Michigan Can you legally sell food from home in Michigan?
Cottage Food Law
Michigan first enacted a cottage food law in 2010 (HB 5280). It was amended in 2012 (HB 5130) and 2025 (HB 4122).
Producers can sell many types of non-perishable foods directly to consumers at most sales venues, including sales from home, at events, online, in-state shipping, and via third-party delivery.
It is very easy to start a cottage food business, since no license or inspection from the ag department is needed.
However, sales are limited to $50,000 per year, and wholesale (through retail stores, food establishments, etc) is not allowed.
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Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?
You can only sell online, by mail order, or through a third-party food delivery platform (like Doordash) if you allow the customer to directly interact with you before they purchase your products. “Directly interact with” means a face-to-face meeting, whether that be in-person or virtually. Please note that you only need to give the customer the opportunity to meet you; they can purchase your products without a face-to-face meeting if they want to.
Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?
There are only two recipes for buttercream frosting that are allowed, which are specified on this page.
There is a lot more information about allowed and disallowed foods on this webpage.
To check if a specific kind of product is allowed, contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development at 800-292-3939 or [email protected]
Maple syrup and honey is not covered under this law, but you can sell it through a separate exemption. To qualify, you need to sell less than $15,001 of maple syrup and honey each year, label your products properly (see Labeling section), and meet basic processing requirements. You can sell these products directly to consumers, as well as indirectly through retail and grocery stores.
Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?
Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?
If you don’t want to list your home address on labels, you can replace it with your telephone number and a registration number.
You can get a registration number from the MSU Product Center, which has a one-time fee up to $50.
Food safety training is not required, but the MSU Extension offers a 2-hour cottage food training course for free. Both in-person and online courses are available.
If your home uses a private well, you should get your water tested annually to make sure that it is potable.
If you have a private septic system for you waste water, the health department recommends that you get it inspected before starting your business.
Labeling How do you label cottage food products?
Chocolate Chip Cookies
"Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development" (11-point type)
Forrager Cookie Company
123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, MI 73531
Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (cream, salt), semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract (vanilla bean extract, alcohol, sugar), baking soda, salt (salt, calcium silicate)
Contains: milk, eggs, wheat, soy
NET WT 2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)
If you don’t want to list your home address on labels, you can replace it with your telephone number and registration number (which you can request from the MSU Product Center).
If you sell maple syrup or honey, you must label those products with the same information that’s specified above, except the statement should read “Processed in a facility not inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development”.
Resources Where can you find more information about this law?
- [email protected]
- Telephone
- 800-292-3939
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
After passing their initial law in 2010 (HB 5280), Michigan raised their sales limit with an amendment in 2012 (HB 5130) and then didn’t amend it again for over a decade.
In 2025, they had the lowest sales limit in the nation and passed a significant amendment (HB 4122) to double the sales limit and allow online sales, shipping, and delivery via third-party platforms.