How to start a pet sitting business in Georgia (2026)

1Pet sitting demand in Georgia

About 51% of Georgia households own at least one pet. Long commutes and frequent flyers create steady drop-in and overnight work in Alpharetta, Roswell, Marietta and Decatur. Military bases add multi-week sits from deployments and training: Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, Fort Benning near Columbus, Fort Gordon near Augusta, Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, and Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta. Masters week in Augusta and University of Georgia breaks in Athens create short, intense peaks. Intown Atlanta apartment cat owners are a reliable drop-in market.

The biggest markets: Atlanta (intown), North Atlanta suburbs, Savannah, Augusta and Athens.

2Can you board pets at home in Georgia?

Visits and overnights in the client's home do not need a kennel license. Boarding at your house is different. Georgia's Animal Protection Act defines a kennel as any establishment where dogs or cats are kept for boarding, holding or training for a fee, and running one without a Department of Agriculture license is a misdemeanor. The law sets no minimum number of animals. Kennel fees are based on holding capacity, starting at $100 a year for up to 20 animals, and the license covers one person at one location. Local zoning can treat boarding as a commercial use that residential lots do not allow, and many HOAs prohibit it, so check with your city or county zoning office before you take boarders.

3Set up your business in Georgia

• File an LLC. $110 one-time filing with the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division. It separates your personal assets from the business, which matters when you hold clients' keys.
• Recurring entity cost: $60/year, Georgia LLCs file an Annual Registration every year by April 1: a $50 fee plus a $10 service charge. You can prepay up to three years at once.
• Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and takes about 10 minutes online.
• City or county business license: in Georgia this is a local occupation tax certificate, issued by your city if you are inside city limits or by your county if you are not, usually renewed yearly. Fees vary by city and county, so check with your local business license office.

Georgia-specific: Forming an LLC costs $110 ($100 plus a $10 service charge) whether you file online or by mail, but online filings are processed faster. Miss the April 1 Annual Registration deadline and Georgia adds a $25 late fee, and the state can eventually administratively dissolve the LLC. Set a calendar reminder or prepay three years.

4Taxes for Georgia pet sitters

Sales tax: Georgia sales tax applies to tangible goods, and services like dog walking and pet sitting are generally not taxable. If you sell physical products (treats, leashes, branded gear), those are taxable at 4% state plus local rates, which range from about 6% in Cobb and Gwinnett to 8.9% inside the City of Atlanta. Check with a local accountant if you sell products or add services beyond walking and sitting.

State income tax: Flat-rate state income tax.

Other taxes worth knowing: Georgia moved to a flat income tax and cut the rate to 4.99% for 2026. Most cities and counties also require a business license (an occupation tax certificate) renewed yearly.

Official source: Georgia Department of Revenue: What is subject to sales and use tax →

5Insurance and bonding in Georgia

Get general liability with care, custody and control (bailee) coverage, plus key and lockout coverage for the keys, fobs and gate codes you will hold. If you board under a kennel license, tell your insurer, since boarding is priced differently from sitting. Savannah and coastal sitters should agree on a written hurricane evacuation plan with each client. In metro Atlanta, ask how your policy handles an accident while you drive a client's pet to the vet.

• General liability with care, custody and control covers harm to the pets in your care and damage in the client's home.
• Key and lockout coverage pays to rekey a home if you lose a client's key.
• A bond covers theft claims and is a cheap way to reassure new clients.

Workers' comp once you hire: Georgia requires workers' compensation once you regularly employ 3 or more people, counting part-time employees. LLC members and corporate officers count toward that 3 even if they opt out of their own coverage, so two LLC owners plus one hire already means you need it. A sole proprietor with 1 or 2 employees is exempt. 1099 contractors don't count if they are truly independent. Check with your insurance agent or a local accountant as you grow. Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation →

6What to charge in Georgia

Typical Georgia bands for 2026:

• Drop-in visit (30 min): $18 to $28
• Overnight in the client's home: $55 to $95 per night
• Additional pet: +$5-10 per visit

Overnights and peak dates: Expect about $55 to $95 a night, with intown Atlanta and the north suburbs at the top. Peak dates are Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break and summer vacation weeks, plus Masters week in Augusta in April, when many locals rent out their homes and leave town. A holiday surcharge and a minimum stay for the busiest weeks are standard.

Check your numbers with the pet sitter rates calculator and the holiday rate calculator.

7Hiring sitters in Georgia

Georgia generally follows common-law control tests for classification. 1099 sitters are defensible if they set their own schedules and work for other clients too. Keep an eye on the 3-employee workers' comp threshold as you grow.

If a contractor sitter is injured and Georgia's State Board of Workers' Compensation decides they were really an employee, they can count toward the 3-employee threshold. Two reclassified sitters plus one real employee can mean you were required to carry comp all along, with penalties on top.

8FAQ