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 New Hampshire
Pet sitting and dog walking need no degree or state exam, but a few registrations come up in every state. Here is what New Hampshire's own agencies say, checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so follow each link before you file.
1. Register the business
A sole proprietor doing business under any name other than their own legal name must register it as a trade name with the Secretary of State (Form TN-1, $50), renewed every five years. LLCs are formed with the Secretary of State.
Source: New Hampshire Secretary of State, Trade Names
2. Sales tax on pet sitting
Not taxable
New Hampshire has no general sales tax. Its 8.5% Meals and Rentals Tax covers meals, rooms, and motor vehicle rentals.
Source: New Hampshire DRA, Does New Hampshire have a sales tax?
3. Licenses for boarding and pet care
The state's Pet Vendor License is for people who transfer animals (for example 30 or more dogs a year), not for boarding. We found no statewide license for pet sitting. Check with your town for local rules.
Source: NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, Pet Vending
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.