Each state has its own rules for home based food businesses… links are provided below.
When the economy gets iffy, it might be the time to add a side hustle or launch your own home-based bakery or other food business. Each state has different food safety rules for home kitchens and the links below will take you to the pages where you can see if your food business ideas are viable and legal… or not. Best to know the info ahead of time before you spend money on a business launch. Here are the current links for all 50 states and Washington, DC.
Most links are clickable. For the PDF files, however, you’ll need to copy and paste the URL into a new browser tab.
COTTAGE FOOD LAWS BY STATE + WASHINGTON, DC
1. Alabama
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/cottage-food-law/
alabama-cottage-food-law-basic-rules-and-regulations/
2. Alaska
https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/homemade-food/
3. Arizona
https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/
food-safety-environmental-services/cottage-food-program/index.php
4. Arkansas
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Homemade_Food_Guide.pdf
5. California
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/
FoodSafetyProgram/CottageFoodOperations.aspx
6. Colorado
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/cottage-foods
7. Connecticut
https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/food-and-standards-division/cottage-food/
cottage-food-home?language=en_US
8. Delaware
https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dph/hsp/ofpcfe.html
9. Florida
https://www.fdacs.gov/Business-Services/Food/Food-Establishments/Cottage-Foods
10. Georgia
https://agr.georgia.gov/cottage-food
11. Hawaii
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://health.hawaii.gov/
san/files/2019/09/HMF-HANDOUT.pdf
12. Idaho
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/
https://idahopublichealth.com/environmental/foodprotection/Cottage_Foods_FAQ.pdf
13. Illinois
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/food-safety/cottage-food.html
14. Indiana
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.in.gov/health/
food-protection/files/Home-Based-Vendors-FAQ-FINAL.pdf
15. Iowa
https://dial.iowa.gov/licenses/food-establishments-hotels/cottage-food-law
16. Kansas
https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/food-safety-and-lodging/faq-food-safety
17. Kentucky
https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dphps/fsb/Pages/homebasedprocessing.aspx
18. Louisiana
https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=98431
19. Maine
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.maine.gov/
dacf/qar/permits_and_licenses/documents/home-license-101.pdf
20. Maryland
https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OEHFP/OFPCHS/Pages/Cottagefoods.aspx
21. Massachusetts
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/residential-kitchen-questions-and-answers
22. Michigan
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/michigan-cottage-foods-information
23. Minnesota
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food-feed/cottage-food-law-guidance
24. Mississippi
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://msdh.ms.gov/
page/resources/5375.pdf
25. Missouri
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://health.mo.gov/safety/
foodsafety/pdf/home-based-kitchen-food-prod-guidance.pdf
26. Montana
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dphhs.mt.gov/
assets/publichealth/FCS/CottageFood/cottagefoodregistrationfillable2020Dec.pdf
27. Nebraska
https://nda.nebraska.gov/fscp/foods/cottagefood.html
28. Nevada
https://dpbh.nv.gov/Reg/Cottage/Cottage_Food_Registration_-_Home/
29. New Hampshire
https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/environmental-health-and-you/
food-protection/homestead-food-operations
30. New Jersey
https://www.nj.gov/health/cottagefood/
31. New Mexico
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.env.nm.gov/
wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/08/2021-08-16-EHD-Homemade-Food-Act-factsheet.pdf
32. New York
https://agriculture.ny.gov/food-safety/home-processing
33. North Carolina
https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/food-drug-protection/food-program/
fdpd-food-program-home-processor
34. North Dakota
https://www.hhs.nd.gov/health/food-and-lodging/cottage-food
35. Ohio
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/
wcm/connect/gov/91fb902b-b03a-4cf4-b595-993d93a6945a/Cottage+Food+Fact+Sheet.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_M1HGGIK0N0JO00QO9DDDDM3000-
91fb902b-b03a-4cf4-b595-993d93a6945a-oR-Rtqs
36. Oklahoma
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://oksenate.gov/
sites/default/files/interim_materials/Interim-Studies/
Cottage%20Food%20Laws%20Overview%20-%20State%20Comparisons.pdf
37. Oregon
https://www.oregon.gov/oda/food-safety/fs-licensing/pages/without-license.aspx
38. Pennsylvania
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food-safety/limited-food-establishment-.html
39. Rhode Island
https://health.ri.gov/food-safety/cottage-foods
40. South Carolina
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://agriculture.sc.gov/
wp-content/uploads/2024/07/
SCHome-basedFoodProductionLawBook2024_digital.pdf
41. South Dakota
https://extension.sdstate.edu/south-dakota-cottage-home-processing-food-safety
42. Tennessee
https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/consumers/food-safety/tennessee-food-freedom-act.html
43. Texas
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/retail-food-establishments/texas-cottage-food-production
44. Utah
https://ag.utah.gov/businesses/regulatory-services/cottage-food-production/
45. Vermont
https://www.healthvermont.gov/environment/food-lodging-program/
home-based-food-licenses-and-exemptions
46. Virginia
https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/dairy-kitchen-food-services-businesses.shtml
47. Washington
https://agr.wa.gov/cottagefood
48. West Virginia
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apps.sos.wv.gov/
adlaw/csr/readfile.aspx?DocId=50583&Format=PDF
49. Wisconsin
https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Licenses_Permits/HomeBakers.aspx
50. Wyoming
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://tetoncountywy.gov
/DocumentCenter/View/25217/Frequently-Asked-Questions-for-Operating-Under-
the-Wyoming-Food-Freedom-Act-at-Markets-3-30-23?bidId=
Washington, DC
https://dchealth.dc.gov/publication/cottage-food-businesses
FOOD LABEL REQUIREMENT EXAMPLE
Here’s an example food label with home kitchen labeling requirements for Florida. This 3″ x 2″ label is available in my Zazzle shop… you can click the graphic to see how it looks on bread bags. You can easily revise the text with your own state’s required wording on Zazzle’s personalization template. If you design your own labels, feel free to use this format as a guide to make sure everything fits on the label.
