Iowa Can you legally sell food from home in Iowa?
Cottage Food Law
Iowa has two different laws for home cooks, both of which predate most modern cottage food laws. Iowa has been allowing sales of homemade food since at least the 1980s.
First, Iowa has an exemption that allows producers can sell most types of non-perishable food products from home and at farmers markets, without needing any license or permit from the Department of Inspections & Appeals. There are no sales limitations, and the labeling requirements are very basic.
Iowa also has a law specifically for home bakeries, which allows bakers to sell most types of baked goods (including most perishable baked goods) at any venue.
Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?
You can sell baked goods at more venues by becoming a Home Bakery.
Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?
You can sell any kind of non-perishable food, except for some kinds of canned foods, cured foods (meat jerkies), fermented foods, and juices.
You can sell perishable baked goods by getting licensed as a Home Bakery.
Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?
Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?
You do not need to get any license or inspection from the Department of Inspections & Appeals.
Certain types of products are exempt from sales tax.
Labeling How do you label cottage food products?
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Forrager Cookie Company
123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, IA 73531
Resources Where can you find more information about this law?
- Department
- Department of Inspections and Appeals
- Telephone
- 515-281-6538
- Address
- Lucas State Office Building, Third Floor
321 East 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0083
Tina 
ODAI JORDAN
Amy
Tyler
Brenn
Comments
deb Hospodka
I want to sell Jolly Rancher suckers at craft fairs. Do in need a license in Iowa?
Nightengale
Are wedding mints, commonly known as cream cheese mints, allowed to be sold at the Farmers Market? They do not require refrigeration. Under the cottage food law in Minnesota I know that they are. But I do not know if they are or are not in Iowa. Please let me know. Sincerely Debra Nightingale
Celeste Neff
Hi, can I make and sell Hot Pepper Jelly here in Iowa? I am interested in making it from my home, but the information stated that low acid/sugar jellies may not be permitted.
Thank you!
Daniel Koehn
What are the requirements for selling home boiled maple syrup out of my home ?? Can I legally sell it without any license ?
Georgeanne Wilson
Why are roadside market is not allowable under the cottage.? The farmers market’s will be finished but I will have wonderful produce well after the season to be sold and now I have no venue to sell it… Are there alternatives?
Nicholas
I want to sell federally inspected beef that I raise by the frozen package, out of my home how can I find out what the minimum requirements are for the facility to get inspected? Want to start with just freezer space basically, no processing of raw will be done.