Bookings, deposits and client texts for a pet sitting business, with these forms ready to sign on your phone.
Pet Sitting Business: BookingBookings, deposits and client texts for a pet sitting business, with these forms ready to sign on your phone.
How to start a pet sitting business in Alabama
Pet sitting and dog walking need no degree or state exam, but a few registrations come up in every state. Here is what Alabama's own agencies say, checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so follow each link before you file.
1. Register the business
An LLC files a Certificate of Formation with the Alabama Secretary of State ($200 state fee), after first getting a Certificate of Name Reservation. A sole proprietor can register a trade name at the state level with the Secretary of State; registrations last five years.
Source: Alabama Secretary of State
2. Sales tax on pet sitting
Not confirmed: ask the state
We found no Alabama Department of Revenue statement on pet sitting or boarding services. Check with ALDOR's Sales and Use Tax Division.
Source: Alabama Department of Revenue
3. Licenses for boarding and pet care
We found no statewide license for pet sitting or boarding. Alabama does require state and county business privilege licenses, issued by the county Probate Judge or License Commissioner, and cities may require their own license.
Source: Alabama Department of Revenue
4. Also worth checking
- Your city or county: a local business license, and home-business (zoning) rules if dogs stay overnight in your home.
- Insurance: ask an agent about liability coverage and bonding for pet sitters.
- Paperwork: a written service agreement, a veterinary release and a key agreement for every client.
Free forms for your first clients
Pet Sitting Contract TemplateThe agreement a client signs before the first booking: services, rates, deposit, cancellations, vet care, home access and behavior.Dog Walking Contract TemplateFor regular walks: schedule, leash and equipment, solo or group walks, bad weather, cancellations and payment.Pet Sitting Client FormEverything to collect from a new client before the first visit: contacts, feeding, medications, vet, behavior and routine.Veterinary Release Form for Pet SittersLets the sitter get a pet seen by a vet when the owner can't be reached, with a spending limit the owner sets.Key Release Form for Pet SittersHow keys and entry codes are handed over, stored, used and returned, and who pays if one is lost.Pet Sitting Meet-and-Greet ChecklistWhat to cover when meeting a new client and pet: the walk-through, health and safety, and the paperwork.Pet Sitting Invoice TemplateA one-page invoice: services by date, fees, the deposit received and the balance due.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.