Louisiana Cottage Food Law (2026): $100,000 Limit, Low-Risk Foods and Labels

Last verified: October 27, 2026 · Written by the UrbanAgLaw.org Editorial Team

Glazed pound cake loaf with white icing dripping down the sides

Quick answer: Louisiana exempts the home preparation of “low-risk foods” from the state Sanitary Code, with no permit from the Louisiana Department of Health. Since August 1, 2026, the exemption applies until your gross annual sales reach $100,000 (it was $30,000). Every product needs a label saying it was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility, and you must hold a sales tax certificate from your parish.

At a glance

License or permit: None from the health department: the foods are exempt from the Sanitary Code, but you must hold a current sales tax certificate from your parish
Annual sales limit: The exemption does not apply once gross annual sales reach $100,000 (Act 801 of 2026, effective August 1, 2026; previously $30,000)
Allowed foods: Baked goods, candies, cane syrup, dried mixes, honey, jams and jellies, pickles and acidified foods, sauces and syrups, and spices, none containing animal muscle protein or fish protein
Resale: You may not sell breads, cakes, cookies or pies to a retail business or to an individual for resale
Online sales: Not addressed in the statute
Training required: None stated in the statute

Who the Louisiana law covers

The law is R.S. 40:4.9, “Low-risk foods; preparation in home for public consumption.” It says that no provision of the state Sanitary Code, and no other law that requires equipment, design, construction, utensils, supplies, preparation or services, applies to the preparation of low-risk foods in the home for sale. It does not allow the sale of any unwholesome food. For cane syrup, “the home” also includes an open-sided structure on private property that shelters a kettle or evaporator. If you make breads, cakes, cookies or pies and employ anyone to help prepare them, the exemption does not apply to you.

What you can sell

Is it covered by the Louisiana low-risk food exemption?
Food	Allowed?
Baked goods, including breads, cakes, cookies and pies	Yes extra rules and no resale; see below
Candies	Yes
Cane syrup, sauces and syrups	Yes
Dried mixes and spices	Yes
Honey and honeycomb products	Yes raw honey that has not had its pollen removed needs no label
Jams, jellies and preserves	Yes
Pickles and acidified foods	Yes
Any food containing animal muscle protein or fish protein	No
Foods containing cannabidiol (CBD)	No unless the FDA approves CBD as a food additive

Small glass jars of honey with wooden honey dippers on a white plate — Honey and honeycomb products are on Louisiana’s list of low-risk foods.

The list in the statute is short, so ask the Louisiana Department of Health whether a specific product fits one of the categories before you sell it.

Rules for breads, cakes, cookies and pies

The statute adds conditions for baked goods made at home for sale:

outside openings must be protected against flies and other vermin, and the building must exclude rats, mice and roaches;
domestic pets must be kept out of any part of the home where baking takes place;
equipment must be kept clean, and food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after each day’s production;
perishable ingredients must be kept at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below;
custard and cream-filled products require pasteurized milk, cooking to the equivalent of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes, prompt chilling to 45 degrees or below, and no touching the filling by hand after cooking.

You may not sell these baked goods to a retail business or to an individual for resale.

Sales limit

The exemption does not apply to a preparer of low-risk foods whose gross annual sales equal $100,000 or more. Act 801 of the 2026 Regular Session (House Bill 403) raised the limit from $30,000, effective August 1, 2026. Once you reach the limit, you no longer qualify for the exemption. Guides that still show $30,000 were written before the change.

Sales tax

You may not sell low-risk foods under this law unless you are registered to collect the local sales and use taxes that apply to the sale, shown by a current sales tax certificate from the sales and use tax collector for the parish where the sales occur.

Louisiana cottage food label requirements

You must attach to each food a label that clearly indicates that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility. The statute does not give exact wording, so ask the Louisiana Department of Health to confirm yours. Raw honey that has not been pasteurized, filtered or processed to remove pollen does not need the label. Adding the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight and your name and address is good practice; federal law recognizes nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.

Required statementThis food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility.
required in substance by R.S. 40:4.9; confirm the wording with LDH

Product nameVanilla Glazed Pound Cake
recommended

Ingredients and allergensWheat flour, butter (milk), sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, salt. Contains: wheat, milk, eggs
recommended

Net weight and makerNet wt. 16 oz (454 g). Example Home Kitchen, Anytown, LA
recommended

Example label. Only the statement is required by the statute; the rest is good practice. The business is made up.

Where you can sell

The statute does not list or limit venues, and it does not address farmers markets, online sales or shipping, except that breads, cakes, cookies and pies may not be sold for resale. Ask your parish and the Louisiana Department of Health before you sell at a market or ship anything.

Bundt cake with white icing topped with blackberries and lemon slices — Cakes are covered by the exemption, with the extra baking rules and the ban on resale.

Training and insurance

The statute does not require a food safety course or insurance. A basic course and product liability coverage are still worth considering, and some markets ask for them. See our guide to liability, risk and insurance.

Local rules and HOAs

Your city or parish may have zoning or home business rules, and private rules apply too, so check your HOA covenants and lease. For general background, see our planning and zoning guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell food from home in Louisiana?

Yes, if the food is one of the low-risk foods in R.S. 40:4.9, you are under the sales limit, you label it as not produced in a licensed or regulated facility and you hold a parish sales tax certificate.

Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Louisiana?

The exemption means the Sanitary Code does not apply to low-risk foods made at home, so there is no health department permit. You do need a sales tax certificate.

What is the Louisiana cottage food sales limit?

$100,000 in gross annual sales since August 1, 2026. Before that date it was $30,000.

Can I sell cottage food online in Louisiana?

The statute does not address online sales or shipping. Ask the Louisiana Department of Health how it applies to your plan.

Can I sell my cakes or cookies to a store?

No. Breads, cakes, cookies and pies may not be sold to a retail business or to an individual for resale.

Can I sell pickles or hot sauce?

The list includes pickles and acidified foods and sauces and syrups, as long as they contain no animal muscle protein or fish protein. Ask the Louisiana Department of Health about the specific product.

Note on conflicting sources

Many guides online still show a $30,000 cap, and some say the exemption has no limit for baked goods or that you must register with the health department. The statute applies the sales limit to all low-risk foods, including baked goods, and creates no registration, although it does require a sales tax certificate. The Act 801 text and the legislature’s digest confirm the $100,000 limit. We read the full statute as reproduced by the National Agricultural Law Center, before Act 801, together with the Act itself. We could not open the Louisiana Department of Health page, so confirm the label wording and the current text of R.S. 40:4.9 with the department.

Official sources

Louisiana Revised Statutes, R.S. 40:4.9 (low-risk foods; preparation in home for public consumption)
Act 801 (House Bill 403) of the 2026 Regular Session, which amended R.S. 40:4.9(B) effective August 1, 2026
Louisiana Department of Health
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Food Allergies (FASTER Act, sesame)

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the official sources above or contact the Louisiana Department of Health before you start selling.