Home food sellers

Everything you need to know about a cottage food license

Some states need a license. Some need a registration. Many need nothing. This page lists what each verified state requires, what it costs, and the sales limit.

Updated 2026-09-12. This page is not legal advice.

Is there such a thing as a cottage food license?

Not as one national license. Each state sets its own rule. Most states call it a cottage food law. It lets you make low-risk food at home and sell it without a commercial kitchen. What the state asks for ranges from nothing to a permit with a fee, a course, and a kitchen inspection.

Which states require a license, permit, or registration?

The table shows every state we have verified against the statute or the state agency page. Each row links to the full state page.

State	License, permit, or registration	Sales limit	Disclaimer on label
Alabama	No home inspection. The producer takes a food safety course (Alabama Extension or any ANSI-accredited program), then takes the…	None. ADPH states the annual income limit was removed.	No fixed wording
Arizona	Register with the ADHS online cottage food registry. Renew every three years and report any change within thirty days. Complete a food…	No sales cap. A.R.S. 36-932 sets no limit on gross sales.	Yes, exact wording
Arkansas	No license, certification, permit, or inspection required. The producer may ask the Department of Agriculture for an identification…	No sales cap appears in the Food Freedom Act.	Yes, exact wording
California	Class A registration or Class B permit from the county environmental health department, plus a food processor course within three months…	$75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales for a Class A operation. $150,000 for a Class B operation. Health and Safety Code section 113758.	Yes, exact wording
Colorado	No license, permit, or inspection. The producer must complete a food safety course from CSU Extension, a public health agency, or a…	$10,000 in net revenue per calendar year from the sale of each eligible food product.	Yes, exact wording
Florida	No license, permit, or inspection required. The operation must keep records that show its gross sales on request.	$250,000 in gross annual sales of cottage food products, counting all locations.	Yes, exact wording
Georgia	No state license and no state fee since July 1, 2025. The Department of Agriculture may inspect a residence only to investigate a…	No cap. The law sets no limit on cottage food sales.	Yes, exact wording
Hawaii	No Department of Health food establishment permit. The operator must complete a food safety course from the Department of Health or an…	None. HAR Chapter 11-50 sets no gross sales limit for homemade food products.	Yes, exact wording
Idaho	No license, permit, or inspection. The producer must keep sale and production records for at least two years and show them only in a…	None. The statute sets no sales limit.	Yes, exact wording
Illinois	Register each year with the local health department for the area where the operation is located. The department issues a certificate of…	No cap. Section 4 sets no limit on sales.	Yes, exact wording
Indiana	No license, permit, registration, or routine inspection. The vendor must hold a food handler certificate from a certificate issuer…	None. IC 16-42-5.3 sets no limit on sales.	Yes, exact wording
Iowa	No license, permit, or inspection required. Producers of home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits must show batch and pH or water…	No sales cap. Iowa Code section 137F.20 sets no limit on gross sales.	Yes, exact wording
Kansas	No KDA license, registration, or inspection for exempt foods sold direct to consumer. The producer must follow the sanitation and…	Not confirmed	No fixed wording
Kentucky	Register with the Food Safety Branch on form DFS-250 with a $50 fee. The registration expires March 31 each year and renews for $50. The…	No sales cap appears in KRS 217.136 or 902 KAR 45:090.	Yes, exact wording
Louisiana	No health permit or inspection. The preparer must hold a current sales tax certificate from the parish sales and use tax collector…	The exemption ends at $30,000 in gross annual sales. A preparer at or above that figure must meet the full sanitary code.	No fixed wording
Maryland	No license or permit for direct sales. The business may request an identification number from the Department to use on the label in…	$50,000 in annual revenue from the sale of cottage food products (memory, unverified; the statute page could not be read).	Yes, exact wording
Michigan	No license, permit, or inspection is required. Registration with the MSU Product Center is optional. The center may charge a one-time…	$50,000.00 in gross annual sales until October 1, 2026. The cap is $75,000.00 a year if the operation sells its products at $250.00 or more per unit. MDARD may adjust both amounts for inflation each October 1 after that. Gross sales are counted per person at a particular domestic residence.	Yes, exact wording
Minnesota	Annual registration with the MDA is required before selling; registrations expire March 31. The fee is $50 for annual sales above $7,665…	$78,000 in gross receipts from exempt food sales in a calendar year.	Yes, exact wording
Mississippi	No permit, license, or inspection required. MSDH inspects only after a complaint. Check with your city or county for a business license.	$35,000 in gross annual sales of cottage food products.	Yes, exact wording
Missouri	No permit, license, registration, or routine inspection. A cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment. A…	None. The $50,000 annual gross income cap was removed on August 28, 2022.	No fixed wording
New Jersey	A Cottage Food Operator Permit is required. The application fee is $100.00 and the permit lasts two years. Renewal costs $100.00; apply…	$50,000 in gross annual sales, counted before any deduction for taxes and operating expenses.	Yes, exact wording
North Carolina	An inspection is required. Send the Application for Home Processor Inspection to NCDA&CS with a business plan, a water bill or a well…	No dollar cap appears in the NCDA&CS home processing program materials. Not confirmed against a statute.	No fixed wording
Ohio	Chapter 901:3-20 sets no registration, licence, inspection, or training requirement. Its five rules cover definitions, labeling,…	No sales cap appears in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 or in Ohio Revised Code section 3715.023.	Yes, exact wording
Oklahoma	No license or inspection. Registration with ODAFF is optional and lets the producer print a registration number instead of the name,…	$75,000 in sales each year, per the ODAFF page.	Yes, exact wording
Oregon	No license under the exemption. Each person who prepares food must hold an Oregon food handler certificate (ORS 624.570). ODA can issue…	$50,000 in annual gross sales in the statute, adjusted each year for inflation. The ODA page lists the current limit as $52,700.	Yes, exact wording
Pennsylvania	Register with the PDA Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services as a Limited Food Establishment. Submit the application packet at…	None. Neither the PDA page nor the application packet sets a sales limit.	No fixed wording
South Carolina	No state license, permit, or inspection. The operation is not a retail food establishment and is not regulated under Regulation 61-25.…	No cap. The section does not apply to an operation with net earnings under $1,500 a year.	Yes, exact wording
Tennessee	None. TDA does not issue permits or licenses and does not inspect products made under this law.	None. The act text read for this page sets no sales cap.	Yes, exact wording
Texas	No permit for most operations. Registration with DSHS is required for operations that sell time and temperature controlled foods, and is…	Check the current figure in Chapter 437. The DSHS page does not state one.	Yes, exact wording
Utah	Register with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food before operating, pass a UDAF home kitchen inspection, pay the department fee,…	None. Neither the statute nor the UDAF page sets a sales limit.	Yes, exact wording
Virginia	No permit, no inspection, and no inspection fee. A private home that meets the exception in subsection C is exempt. VDACS may still…	No cap on the candy, dry goods, and baked goods list. Pickles and other acidified vegetables are capped at $9,000 in gross sales in a calendar year. Honey is capped at less than 250 gallons a year.	Yes, exact wording
Washington	A WSDA Cottage Food Permit is required before any sale. The permit lasts two years. The application fee is $355 and is not refundable.…	$35,000 in gross sales of cottage food products per calendar year, counted per residence and not per person. WSDA reviews the cap every four years.	Yes, exact wording
Wisconsin	No license, no permit, and no inspection for either exemption. DATCP does not register home bakers. Every other home food business needs…	Pickle bill sales must stay under $5,000 per year. The home baked goods court orders set no dollar cap.	Yes, exact wording

