Cottage Food Law /US
A structured reference to state cottage food rules

Guide · Selling from home

Can I sell honey from home in Wisconsin?

Informational only, not legal advice.

It's unclear from Wisconsin's official list. Confirm with the state agency before producing.

This answer comes from Wisconsin's official guidance on honey, summarized below, rather than from its food lists alone.

Honey is outside both home-food routes. DATCP says no DATCP license is needed to extract, package, and sell only your own honey or bee products, processed only by straining, heating, or crystallizing, under a separate licensing exemption (Wis. Stat. § 97.29(1)(h)8.). Honey bought from other beekeepers, flavored, whipped, or made into other products such as candy needs a DATCP license.

Source: DATCP — Honey and Honey Products · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Source: Wis. Stat. § 97.29 (Food processing plants)(1)(h)8. · Verified Oct 21, 2026

What Wisconsin's food lists say about honey

On the allowed list

  • Honey and bee products from the producer's own bees and apiaries, processed only by straining or heating for packaging, or crystallized into spun or creamed honey

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

On the prohibited list

  • Honey or bee products gathered or purchased from other beekeepers, or further processed by adding color, flavors, or other ingredients (including whipping with air) or made into other products such as candy

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

How Wisconsin reads its lists

Baked goods: DATCP's homemade baked goods page; the cookies, cakes, and muffins examples are from the Court of Appeals' description of Kivirist (2024 WI App 69, ¶5). The finished, ready-for-sale product must not be potentially hazardous. Home-canned foods: DATCP's Home-Canned Foods page; the statute says "pickles or other processed vegetables or fruits with an equilibrium pH value of 4.6 or lower" (§ 97.29(2)(b)2.a.), and DATCP recommends testing the pH of acidified products. Honey: DATCP's Honey and Honey Products page (no DATCP license needed) and § 97.29(1)(h)8.; this is a separate licensing exemption, not part of either route above.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

These need a DATCP license; they are not banned outright. Baked goods and dehydrated items: DATCP's homemade baked goods page. Unbaked foods: the Court of Appeals reversed the 2022 order that had extended the court protection to them (2024 WI App 69, ¶¶6, 39); DATCP says the court orders "apply only to 'baked goods.'" Canned foods: DATCP's Home-Canned Foods page. Honey: DATCP's Honey and Honey Products page.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Other Wisconsin rules that name honey

DATCP's homemade baked goods page and flyer state no labeling requirements for home bakers. The canned-food sign and label wording is in Wis. Stat. § 97.29(2)(b)2.d.–e.; the statute's allergen list (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans) does not include sesame, which DATCP's page adds. Honey labeling from DATCP's Honey and Honey Products page.

Source: DATCP — Home-Canned Foods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Home-canned rules from DATCP's Home-Canned Foods page and Wis. Stat. § 97.29(2)(b)2. DATCP's disclaimer: "Business operators are advised to practice due diligence in determining whether their practices require them to hold a food business license." DATCP licensing contact: (608) 224-4923, [email protected]. DATCP's honey page tells producers to check local town, village, city, and county ordinances.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Selling honey in Wisconsin: permit, cost, and where to sell

Do I need a permit to sell honey from home in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin does not require a state-issued permit for cottage food.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

The program is run by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Division of Food and Recreational Safety.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods flyer (P-DFRS0222, 05/2025) · Verified Oct 21, 2026

How much does a Wisconsin cottage food license cost?

Wisconsin does not charge a state cottage food license fee.

Source: DATCP — Home-Canned Foods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Is there a limit on how much I can sell in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin sets no overall annual sales cap for cottage food.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Where can I sell honey in Wisconsin?

In person: Yes; farmers markets: Yes; online orders within Wisconsin: Not addressed; shipping to other states: No — not authorized; delivery within Wisconsin: Not addressed; sales to stores or for resale: No.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Home bakers: the court orders apply only when the home baker sells directly to consumers; DATCP says a business wholesaling baked goods must be licensed. DATCP's baked-goods guidance does not address internet sales, delivery, or shipping. Home-canned foods: only retail sales direct from producer to consumer, only at community or social events, flea markets, or farmers markets in Wisconsin; DATCP says sales out of your home, wholesale, on consignment, via the internet, or out of state are not permitted, nor are pickle bill products sold along with licensed foods.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Do I need training or a kitchen inspection in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin does not require food safety training.

Source: DATCP — Licenses and Homemade Baked Goods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Wisconsin does not require a home kitchen inspection.

Source: DATCP — Selling Home-Canned Foods: Do It Safely and Legally (FD-PUB-61, 12/2022) · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Labeling honey in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's cited labeling rules list 6 requirements, including one that names honey. The full list is in the Wisconsin labeling guide.

  • Honey: general food label requirements, plus "Ungraded" if not graded (or the grade, and color for Wisconsin No. 1)

Source: DATCP — Home-Canned Foods · Verified Oct 21, 2026

Other foods in Wisconsin