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Minnesota Cottage Food Laws

Everything you need to know about selling homemade food in Minnesota

Has Law
Yes
Annual Limit
$78,000/year
Online Sales
Allowed
In-State Shipping
Allowed
License Required:Required
Labeling Required:Required

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Minnesota Cottage Food Law: A Comprehensive Guide

This guide provides an in-depth look at Minnesota’s cottage food law, covering key aspects such as sales limits, registration, training, allowed foods, labeling, sales venues, taxes, and practical steps to get started—as of the latest official information available.

Quick Facts

Requirement Minnesota
Annual Sales Limit $78,000/year
License Required Registration with MDA required; food license if above cap or selling prohibited items
Registration Required Yes, annually
Home Inspection No home inspection required
Food Safety Training Tier 1: annual online exam; Tier 2: food safety course every 3 years; advanced training for all starting 2027
Labeling Required Name/business, address or reg. number, production date, ingredients/allergens, statement “These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection”
Online Sales Yes, with in-person delivery only (no shipping for human foods yet)
Delivery Yes, in-person; pet treats may be shipped
Shipping Pet treats yes; human cottage food no (until 2027 intra-state shipping will be allowed)

1. Overview / Introduction

Minnesota’s Cottage Food Law, known as the Cottage Food Exemption, first took effect in 2015, allowing individuals to prepare and sell certain low-risk foods from home without a full food license. The law was expanded in 2021–2022 to raise sales caps and adjust training and labeling requirements, and further legislative changes passed in 2025 will take effect on August 1, 2027. These upcoming changes will consolidate to one registration tier, implement a $30 annual fee, allow intra‑state shipping, and require advanced training for all registrants (mda.state.mn.us).

2. Sales Limits

  • You may sell up to $78,000 in gross annual sales as a registered cottage food producer; exceeding that requires obtaining a food license (mda.state.mn.us).
  • There's a Tier 1 cap of $7,665, with no registration fee; sales between $7,666–$78,000 (Tier 2) incur a $50 registration fee (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Under upcoming 2027 changes, there will be only one tier, with a standard $30 annual fee for all registrants (mda.state.mn.us).

3. Licensing & Registration

To operate legally:

  1. Register annually with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) before selling cottage foods—this applies regardless of your sales level (mda.state.mn.us).
  2. For Tier 1 producers (≤ $7,665/year): complete free online training and exam annually before registration.
  3. For Tier 2 ($7,666–$78,000/year): complete an approved food safety course via University of Minnesota Extension (online or in-person), once every three years while selling cottage foods (mda.state.mn.us).
  4. Fees: Tier 1 = no fee; Tier 2 = $50 fee (plus $2.50 online processing if applicable) (mda.state.mn.us).
  5. Upon approval, you'll receive a registration card and number by mail, typically within 3–4 weeks; you can check registration status online before the card arrives (mda.state.mn.us).

4. Training Requirements

  • Tier 1: Free online training and exam, required annually before each registration (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Tier 2: Approved food safety training (University of Minnesota Extension), required once every three years or upon moving from Tier 1 into Tier 2 (i.e., exceeding $7,665) (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Under the 2027 law, all registrants will require advanced training, regardless of sales volume (mda.state.mn.us).

5. Home Kitchen Inspection

  • No home kitchen inspection is required for cottage food producers; the exemption allows non-potentially hazardous foods to be prepared at home without licensing or inspection, provided all conditions are met (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Note: Local zoning may prohibit food production in a residential kitchen—check with your city or county (mda.state.mn.us).

6. Allowed Foods

  • Permitted human cottage foods include non‑potentially hazardous items, such as baked goods (bread, cookies), candies, jams, jellies, and home‑canned pickles, fruits, or vegetables with pH ≤ 4.6 or water activity ≤ 0.85 (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Allowed as “products of the farm or garden,” exempt from cottage registration: fruits, vegetables, honey, maple syrup, eggs, meat, poultry—when produced on land occupied/cultivated by you and unaltered by off‑land ingredients (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Pet treats: Baked or dehydrated treats for dogs and cats are now allowed under cottage food registration; pet treats may be shipped to end consumers (mda.state.mn.us).