What does a cottage food license cost?

Between nothing and about $100. Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Virginia, and Wisconsin charge no state fee for shelf-stable food. Illinois charges up to $50 a year through the local health department. New Jersey charges $100 for a two-year permit. California charges a county fee that varies by county.

What do I have to do to get one?

Where a permit exists, the steps are the same in most states. Fill out a form with your business name and address. List the foods you will make. Show a food handler card or a food protection manager certificate. Pay the fee. Some states, such as New Jersey and North Carolina, inspect or ask about your water supply. Your state page lists the exact steps. For the full order of steps, read how to start a cottage food business.

What can I sell with it?

Food that does not need refrigeration to stay safe. Breads, cookies, cakes without cream fillings, candy, jams and jellies, granola, dry mixes, and roasted nuts appear on almost every state list. Cheesecake, cream pies, and anything with meat are off most lists. Texas and Illinois now allow some refrigerated foods with extra rules.

Is there a limit on how much I can sell?

In some states. The California cottage food law caps Class A at $75,000 and Class B at $150,000. Florida caps at $250,000. Michigan and New Jersey cap at $50,000. Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Virginia set no cap for shelf-stable food. Past the cap you need a licensed commercial kitchen.

Do I still need a business license or a sales tax permit?

Often yes, and these come from your city or your state revenue department, not from the cottage food law. A cottage food registration says the food is legal to make at home. A business license says you may run a business at that address. A sales tax permit lets you collect tax where baked goods are taxable. Ask your city clerk and your state revenue department.

What goes on the label once I have the license?

Every state with a cottage food law lists the label items. Most want the product name, your name and address or registration number, the ingredients in order by weight, the allergen line, and a set sentence that says the food was made in a home kitchen. The Ingredient Label Maker writes the ingredient list, the allergen line, and the state sentence for you. See whether you need a Nutrition Facts panel, which most cottage food sellers do not.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to sell food from home?

It depends on your state. Some states need no license at all for shelf-stable food. Others need a registration or a permit with a fee. The table on this page lists every state we have verified.

How much does a cottage food license cost?

From nothing to about $100. Illinois local registration is up to $50 a year. The New Jersey permit is $100 for two years. Many states charge nothing.

Do I need a food handler card?

Some states require a food handler card or a food protection manager certificate. Texas requires a food handler card. Illinois and New Jersey require a certified food protection manager. Check your state page.

Can a cottage food license let me sell to stores?

Usually no. Most states limit cottage food to direct sales to the consumer. Georgia and Texas allow some wholesale. Check your state page.

What if my state is not in the table?

We add states in order of demand and verify each one against the statute. The email box at the bottom sends one message when a state is added.