Georgia Can you legally sell food from home in Georgia?

Cottage Food Law

Georgia has had a cottage food law since 2012. In 2025, they passed a new bill (HB 398), which became one of the best cottage food laws in the country.

Cottage food operators in Georgia can now sell almost any type of non-perishable food in any venue, including direct sales, wholesale, and online sales.

There is no sales limit, and operators do not need to get a license or inspection from the health department, but they need to take a basic food safety course.

Georgia is also one of the only states that allows interstate sales of cottage food products.

Table of Contents

Selling Allowed Foods Limitations Business Labeling Resources Forum

Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?

Allowed Venues

Events Farmers markets Home Online Restaurants Retail stores Roadside stands

Allowed Services

Delivery Home Pickup Mail order Wholesale

If a third-party (e.g. retail store, restaurant, etc) sells your products, they must display cottage food products separately from commercial products, and must label the cottage food section as products that are made in residential kitchens that are exempt from state inspection.

Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?

Bread

Bagels Breads Brownies Cake pops Cakes Cookies Crepes Cupcakes Donuts Macarons Muffins & Biscuits Pizzelles Rolls Scones Sweet breads Tortillas Wedding cakes

Candy

Brittles Buttercream frosting Candies Chocolate Cotton candy Fudge Truffles

Condiments

Mustards Nut butters Oils Pickles Syrups Vinegars

Dry goods

Cereals Coffee beans Dried fruit Dried vegetables Herbs Mixes Pasta noodles Spices & Seasonings Tea leaves

Other

Carbonated drinks

Pastries

Churros Cones Danish Empanadas & Tamales Other Pastries Pies

Preserves

Jams & jellies Marmalades Other Preserves

Snacks

Candied apples Caramel corn Chocolate-covered fruit Chocolate-covered items Crackers & Pretzels Fruit leathers Granola Kettle corn Marshmallows Nuts & seeds Popcorn Vegetable chips

Prohibited Foods

Perishable baked goods Fruit butters Low-acid canned foods Meat jerkies

There are probably more prohibited foods, but the ones above have been confirmed

Only "non-potentially hazardous" foods are allowed, but certain non-PHFs may not be allowed. Most foods that don't need to be refrigerated (foods without meat, cheese, etc.) are considered non-potentially hazardous. Learn more

Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?

Limitations

Commercial kitchen prohibited Perishable foods prohibited

There may be more limitations, but the ones above have been confirmed

There is no sales limit

Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?

Food Safety Training

You must take an ANSI-accredited food handler course, such as Learn2Serve’s online course, which costs $10 and takes 2 hours to complete.

Private water testing

If you use a private water source, your water must be tested annually.

Labeling How do you label cottage food products?

Label Requirements

Business address Business name Phone number Statement

Sample Label

"This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens." (10-point type)

Forrager Cookie Company

123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, GA 73531

Phone: (123) 456-7890

If you don’t want to put your home address on your labels, you can get an identification number from the ag department to put on your labels instead.

Where you put the labeling information will depend on how you sell your products:

If your product is packaged, put the info on the product label.
If you sell from a bulk container, put the info on a label on the container.
If your product is not packaged nor sold in bulk, put the info on a placard at the point of sale.
If you sell online, put the info on the webpage where it’s sold.
If you sell by phone or custom order, you must inform the customer that the product was made in your residential kitchen that is not inspected, and that your products may contain allergens. You also must provide the labeling info if the customer requests it.
If a third-party (e.g. retail store) sells your products, you must label your products as specified above, and the third-party must display cottage food products separately from commercial products, and must label the cottage food section as products that are made in residential kitchens that are exempt from state inspection.