Michigan Cottage Food Law (2026): What You Can Sell, Limits and Labels
At a glance
- License or registration
- None from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). An optional registration with the MSU Product Center lets you put a registration number and phone number on labels instead of your home address.
- Annual sales limit
- $50,000 in gross sales, or $75,000 if you sell products priced at $250 or more per unit
- Allowed foods
- Foods that do not need time or temperature control for safety, such as bread, cookies, cakes, fruit pies, candy, fruit jams and jellies, granola, dry mixes, popcorn and vinegar
- Not allowed
- Foods that need refrigeration, canned or pickled foods, beverages, meat, fish, dairy products, cheesecake, cream cheese frosting, salsa and fruit butters
- Where you can sell
- Directly to consumers in Michigan: in person, by phone, online or by mail order, and through third-party delivery if the customer can talk to you first. No wholesale or consignment.
- Training required
- MDARD does not list a training requirement
Who the Michigan cottage food law covers
A cottage food operation makes food in the unlicensed kitchen of a single-family domestic residence in Michigan. That means the place where you live, whether you own or rent it: a house, apartment, condominium or rental home. It must be your primary residence. Second homes, vacation homes and motor homes do not qualify, and neither do group homes, sororities or fraternities. You also cannot use a rented commercial kitchen; a licensed kitchen needs a food establishment license.
You must store ingredients and finished products in the same residence, for example in the kitchen, a spare room or a dry basement, but not in a garage, shed or barn. Nonprofit organizations do not qualify. If two people in one household each run their own cottage food business, MDARD says each one can sell up to the full limit.
What you can sell
Cottage foods must be non-potentially hazardous foods that can be safely kept at room temperature. MDARD keeps a list of allowable foods by category. Common examples are breads and quick breads, cookies, cakes (including celebration cakes), shelf-stable fruit pies, candy and coated nuts, fruit jams and jellies in glass jars, granola, dry baking and soup mixes, popcorn, roasted coffee, dried herbs and vinegars.
The law does not cover foods that need time or temperature control, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, cooked rice, beans or vegetables, raw sprouts and garlic-in-oil mixtures. It also excludes canned, acidified and pickled foods because of the risk of botulism.
| Food | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Bread, quick breads, muffins and cookies | Yes |
| Cakes, including wedding and birthday cakes | Yes |
| Shelf-stable baked fruit pies | Yes |
| Candy, coated nuts and chocolate-covered pretzels | Yes |
| Fruit jams and jellies in glass jars | Yes |
| Granola and dry baking, dip and soup mixes | Yes |
| Popcorn, roasted coffee and dried herbs | Yes |
| Vinegar and flavored vinegars | Yes |
| Buttercream frosting | Yes, with conditions only from one of the two lab-tested recipes MDARD names, followed exactly |
| Cheesecake and cream, custard or pumpkin pies | No |
| Cream cheese frosting | No |
| Canned or pickled fruits and vegetables, including salsa and sauerkraut | No |
| Apple, pumpkin and other fruit or vegetable butters | No |
| Beverages, including juice, kombucha and cider | No |
| Meat, jerky and fish | No |
| Milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products | No |
| Ice cream and other frozen products | No |
| Products with CBD or cannabis | No |
| Pet food and treats | No |
Sales limits and licensing
The annual gross sales limit is $50,000. It rises to $75,000 if your cottage food operation sells products at a price of $250 or more per unit. These limits come from a 2026 update to the Michigan Food Law. Keep sales records, because an MDARD food inspector can ask to see them.
You do not fill out an application, register or get a food license or permit from MDARD. The exemption covers licensing and routine inspection only. You still have to follow the labeling, adulteration and other rules of the Food Law. If MDARD receives a complaint or a foodborne illness is linked to your food, it can investigate, enter and inspect your production and storage areas, seize adulterated products, order label corrections and stop you from making foods that are not allowed.
Other business rules still apply. Your county or city may require a DBA (doing business as) filing. MDARD suggests asking the Michigan Department of Treasury about sales tax and notes that, in general, sales tax is not charged on prepackaged foods that are not for immediate consumption.
