Compare U.S. cottage food laws

What the table shows

Permit:

8 of 20 states require a permit or registration; 12 do not.

State fee:

14 charge no state fee, 3 charge one ($35 to $355, as each source states them; the fee term is on each state's page), and 3 leave fees to local governments.

Annual sales cap:

13 set no overall cap; 7 set one, from $35,000 to $250,000 a year. 2 use tiers, and every tier is shown.

Online (in-state):

Yes: 17 · Not addressed: 3.

Out-of-state shipping:

Yes: 2 · No: 10 · No — not authorized: 7 · Not addressed: 1. "Not authorized" means a state exemption that cannot reach sales in other states; "Not addressed" means the official source is silent.

Training:

8 of 20 states require food safety training; 12 do not.

Inspection:

5 of 20 states require a home kitchen inspection; 15 do not.