Cottage food laws by state, province, and territory.

Unique per-product sales limit ($10,000/year per product, not total cap). Allows pickled items with pH <= 4.6 and testing. Food safety course required. Direct sales only within Colorado. Free pH testing offered by state lab (limited funding, first-come first-served, up to 5 products). HB25-1190 to allow refrigerated foods failed in 2025; HB26-1033 is a 2026 proposal to expand the Cottage Foods Act but was not active law as of May 7, 2026.

PA 22-8 (2022) increased sales cap from $25,000 to $50,000. Online sales allowed BUT no shipping - in-person delivery required. $50 annual license, home inspection required. ServSafe training required. Private well testing required if applicable. SB154 (2025) to allow farm store/cafe sales within 20-mile radius pending.

Ranked dead last nationally (F grade) despite removing $25,000 sales cap in Dec 2023. No income limit now but still highly restrictive: mandatory kitchen inspection, expensive 8-hour training ($175), complex application, and direct sales only (home, farmers markets, events). Online advertising allowed but e-commerce prohibited.

Removed $25,000 cap in 2020. Requires $50 registration (2 years), national CFPM certification + DC CFPM ID card ($35), Home Occupancy Permit ($122.60), and pre-operational kitchen inspection. Total initial costs ~$276.60. Complex application process (30-day review). Multiple sales venues allowed (direct, retail, online, wholesale) but limited to within DC only. Cannot sell to restaurants or grocery stores.

Act 195 (HB 2144) was implemented through HAR Title 11, Chapter 50 updates effective August 24, 2025. Hawaii now allows internet/online sales, mail order, third-party sales, and wholesale sales for qualifying homemade food products, while keeping products limited to non-TCS foods. The update also expanded fermented, acidified, and pickled plant foods when pH or water activity requirements are met, and created special provisions for hand-pounded poi. Food safety training is required and must be renewed every 3 years.

Dual system: (1) Home-Based Processors - no growing required, $50/year, online orders with pickup/delivery only, NO shipping; (2) Home-Based Microprocessors - must grow predominant ingredient, $50 workshop + $5/recipe approval, inspection every 4 years, only 3 sales locations (farm/KY farmers market/certified roadside stand). NO shipping for either type. Pet food allowed with separate UK registration. HB 678, introduced in 2026, would add whole or ground roasted coffee beans to the home-based processor definition but has not passed.

Unique two-tier system: (1) Breads, cakes, cookies, pies have NO sales cap but must be sold directly to consumers only - cannot sell to retail stores; (2) All other cottage foods have $30,000 cap but CAN be sold to retail stores/restaurants. Online advertising allowed but all products must be delivered in person - no shipping permitted. No state permit required but sales tax certificates mandatory. Increased from $20,000 in 2022 (HB 828).

No permit, fees, or inspection required. $50,000 annual cap remains current as of May 7, 2026. Mail delivery within Maryland only - no interstate sales. ANAB-accredited food safety course required only for retail store sales. Can request a state ID number to replace home address on labels. SB 701 is now active, allowing refrigerated baked goods such as cheesecakes, cream pies, custard pies, meringue pies, and fresh fruit tarts. HB 535 would raise the cap to $100,000 on Oct 1, 2026 if enacted; SB 838 would broaden the statutory cottage food product definition to nonpotentially hazardous foods and address home bakeries. Neither 2026 bill is active as of May 7, 2026.

HIGHLY RESTRICTIVE - Requires local health permit ($50-$100), mandatory home inspection, Food Safety Manager + Allergen Awareness certifications. Treats homes as commercial food establishments. Reform bills remain pending in the 194th General Court: House versions H.114 and H.140 accompanied a study order in March 2026, while S.69 was reported favorably and referred to Senate Ways and Means on December 31, 2025. No statewide reform is active as of May 7, 2026.

REFORM NOW ACTIVE: HB 4122 became Public Act 51 of 2025 and is in effect as of May 2026. The annual cap doubled from $25,000 to $50,000 per operator, with a $75,000 cap for operators that produce at least one qualifying product priced at $250 or more. Online and mail-order sales within Michigan are allowed after direct producer-consumer interaction by phone, email, website, social media, or similar methods. Optional free MSU Extension registration lets operators use a registration number instead of a home address on labels.

Two tiers: Tier 1 <=$7,665 (free), Tier 2 $7,666-$78,000 ($50). MAJOR CHANGE COMING: Starting August 1, 2027, shipping will be allowed, fees reduced to $30 for all, and tier system consolidated to a single tier (HF 2446, 2025). Minnesota Department of Agriculture says implementation planning begins in 2026. Currently all human cottage food delivery must be in-person. Online ordering allowed but fulfillment must be in-person until 2027. Pet treats can be shipped currently (exception).

