Florida Cottage Food Law (2026): Selling Baked Goods from Home

At a glance

Sales limit

Up to $250,000 a year in sales.

License or permit

No state permit or registration is required.

Food safety training

No food safety training is required by the state.

Online orders

Allowed: may sell, offer for sale, and accept payment over the Internet or by mail order.

Label statement

“Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations.”

Cottage food operation

Fla. Stat. 500.80; definitions in 500.03(1)(i) ('cottage food operation') and (1)(j) ('cottage food product'); home-based business conditions in 559.955 · s. 21, ch. 2011-205, Laws of Fla.; amended ch. 2017-32 (cap to $50,000), ch. 2021-211 (CS/HB 663, 'Home Sweet Home Act': cap to $250,000, Internet and mail order, mail and carrier delivery, state preemption); reenacted by s. 89, ch. 2025-22 (CS/SB 700, no change to 500.80 text)

Yearly sales limit

$250,000
Annual gross sales of cottage food products may not exceed $250,000 (500.80(1)(a)). Counts all cottage food sales at any location, regardless of the types of products or the number of people involved (500.80(1)(b)). No inflation adjustment. Whether 'annual' means calendar year is not stated.

Permit or registration

Not required by the state

Food safety training

No
Not required by 500.80 or FDACS. UF/IFAS Extension offers optional cottage food classes; some markets may require a food protection manager certificate (UF/IFAS).

Where you make it

At the residence of the natural person, or at the residence of a natural person who has an ownership interest in the entity (Fla. Stat. 500.03(1)). FDACS: only in the kitchen of your home; no rented kitchens or motor home kitchens; potable water from a municipal system or a properly built on-site well. Products may be sold only if stored on the premises (500.80(4)); FDACS: store ingredients and finished products in the single-family residence, not in a garage, shed, barn, or other outbuilding.

Selling in person

Allowed: from the residence, farmers markets, flea markets, roadside stands (a stand may not also sell food that needs a permit) (FDACS). Some markets may require their own vendor license (FDACS).

Phone and online orders

Allowed: may sell, offer for sale, and accept payment over the Internet or by mail order (500.80(2))

Delivery and shipping

Allowed: delivered in person directly to the consumer or to a specific event venue (500.80(2)). FDACS: third parties may not pick up or distribute products.

Selling out of state

Not addressed by 500.80 or the FDACS guide; secondary sources disagree (see open questions). This app covers in-state sales only.

Stores and wholesale

Not allowed: no sales or delivery at wholesale (500.80(2)). FDACS: no sales to restaurants, grocery stores, wholesalers, brokers, distributors, or through permitted or licensed food vendors.

Examples you can sell

Cottage food products: "food that is not time or temperature controlled for safety or a potentially hazardous food as defined by department rule which is sold by a cottage food operation in accordance with s. 500.80" (500.03(1)(j), as amended by ch. 2025-22). Must be prepackaged and labeled.

Loaf breads, rolls, biscuits (UF/IFAS FS425)
Cookies, cakes, pastries, fruit pies (UF/IFAS FS425; FDACS allows cakes if labeling rules are met)
Sweet breads and muffins with fresh or frozen fruit or vegetables baked into the batter (FDACS)
Icings made with margarine, shortening, or vegan butter (FDACS)
Cake pops without disallowed fillings or inedible decorations (FDACS)
Hard candies and lollipops; caramel and candy apples (FDACS)
Jams, jellies, fruit butters made from fresh fruit (FDACS; UF/IFAS)
Nut butters made from ground shelled nuts (FDACS)
Coated or uncoated nuts, popcorn, cereals and granola (UF/IFAS FS425)
Dry or instant bread mixes; grain ground into flour (FDACS)

Not allowed

Time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods, including baked goods that need any refrigeration (FDACS; UF/IFAS)
Cream cheese and butter icings (FDACS)
Pumpkin or sweet potato pies (FDACS)
Cooked vegetable products such as salsas, tomato or spaghetti sauces, vegetable-topped focaccia (FDACS)
Wet products such as salsa, barbecue sauce, mustard (FDACS)
Vegetable butters such as pumpkin butter (FDACS)
Meat fillings (e.g., meat empanadas), dehydrated meats and jerky (FDACS)
Home-canned products used as ingredients (FDACS)
Juice production or bottling; ready-made coffee (FDACS)
Repackaging bulk honey (FDACS)

The statement your labels must carry

Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations.

In type at least 10 point.

Common questions about Florida’s cottage food law

Can I sell baked goods from home in Florida?

Yes. Florida lets home bakers sell food made in their own kitchen as a cottage food operation. Most baked goods that don’t need refrigeration qualify; see the examples on this page.

Do I need a license or permit to sell baked goods in Florida?

No state permit or registration is required.

How much can I sell from home in Florida?

Up to $250,000 a year in sales.

Do I need food safety training in Florida?

No food safety training is required by the state.

Can I sell online or ship my baked goods in Florida?

Online and phone orders: Allowed: may sell, offer for sale, and accept payment over the Internet or by mail order. Delivery and shipping: Allowed: delivered in person directly to the consumer or to a specific event venue.

What must a cottage food label say in Florida?

Labels must carry this statement: “Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations.”, in type at least 10 point. Most states also require the product name, ingredients in order of weight, allergens, net weight, and your name and address.

Selling home-baked goods in Florida