Guide · Selling from home
Can I sell honey from home in Missouri?
Informational only, not legal advice.
It's unclear from Missouri's official list. Confirm with the state agency before producing.
This answer comes from Missouri's official guidance on honey, summarized below, rather than from its food lists alone.
Honey is not one of the foods covered by Missouri's Cottage Law. DHSS treats pure honey as a raw agricultural commodity that may be sold directly to the end consumer; apiaries that harvest, filter, and package their own pure honey on-farm are not routinely inspected, but off-farm or added processing makes an operation subject to inspection. The Missouri Food Code's separate individual-stand exemption, where local codes allow, also lists honey.
Source: Missouri DHSS — Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug. 2023) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Source: Missouri Food Code (19 CSR 20-1.025), as published by DHSS, Ch. 1, "Food establishment" (3)(h) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Selling honey in Missouri: permit, cost, and where to sell
Do I need a permit to sell honey from home in Missouri?
Missouri does not require a state-issued permit for cottage food.
Source: Missouri DHSS — Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug. 2023) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
The program is run by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Bureau of Environmental Health Services.
Source: Missouri DHSS — Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug. 2023) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
How much does a Missouri cottage food license cost?
Missouri does not charge a state cottage food license fee.
Source: Missouri DHSS — Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug. 2023) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Is there a limit on how much I can sell in Missouri?
Missouri sets no overall annual sales cap for cottage food.
Source: Missouri DHSS — Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug. 2023) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Where can I sell honey in Missouri?
In person: Yes; farmers markets: Not addressed; online orders within Missouri: Yes; shipping to other states: No; delivery within Missouri: Not addressed; sales to stores or for resale: No.
Source: RSMo § 196.298 (Missouri Cottage Law), as amended by 2022 H.B. 1697, subsecs. 1 and 5 · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Sales must be made only directly to consumers. Internet sales are allowed only when both the operation and the purchaser are in Missouri (§ 196.298(5)); DHSS: "A cottage food producer may not sell their products across state lines." Wholesale takes a product out of the Cottage Law. The statute defines the operation as producing food "for sale at the individual's home"; neither source addresses farmers markets or delivery. Asked about selling cottage foods from a mobile establishment, DHSS points to the Food Code individual-stand exemption, available only if local laws allow.
Source: RSMo § 196.298 (Missouri Cottage Law), as amended by 2022 H.B. 1697, subsecs. 1 and 5 · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Do I need training or a kitchen inspection in Missouri?
Missouri does not require food safety training.
Source: RSMo § 196.298 (Missouri Cottage Law), as amended by 2022 H.B. 1697, subsec. 2 · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Missouri does not require a home kitchen inspection.
Source: Missouri DHSS — Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance (Aug. 2023) · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Labeling honey in Missouri
Missouri's cited labeling rules list 6 requirements. The full list is in the Missouri labeling guide.
Source: RSMo § 196.298 (Missouri Cottage Law), as amended by 2022 H.B. 1697, subsec. 4 · Verified Oct 21, 2026
Other foods in Missouri
- Selling jams & jellies in Missouri · Yes, with limits
- Selling baked goods in Missouri · Yes, with limits
- Selling candy & confections in Missouri · Unclear
- Selling pickles & fermented foods in Missouri · No
- Selling dried goods & mixes in Missouri · Yes, with limits
- Selling coffee & tea in Missouri · No