Cottage food laws · all 50 states, ranked

The friendliest states to start a home bakery

We read every state’s cottage food law and ranked all 50 + D.C. on the four things a beginner baker actually cares about: what it costs to get legal, whether there’s a sales cap, whether you can sell cheesecake, and where you’re allowed to sell. Find your state below.

A friendly guide, not legal advice — we’re not lawyers. How we scored this ↓

15
states score Excellent for a beginner baker
36
let you start for $0 — no registration or fee
32
put no cap at all on what you can earn
Alabama — Good (9/14)Alaska — Excellent (13/14)Arizona — Excellent (13/14)Colorado — Moderate (8/14)Florida — Good (11/14)Georgia — Good (11/14)Indiana — Good (11/14)Kansas — Excellent (13/14)Maine — Good (10/14)Massachusetts — Moderate (8/14)Minnesota — Good (9/14)New Jersey — Restrictive (5/14)North Carolina — Good (10/14)North Dakota — Excellent (14/14)Oklahoma — Excellent (13/14)Pennsylvania — Good (9/14)South Dakota — Excellent (12/14)Texas — Excellent (12/14)Wyoming — Excellent (13/14)Connecticut — Restrictive (4/14)Missouri — Good (11/14)West Virginia — Excellent (14/14)Illinois — Good (10/14)New Mexico — Good (10/14)Arkansas — Good (11/14)California — Moderate (8/14)Delaware — Moderate (8/14)Washington, D.C. — Good (9/14)Hawaii — Good (11/14)Iowa — Good (11/14)Kentucky — Good (9/14)Maryland — Good (10/14)Michigan — Good (10/14)Mississippi — Moderate (7/14)Montana — Excellent (13/14)New Hampshire — Good (11/14)New York — Good (11/14)Ohio — Good (11/14)Oregon — Good (10/14)Tennessee — Excellent (14/14)Utah — Excellent (14/14)Virginia — Excellent (12/14)Washington — Restrictive (3/14)Wisconsin — Good (10/14)Nebraska — Excellent (13/14)South Carolina — Good (11/14)Idaho — Excellent (14/14)Nevada — Moderate (8/14)Vermont — Moderate (8/14)Louisiana — Good (11/14)Rhode Island — Restrictive (4/14)
  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Moderate
  • Restrictive
  • Full guide ready
Too small to click?
What’s the “cheesecake test”?

It’s our shorthand for the biggest dividing line in cottage food law: can you sell refrigerated, perishable goods — cheesecake, cream pies, custards, custom cakes with cream-cheese frosting — or are you limited to shelf-stable items like cookies, breads, and jams? Yes means the state lets you make the higher-value refrigerated treats from home (sometimes with an extra step); Shelf-stable means those are off the table. It’s the question beginner bakers ask most — so it’s on every card.

Excellent

· 15 states

The clean greenlights — cheap or free to start, no cap (or a high one), and you can sell what bakers want, often including refrigerated treats.

  • Idaho

    14/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    In-state sales only; new DTC Commerce Act (eff. 3/2026).

    Full guide coming

  • North Dakota

    14/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    True food-freedom; SB 2386 (2025) added out-of-state shipping.

    Full guide coming

  • Tennessee

    14/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Food Freedom Act; cheesecake ships in-person only.

    Full guide coming

  • Utah

    14/14
    To start
    $0 (HFA)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓
    Read the Utah guide →

  • West Virginia

    14/14
    To start
    $0 (shelf-stable path)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    With a catch

    Cheesecake needs a $35 permit + inspection + training; free path is shelf-stable.

    Full guide coming

  • Alaska

    13/14
    To start
    $50/yr business license
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Refrigerated producer-direct only; Alaska-only.

    Full guide coming

  • Arizona

    13/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Food-handler cert required; refrigerated is direct-sale only.

    Full guide coming

  • Kansas

    13/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    With a catch

    Cheesecake only via a narrow under-7-days/year exemption.

    Full guide coming

  • Montana

    13/14
    To start
    $0 (food-freedom path)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Direct / in-state / markets only — no online or retail.

    Full guide coming

  • Nebraska

    13/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Food-safety course required for the registered path.

    Full guide coming

  • Oklahoma

    13/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $75k → $250k (11/2026)
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Refrigerated tier needs a course + direct-only sales.

