Cottage Food Laws by State (2026)

All 50 states allow some form of cottage food production — selling homemade food products made in your home kitchen. But the rules vary wildly. Select your state for specific details.

What Are Cottage Food Laws?

Cottage food laws allow individuals to prepare and sell certain low-risk food products from their home kitchen without a commercial food license. These laws typically cover baked goods, jams, candies, and other non-perishable items.

Commonly Allowed

  • - Baked goods (bread, cookies, cakes)
  • - Jams, jellies, preserves
  • - Candy and confections
  • - Dry mixes and spice blends
  • - Honey and honeycomb

Usually Not Allowed

  • - Anything requiring refrigeration
  • - Meat and dairy products
  • - Canned low-acid foods
  • - Fermented foods (in most states)
  • - Alcohol

Select Your State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming