org: Cobb County Business License Division
• dekalbcountyga.gov: Business and Alcohol License Office
• dor.georgia.gov: Department of Revenue
• fultoncountyga.gov: Fulton County
• fultoncountyga.gov: zoning confirmation form
• gwinnettcounty.com: Licensing and Revenue Office
• irs.gov: IRS
• law.justia.com: O.C.G.A. § 4-11-3
• packleadersatl.com: current client rate guide
• petsit.com: client interview guidance
• petsit.com: Pet Sitters International
• petsit.com: veterinary release form
• Rover: Rover
• Rover: service fee page
• rules.sos.ga.gov: Rule 40-13-13
• sos.ga.gov: Georgia Secretary of State
• support.google.com: Google
• support.wagwalking.com: Wag