    Full guide coming

  • Wyoming

    13/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $250k
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Food Freedom Act, broadest in the country; in-state only.

    Full guide coming

  • South Dakota

    12/14
    To start
    $0 / ~$40 course
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    With a catch

    Cheesecake needs a $40 course; seller-present + personal delivery only.

    Full guide coming

  • Texas

    12/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $150k
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Food-handler course; no mail/carrier shipping (personal delivery).

    Read the Texas guide →

  • Virginia

    12/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Liberalized 7/2026; cheesecake needs Path B.

    Full guide coming

Good

· 25 states

Solid. A beginner can absolutely start here, usually with one catch worth knowing — a sales cap, a required course, or a narrower food list.

  • Arkansas

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Food Freedom; rare retail + shipping; refrigerated banned.

    Full guide coming

  • Florida

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $250k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    No training required (rare); cheesecake hard-blocked.

    Read the Florida guide →

  • Georgia

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Food-handler required; retail/restaurant sales new (7/2025).

    Full guide coming

  • Hawaii

    11/14
    To start
    $0 ($20 GET license)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Wide channels post-8/2025; food-safety cert required.

    Full guide coming

  • Indiana

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Food-handler cert; new homestead regime eff. 7/2026 may add cheesecake.

    Full guide coming

  • Iowa

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Nothing to file, no training; cheesecake needs a $50/yr license.

    Full guide coming

  • Louisiana

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $30k (→$100k pending)
    Cheesecake
    With a catch

    Cap is a hard cliff; cheesecake inferred, not named; channels unaddressed.

    Full guide coming

  • Missouri

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Closed/narrow food list; intrastate internet OK.

    Full guide coming

  • New Hampshire

    11/14
    To start
    $0 ($150 licensed tier)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Free tier = 4 venues, no online; internet needs the $150 license.

    Full guide coming

  • New York

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Free; allows wholesale; cheesecake needs a 20-C license.

    Full guide coming

  • Ohio

    11/14
    To start
    $10/yr (Home Bakery)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Yes ✓

    Cheesecake via the $10 Home Bakery path; cottage path is $0/shelf-stable.

    Full guide coming

  • South Carolina

    11/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Uncapped + zero red tape; shelf-stable; local-ordinance override clause.

    Full guide coming

  • Illinois

    10/14
    To start
    ≤$50/yr
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Manager-level (CFPM) cert required; cheesecake prohibited by name.

    Full guide coming

  • Maine

    10/14
    To start
    $20/yr
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    With a catch

    Default license shelf-stable; markets need a 2nd $20 license; cheesecake only in a food-sovereignty town.

    Full guide coming

  • Maryland

    10/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $50k → $100k (10/2026)
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    In-state only; retail-store sales need a course.

    Full guide coming

  • Michigan

    10/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $50k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    $50k cap is the binding limit; liberalized 3/2026 (internet/mail in-state).

    Full guide coming

  • New Mexico

    10/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Food-handler card required; shelf-stable; in-state mail OK.

    Full guide coming

  • North Carolina

    10/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    No cottage statute — inspection program. Pets can never be in the home.

    Full guide coming

  • Oregon

    10/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $52,700
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Food-handler card required; strong channels (online/mail/retail, in-state); cheesecake needs a separate $179 license.

    Full guide coming

  • Wisconsin

    10/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Baked-goods-only exemption rests on a 2017 court injunction; direct-only.

    Full guide coming

  • Alabama

    9/14
    To start
    $0 ($25 course)
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Course + county label-review fee variance; shelf-stable; in-state only.

    Full guide coming

  • Kentucky

    9/14
    To start
    $50
    Cap
    $60k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Refrigerated banned both paths; in-state direct/online only.

    Full guide coming

  • Minnesota

    9/14
    To start
    $0 (Tier 1)
    Cap
    $78k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Mandatory training even on the free tier; no shipping until 8/2027.

    Full guide coming

  • Pennsylvania

    9/14
    To start
    $35/yr
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Mandatory registration + plan review + home inspection; but interstate + wholesale OK.

    Full guide coming

  • Washington, D.C.

    9/14
    To start
    $50/2yr + $35 cert
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Manager course + home-occupancy permit required; DC-only.

    Full guide coming

Moderate

· 7 states

Doable, but with real friction — a meaningful fee, a kitchen inspection, or a sales-channel limit. Read the details before you commit.

