Disclaimer

Please read this before you rely on anything on this site.

Educational information, not legal advice

The Cottage Food Law Library is an independent reference project. Everything on this site is general educational information about cottage food laws. It is not legal advice. Reading it does not create any professional relationship between you and this project. For advice on your specific situation, consult your state agency or a qualified attorney.

Not a government agency

This site is not operated by, affiliated with or endorsed by any state agency, the federal government or any law firm. We do not issue permits, process registrations or approve products. Where a page links to a state agency, that agency is the official source; we are a private publisher summarizing what it says.

Rules change and vary

Cottage food laws are set state by state and change by legislative session. County and city rules, zoning and market requirements can add conditions on top of the state law. A page can be accurate on the date we verified it and change the next week. Every page shows the date we last read it against the source. Always confirm the current rules with your state and local authorities before you make, label or sell any food.

No guarantee of outcomes

We work to keep every page accurate and cite a primary source for each load-bearing fact, but we do not guarantee that the information is complete, current or error-free. We do not guarantee any particular result either. Using this site does not guarantee that your product is legal, that you will pass an inspection or that you will avoid a fine. You are responsible for your own compliance decisions.

External links

We link to state statutes and agency pages so you can check the source. We are not responsible for the content of those external sites, which can move or change.

The companion kit

The Cottage Food Launch Kit, our paid companion product, is likewise an educational and organizational tool. It helps you assemble and follow your state's requirements. It does not make a legal determination for your state or county and it is not a substitute for confirming the current rules with your state.

Report an error

If you believe a page is wrong or out of date, please tell us so we can check it against the source and fix it.