Georgia Can you legally sell food from home in Georgia?

Cottage Food Law

Georgia’s cottage food laws are pretty good, though it takes some effort for cottage food operators to get setup initially. Operators must have a business license, take a training course, send in an application, and get their home inspected before they can get their cottage food license. However, once setup, they are not limited to a certain amount of sales per year, and the list of foods they can sell is fairly comprehensive.

Georgia has more workplace and labeling requirements than most state’s cottage food laws, which are described in detail in the bill. Indirect sales of goods are not allowed.

Table of Contents

Selling Allowed Foods Limitations Business Labeling Workplace Resources Forum

Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?

Allowed Venues

Events Farmers markets Home Online Roadside stands

Allowed Services

Delivery Home Pickup Mail order

Prohibited Venues

Restaurants Retail stores

Prohibited Services

Wholesale

Operators must conspicuously display their cottage food operator license at the point of sale.

Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?

Prohibited Foods

Perishable baked goods

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 equipment prohibited Interstate sales prohibited No domestic activity Pets restricted Smoking restricted

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?

Business license

First, an operator must apply for a business license from their county’s permits department, which costs $50.

ANSI-accredited food safety manager course

Next, the operator must get trained in an ANSI-accredited food safety manager course, like the Learn2Serve Food Safety Manager Online Course, which costs about $100.

Cottage food license

Each operator must then apply for a cottage food license by filling out a form on the cottage food website for Georgia. The fee for the cottage food license is $100 (or $50 after June 30th of the year). On the application, the operator must list the products they intend to sell. If they want to create new products after they have a license, that will require a new application and incur another fee.

Home inspection

Before getting a license, the Department of Agriculture or Environmental Health Department will setup an appointment for the cottage food operator to get their kitchen inspected, and there is no additional fee for that. There are a number of items that the inspector must check in the inspection, which are listed in the cottage food bill.

Private well analysis

If the cottage food operator’s water comes from a private water source, the water must be analyzed and approved before a license will be given, which costs $100.

Private sewer inspection

If the operator uses a private sewage system, they must get their septic tank checked ($125) and then pumped ($300-$500).

All in all, the total startup costs for an operator could be as low as $275 or as high as $1000.

Here is some great info about collecting sales tax.

Labeling How do you label cottage food products?

Label Requirements

Allergens Business address Business name Ingredients Net amount Product name Statement

Sample Label

Chocolate Chip Cookies

"MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS" (10-point type, in Times New Roman or Arial font)

Forrager Cookie Company

123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, GA 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 a nutritional claim is made on the label, then the federal requirements for nutrition info must be followed.

There are some specialized requirements for items that are not individually wrapped or packaged, which may be found in the cottage food bill.

The scale used to weigh cottage foods must be checked for accuracy by the Department of Agriculture once every year.