7. Prohibited Foods

  • Meat, dairy products, unbaked eggs, cheese, yogurt, butter, pickled eggs or meats, dehydrated meats or fish (e.g., jerky) are not allowed due to being potentially hazardous—these require a food license (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Chocolate‑covered fruit (e.g., berries, pineapple) is specifically prohibited even if components are allowed individually (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Honey or maple syrup products that incorporate off‑land ingredients (e.g., spices), are no longer considered “product of the farm or garden” and require a food license or registration depending on formulation (mda.state.mn.us).

8. Labeling Requirements

Labels must include:

  • Registrant’s full name or business name;
  • Registration number or your address;
  • Production date;
  • Statement: “These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection”;
  • Ingredient list including major allergens (milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame) (mda.state.mn.us). Additional requirements:
  • No replacement of required label info with QR codes; they may only be supplementary (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Signage: At point of sale, clearly display: “These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection.” For internet sales, display this statement on your webpage (mda.state.mn.us).

9. Where You Can Sell

Allowed venues for human cottage foods:

  • Direct to consumer: from private home, farmers’ markets, community events, or online—with the caveat that products must be delivered in person and the producer (or employee) must be physically present at sale or delivery (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Shipping human cottage foods is not allowed; however, pet treats may be shipped via mail or commercial delivery to the consumer (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Retail stores or wholesale are prohibited for cottage foods; such sales require a food license (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Unattended stands at home may be used if zoning permits, but maintain food protection and labeling (mda.state.mn.us).
  • CSA delivery: Permissible if items are picked up by customers at your home or you deliver directly—no drop-off points allowed (mda.state.mn.us).

10. Sales Tax

The sources state that cottage food sales are subject to income tax and may also be subject to sales tax. Sellers should consult the Minnesota Department of Revenue for specific state and local tax obligations (mda.state.mn.us).

11. Special Exemptions

  • The ’product of the farm or garden’ exemption: home‑grown items (e.g., fruits, vegetables, honey, maple syrup) produced on land you occupy are exempt from both a food license and cottage food registration, provided they contain no off‑land ingredients (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Pet treats: Now officially included under cottage food registration—even allowing mail or commercial delivery (mda.state.mn.us).
  • Sampling: At farmers markets or community events, cottage food producers can provide free samples (≤ 3 oz) of items they sell; these must be properly labeled through signage listing ingredients/allergens (mda.state.mn.us).

12. Getting Started

  1. Check local zoning to ensure home production or on‑site stands are permitted (mda.state.mn.us).
  2. Determine your expected annual sales:
    • ≤ $7,665 → Tier 1: complete online training/exam
    • $7,666–$78,000 → Tier 2: complete Extension food safety training
  3. Complete the appropriate training and exam, then register online via MDA portal and pay fee if applicable (mda.state.mn.us).
  4. Wait for your registration card and unique number, which arrives by mail (allow ~3–4 weeks); you can begin selling once it's listed in the MDA system (mda.state.mn.us).
  5. Prepare labels and signage that meet legal requirements (name, address or registration number, date, ingredients/allergens, mandatory statement) (mda.state.mn.us).
  6. Choose your sales venues—direct sales only (home, markets, events, online in-person delivery); no shipping of human food yet (mda.state.mn.us).
  7. Maintain annual revenue tracking to stay within limits; renew registration annually by your expiration (e.g., by April 1 each year) (mda.state.mn.us).

13. Official Resources

Refer to these official sources for forms, training, and guidance:

  • MDA Cottage Food Producer Registration: portal for new and renewing applications, tier guidance, registration process (mda.state.mn.us)
  • MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance: FAQs, legislative updates, venue rules, allowed foods (mda.state.mn.us)
  • Minnesota Statutes § 28A.152: statutory framework (available via MN Revisor site) (revisor.mn.gov)
  • Updated Cottage Food Training (Jan 2022): Tier 1 training slide deck (mda.state.mn.us)

Official Sources

This guide was compiled from the following official sources:

Important Notes

⚠️ Local zoning restrictions may prohibit home food production or sales—always verify with your city or county.

⚠️ The 2027 legislative changes (single tier, $30 fee, advanced training, intra‑state shipping) are not yet in effect and implementation begins August 1, 2027; current rules apply until then.

⚠️ Sales tax obligations are not detailed here; consult Minnesota Department of Revenue for specifics.

Last updated: January 1, 2026

Disclaimer: This information is provided for general guidance only and may not be current. Cottage food laws change frequently. Always verify requirements with your state's health department before starting a home food business.