  • California

    8/14
    To start
    ~$118 (county)
    Cap
    $88,878
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    County-fee variance; food-processor course; no refrigerated on the CFO path.

    Read the California guide →

  • Colorado

    8/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $10k net / product
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Low-cap trap TODAY; the Tamale Act flips it to ~Excellent on 1/1/2027.

    Full guide coming

  • Delaware

    8/14
    To start
    $30/yr
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    No online/shipping/wholesale; pre-op inspection; training.

    Full guide coming

  • Massachusetts

    8/14
    To start
    ~$50–100 local
    Cap
    No cap
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Town-by-town permit + mandatory kitchen inspection.

    Full guide coming

  • Nevada

    8/14
    To start
    $214 (county)
    Cap
    $100k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    County-fee variance; in-person direct only until the 2027 regime.

    Full guide coming

  • Vermont

    8/14
    To start
    $0 (≤$30k)
    Cap
    $30k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Annual training + annual filing even on the free tier; shelf-stable.

    Full guide coming

  • Mississippi

    7/14
    To start
    $0
    Cap
    $35k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Channel trap: in-person, in-state ONLY — no internet/mail/wholesale.

    Full guide coming

Restrictive

· 4 states

The toughest. Higher fees, inspections, or hard caps make a porch bakery harder here. Possible, but go in with eyes open.

  • New Jersey

    5/14
    To start
    $100 (2-yr)
    Cap
    $50k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Manager cert; no mail even in-state; was the last state to legalize home baking.

    Full guide coming

  • Connecticut

    4/14
    To start
    $50
    Cap
    $50k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Hard cap then license-up; no shipping/consignment; training + zoning + water test.

    Full guide coming

  • Rhode Island

    4/14
    To start
    $65/yr
    Cap
    $50k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    Narrowest in the nation: baked goods only; no shipping; markets need +$100.

    Full guide coming

  • Washington

    3/14
    To start
    $355/2yr
    Cap
    $35k
    Cheesecake
    Shelf-stable

    $355 fee, ANNUAL inspection, food-worker card, $35k cap, no shipping.

    Full guide coming

How we scored this

In shortWe graded every state on 7 things a porch baker actually cares about, out of 14 — then grouped the scores into tiers. The number is legal friendliness, not a promise; read each state’s flag for the catch.

Every state’s law is different, and most rankings out there are vibes. Ours isn’t — it’s the same seven questions asked of all 51 jurisdictions, scored from the official statutes and agency pages (the sources are linked on each state’s full guide). Here’s the rubric:

What we askedBest (full points)Worst (zero)
Cost to get legal$0 / no registrationOver $300 or a commercial kitchen
Sales capNo cap on what you earnA low or restrictive ceiling
Can you sell cheesecake?Refrigerated treats allowedShelf-stable only
Kitchen inspectionNoneOngoing / annual
Where you can sellOnline + ship in-state + anywhere agreedHeavily restricted
Training required?No course neededMandatory course
Getting friendlier?Liberalized in 2023–2026No recent change

Tiers: Excellent 12–14 · Good 9–11 · Moderate 6–8 · Restrictive 3–5. A few states score high on a line that actually costs extra (we flag those), and a handful change on a known date — Colorado, for instance, jumps from a low-cap trap to one of the best on January 1, 2027. We re-score when the law changes, which is the whole point of the next part.

Why this one is actually current

In shortMost cottage-law guides online are years stale — and stale legal info is worse than none. We check ours against the official sources and date-stamp every state.

Cottage food laws change almost every legislative session — Texas tripled its limits in 2025, Virginia opened up internet sales in 2026, Colorado’s big change lands in 2027. The popular guides haven’t kept up; several still describe laws that were rewritten years ago. Every state on this page is scored from the current statute, and each full guide carries a “last checked” date tied to its sources. When a law changes and we haven’t caught it yet, tell us — there’s a correction link on every page.

Already baking? Put your porch on the map.

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This page is educational, not legal advice — we’re not lawyers, just neighbors who read each state’s official sources and wrote down what they say. The scores are our read of how friendly a state’s law is for a beginner; they’re not a guarantee, and the details that matter to you may turn on your city or county. Always double-check with your own city and state before you sell. When something here and the law disagree, the law wins.