“Cottage Food” Laws

Compiled by:

Jana Caracciolo
Staff Attorney, National Agricultural Law Center

Peggy Kirk Hall
Director, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program

Nearly every state in the United States has enacted laws that allow entrepreneurs to produce certain food products in the home or “cottage” with little or no regulatory oversight.  These state “cottage food” laws aim to recognize that foods such as baked goods, jams, dry mixes, and candies are not potentially hazardous and pose a low risk of food contamination.  Despite the common goal of easing food safety requirements for those who produce nonpotentially hazardous foods, there is much variation in the approaches taken by the states.  This compilation presents the statutes and regulations for each state that has a cottage food or home-based food production law. Simply click on a state’s image in the map below to locate the laws and regulations for the state.

This compilation was updated in 2022 by the National Agricultural Law Center staff, however it was first created through a collaborative effort between the National Agricultural Law Center and The Ohio State University Agricultural & Resource Law Program.  Further, it is based upon work supported by the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.