Online advertising allowed, online sales prohibited. No permit or registration required. Liberal food list: baked goods, jams/jellies, candy, acidified foods, dried products. No food safety training required. Can advertise on social media/websites but cannot sell online or ship products. Multiple reform bills failed in 2024, 2025, and 2026, including 2026 proposals to remove the cap, increase it to $120,000 or $200,000, allow online sales, and add wholesale/retail delivery options.

CURRENT LAW (until July 1, 2027): $35,000 cap, direct in-person sales only, must register in each health district where selling. AB 352 (signed June 2025) will increase cap to $100,000 and allow online sales/delivery on July 1, 2027, but is NOT YET IN EFFECT. Must register in each of 5 health districts where selling (Clark County $160+, most other counties free). Multi-district registration creates barriers for statewide sales.

Unique DUAL-TIER 'Homestead Food Operation' system. UNLICENSED: no sales cap, no online sales, limited to home/farm stand/farmers markets/retail stores, no registration fee. LICENSED ($150/year Class H): no sales cap, ALL venues including online sales, shipping, wholesale to restaurants/distributors. NO SALES CAPS for either tier (HB 119, 2023 removed $35k cap). HB 1565 (2024) added acidified foods (pickles, salsas). HB 304 (2025) allows QR codes for ingredient lists. Progressive legislation ongoing.

LAST STATE in the nation to adopt cottage food law (October 4, 2021) after 12-YEAR legislative battle (2009-2021). Unique DIRECT HANDOFF requirement: online sales allowed but NO SHIPPING - products must be transferred to customer in person. $100 permit renewed every 2 years. Food safety manager certification required (renewable every 5 years). Senator Joseph Vitale blocked bills for over a decade; finally passed through administrative rulemaking bypassing legislative gridlock.

Homemade Food Act (HB 177, April 6, 2021) dramatically simplified what was previously the most convoluted cottage food law in the country. NO state permit required, NO sales cap. STATE PREEMPTION prevents cities/counties from prohibiting or regulating cottage food operations (overrode Albuquerque's complete prohibition). ANAB-accredited food handler certification (~$7) required. Online sales and in-state shipping allowed. Direct sales only (no wholesale to restaurants/stores). Stable law with no changes since 2021.

No formal cottage food law - operates under Home Processor Program (no statutory protection). STRICTEST PET POLICY IN THE NATION: No pets allowed in home at ANY time (even at night) per 21 CFR 117 Subpart B Good Manufacturing Practices - indoor pets classified as pests. 8-12 week application processing. Online sales within state allowed. No sales cap. Free application/inspection. Acidified foods allowed with $400 course + $150/product testing. Must use main home kitchen only. Contact: homeprocessing@ncagr.gov | (984) 236-4820

ONLINE SALES ALLOWED (within state only) - can sell directly to consumers both online and in-person. No sales cap (unlimited revenue). No licensing/registration/inspection required. Can wholesale to restaurants (as ingredients) and grocery stores. Kitchen limited to ONE oven or double oven (strictly enforced per ORC 3715.01). Festivals must be government-organized and max 7 consecutive days. Non-potentially hazardous foods only. Low Risk Mobile Retail Food Establishment License (Feb 2024) created for farm vendors. Watch HB 134 (pending) - would massively expand to any homemade foods.

SB 643 (effective January 1, 2024) major update: sales limit $50,000/year with ANNUAL INFLATION ADJUSTMENT starting 2025 (adjusted by CPI, rounded to nearest $100). No license/permit/fees required. Must complete $10 food handler course (3 years valid). Can obtain ID number instead of listing home address on labels (privacy protection). Online orders ALLOWED but NO SHIPPING (in-person delivery required). Can sell through retail stores. All non-potentially hazardous (shelf-stable) foods allowed. Farm Direct alternative pathway for growers.

Only state allowing meat jerky under cottage food law. Interstate sales allowed (receiving state must accept). Complex setup: $35 annual registration, business plan required, home inspection, lab testing for some products. 60-day approval timeline. Pets prohibited in food areas (exceptions with physical separation or caged animals). No sales cap.

Last state to allow cottage food (Nov 2022). Most restrictive in nation - ONLY nonperishable baked goods allowed. No jams, jellies, candy, or other products common in other states. $65 annual registration, ANSI-accredited food safety training required, notarized affidavit annually. In-state sales and shipping only.