Michigan cottage food label requirements
Every product must carry its own label before sale. The label must include:
- the name and physical address of your cottage food operation (no P.O. box), or, if you registered with the MSU Product Center, your registration number and telephone number instead of the full address;
- the name of the product;
- the ingredients in descending order of weight, including the sub-ingredients of any prepared item you use;
- the net weight or net volume, with the metric equivalent;
- allergen labeling as required by federal law;
- this statement in at least 11-point type (about 1/8 inch tall) and in a color that clearly contrasts with the background: “Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.”
Hand-printed labels are fine if they are legible, written in permanent ink and large enough to meet the type size. For wedding or birthday cakes that cannot be packaged, put all the label information on the invoice and deliver it with the cake.
123 Sample Street, Anytown, MI 00000
a physical address, not a P.O. box, or your MSU Product Center registration number and phone number
in descending order of weight, with sub-ingredients of anything prepared
at least 11-point type (about 1/8 inch tall), in a color that contrasts with the background
Where you can sell
- Directly to consumers at farmers markets, farm stands, roadside stands and similar venues. Some markets may still require their vendors to hold a food license.
- Online, by phone or by mail order, and through a third-party food delivery platform, but only if the customer has a chance to talk directly with you before the sale. Sales and deliveries must stay inside Michigan.
- Free samples are allowed if the product stays a non-potentially hazardous food. You cannot add something like sour cream to a dry dip mix.
You cannot sell to wholesalers, brokers, distributors, restaurants or grocery stores, sell on consignment, or donate products to a public auction, fundraiser or soup kitchen. A farm stop or retail market cannot hold pre-sold orders for pickup.
Training and insurance
MDARD does not list any training requirement for cottage food operators. MSU Extension offers a Michigan Cottage Food Law course for those who want food safety training. MDARD’s cottage food pages do not mention insurance, but product liability coverage is worth pricing, and some markets ask for it. See our guide to liability, risk and insurance.
Local rules, HOAs and your home
The cottage food exemption only removes state licensing and routine inspection. Ask your local unit of government whether zoning or other local rules affect a home food business. Private rules still apply too, so check your HOA covenants and lease. If you use a private well, MDARD says the water must be potable and recommends testing it at least once a year; it also suggests having your septic system evaluated by the local health department before you start. For general background, see our planning and zoning guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell food from home in Michigan?
Yes, if the food is on MDARD’s allowable list and does not need refrigeration. You can make it in the kitchen of your primary residence and sell it directly to consumers without a license, up to $50,000 a year ($75,000 for products priced at $250 or more per unit), as long as every product carries the required label.
What is the Michigan cottage food law sales limit in 2026?
$50,000 in gross sales a year, or $75,000 if you sell products at $250 or more per unit. Each person in a household who runs a separate cottage food business can sell up to the limit.
Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Michigan?
Yes. Internet and mail order sales and third-party delivery are allowed if the customer has an opportunity to interact directly with you before the sale. You can only sell or deliver within Michigan.
What must a Michigan cottage food label include?
Your operation’s name and physical address (or your MSU Product Center registration number and phone number), the product name, ingredients by weight, net weight with the metric equivalent, allergens and the statement “Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development” in at least 11-point type.
Can I sell cottage food to a store, restaurant or coffee shop?
No. Michigan cottage foods must be sold directly from you to the consumer. Sales to retailers, restaurants, wholesalers or on consignment are not allowed.
Do I need training to sell cottage food in Michigan?
MDARD does not list a training requirement. MSU Extension offers an optional cottage food course.
Note on conflicting sources
Many websites and older guides still give a $25,000 limit and say cottage foods cannot be sold online or by mail order. The current MDARD pages reflect the 2026 update: $50,000 (or $75,000), with online and mail order sales inside Michigan. MDARD’s allergen guidance lists eight major allergens, while federal law has recognized sesame as the ninth since January 1, 2023, so declare sesame too. Some secondary sources say the sales limits will be adjusted for inflation each year; MDARD’s pages do not mention this, so confirm the current figure with MDARD at [email protected] or 800-292-3939.
Official sources
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD): Cottage Food, Getting Started and FAQ
- MDARD: Cottage Food, What Can I Make? (allowable food products list)
- MDARD: Cottage Food, Labeling
- MDARD: Cottage Food, Selling and Samples
- Michigan Food Law, sections 289.1105 (definitions) and 289.4102 (exemptions), as cited by MDARD
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Food Allergies (FASTER Act, sesame)