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 North Carolina
Pet sitting and dog walking need no degree or state exam, but a few registrations come up in every state. Here is what North Carolina's own agencies say, checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so follow each link before you file.
1. Register the business
A sole proprietor using a name other than their own files an assumed business name certificate with the register of deeds in their county. It goes into a statewide database at the Secretary of State. LLCs are formed with the Secretary of State.
Source: NC Secretary of State, Assumed Business Names
2. Sales tax on pet sitting
Not confirmed: ask the state
We did not find an official North Carolina statement on pet sitting or boarding. Check with the NC Department of Revenue.
Source: NC Department of Revenue, Taxable Items
3. Licenses for boarding and pet care
Yes. The NCDA&CS Animal Welfare Section requires a boarding kennel license, and says this also applies to in-home boarding of dogs or cats, including boarding booked through online pet-service sites. Operating without one can bring a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation.
Source: NCDA&CS Animal Welfare Section
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.