CURRENT THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026: HB 759 (2024) expanded venues to all events (<=14 days) and increased the acidified food cap from $3,000 to $9,000. Most cottage foods have no sales cap, but online transactions and shipping are still prohibited until HB 402 takes effect on July 1, 2026. HB 402 will allow in-state online sales and delivery by mail, commercial carrier, or third party for exempt foods.

One of most difficult states to start cottage food operation. $355 permit (2 years), extensive requirements including mandatory home inspections, detailed business plans (floor plan, processing, packaging, cleaning, sanitation, production, sales, child/pet management), and individual product label approvals. Online orders allowed but NO shipping - in-person pickup or personal delivery only. Sales limit increased from $25,000 to $35,000 in 2023 (HB 1500). 6-8 week application processing time. Major legislative changes being considered for 2026. Application complexity comparable to opening commercial food business.

MOST RESTRICTIVE STATE for non-baked foods. No cottage food statute exists - operates through court rulings and retail food establishment laws (ATCP 75). Only allows baked goods (unlimited sales) through 2017/2021 court rulings (Ella's Edibles v. DATCP), not legislation. High-acid canned goods allowed up to $5,000/year via 2009 'Pickle Bill.' April 2025 Supreme Court denial upheld ban on non-baked shelf-stable foods (chocolate, fudge, candy, roasted coffee, etc.) - Court of Appeals ruling November 2024. Online sales within Wisconsin only. Penalties for violations: up to $1,000 fines and/or six months in jail.

British Columbia allows lower-risk foods prepared at home to be sold at temporary food markets when the market operates under the provincial temporary food market guidelines and a market manager. The pathway is market-focused rather than a broad home, online, or mail-order cottage food law. Higher-risk foods generally require an approved or permitted commercial kitchen and health authority review.

Manitoba expressly prohibits preparing and serving food from a home-based business for public consumption, except for non-potentially hazardous foods sold at a farmers market, flea market, craft sale, or bake sale under the Farmers' Market Guidelines. Foods requiring temperature control or other higher-risk processing must be prepared in an approved food handling establishment.

New Brunswick exempts certain public market food premises from licensing when non-potentially hazardous foods are prepared or processed in a private residence for sale only at a public market. The province defines public markets to include farmers markets and flea markets. Broader prepared-food activity generally falls into licensed food premises classes.

Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes a home-based food preparation industry with standard health guidelines and a registration form. Home-based producers are limited to foods that do not contain meat, fish, dairy, or egg products, except where dairy or eggs are used in baked or other goods that inhibit pathogen growth. Operators should register and follow construction, sanitation, equipment, transport, and labelling guidance.

Nova Scotia allows low-risk home-baked goods to be prepared for sale without a permit under the Food Safety Regulations. The official fact sheet describes sales at farmers markets, community bake sales, or directly to customers. The low-risk pathway is focused on home-baked goods that do not require refrigeration or freezing and do not contain ingredients such as meat or fish that support bacterial growth.

The Northwest Territories regulate food establishments under the Food Establishment Safety Regulations. Current public guidance says most food operators and vendors need a food establishment permit and trained food handler certification, while 2019 amendments created flexibility for home food processors and low-risk locally grown foods. Treat home-based commercial food activity as permit-sensitive unless Environmental Health confirms an exemption or waiver.

Ontario allows home-based food businesses, but the home preparation area is treated as a food premises under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and O. Reg. 493/17. Operators must notify the local public health unit before opening. Businesses that prepare only low-risk foods are exempt from some requirements, including specified handwashing stations, commercial dishwashing requirements, and mandatory food handler certification, but remain subject to public health oversight and inspection.

Prince Edward Island added a home food production pathway effective October 17, 2024. Low-risk foods can be produced in a personal home kitchen for sale at farmers markets and/or special events without a food premises license and inspection. Food must be pre-packaged in the home kitchen before travelling to the market or event.

Quebec permits some home-kitchen preparation for retail sale, but it is permit-driven and capped at 100 kg of food per month. Wholesale from a domestic kitchen is prohibited, and producers who exceed 100 kg/month must use a place dedicated only to preparing food for sale. Most processed agricultural products require a retail permit in the 'preparation generale' category. Fresh whole fruits and vegetables produced by the seller may be sold without a permit.

Yukon allows some non-potentially hazardous foods to be made in a home kitchen without a temporary food permit for public events, and says farm-gate jams, jellies, and baked goods are low-risk products that may be processed at home. Broader food businesses and higher-risk processed products require Environmental Health review and a food premises or temporary food service permit.