Hawaii cottage food law

Selling home-baked goods in Hawaii

How home bakers in Hawaii can sell what they make: the sales limit, permits, training, where you can sell and the statement your labels must carry.

At a glance

Sales limit: The state sets no yearly sales limit.
License or permit: No state permit or registration is required.
Food safety training: Yes: A food safety course that is part of a DOH food safety program or another DOH-approved program.
Online orders: Allowed: 'remotely, including by telephone or the internet'.
Label statement: “Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health”

About this information. Hawaii’s rules are summarized from the latest publicly available state laws, regulations and agency guidance, last checked November 3, 2026. Laws change, and county and city health departments may have their own requirements. This is not legal advice. Before you sell, confirm the rules with your state or local health department.

Homemade food products (home kitchen exempt from food establishment permit)

HAR 11-50-2 (definitions of 'home kitchen' and 'homemade food products'), 11-50-3(c) (exemption and conditions), 11-50-20(c) (food safety course), 11-50-35(c)(3) (label); Act 195, SLH 2024 (HB 2144); Act 110, SLH 2026 (SB 3302, farm kitchens) · Homemade food exemption added to HAR 11-50 by DOH rules amended 2017-09-01; expanded by DOH rule amendments effective 2025-08-24 as directed by Act 195, SLH 2024 (HB 2144, signed 2024-07-03); Act 110, SLH 2026 (SB 3302, signed 2026-06-08) adds farm kitchens once DOH writes rules

Yearly sales limit

No state limit
No sales cap in HAR 11-50-3(c), Act 195 (2024), or the DOH handout

Permit or registration

Not required by the state

Food safety training

Yes
A food safety course that is part of a DOH food safety program or another DOH-approved program (HAR 11-50-3(c)(1), 11-50-20(c)). DOH: free DOH food handler class or an ANSI-accredited course; DOH certificate is valid 3 years

Where you make it

A home kitchen: 'a kitchen designed and intended for use by the residents of a home' (HAR 11-50-2). A handwashing sink with cleaning compound must be available at all times during food preparation (HAR 11-50-3(c)(2)). The operation must make or package only homemade food products (HAR 11-50-3(c)). Farm kitchens on agricultural land will be treated like home kitchens under Act 110 (2026) once DOH adopts rules.

Selling in person

Allowed: directly to the consumer in person (HAR 11-50-3(c)(4)(A)); DOH handout lists fundraisers, craft fairs, and farmers markets

Phone and online orders

Allowed: 'remotely, including by telephone or the internet' (HAR 11-50-3(c)(4)(A))

Delivery and shipping

Allowed: delivered to the consumer by the operator, an agent, or a third-party vendor (HAR 11-50-3(c)(4)(C))

Selling out of state

Not addressed by HAR 11-50; DOH says the FDA does not recognize homemade food products as an approved source (see open questions)

Stores and wholesale

Allowed: through an agent or a third-party vendor such as a food establishment (HAR 11-50-3(c)(4)(B)); DOH handout: permitted food establishments using or selling them must give patrons written disclosure and show the label on request

Examples you can sell

Not time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food produced or packaged in a home kitchen, not including dried meats or seafood; also plant foods that are pickled, fermented, or acidified with a pH of 4.2 or less or a water activity below 0.88 (HAR 11-50-2)

Baked goods without custard or cream fillings (DOH handout)
Jams and jellies (DOH handout)
Dried tomatoes (DOH handout)
Pickles and kimchi made from plant foods (DOH handout)
Juice, sold directly to consumers only (DOH handout)

Not allowed

Time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods (HAR 11-50-2)
Dried meats and dried seafood (HAR 11-50-2)
Baked goods with custard or cream fillings (DOH handout)
Canned foods, except jams and jellies (DOH handout)
Vacuum-packaged foods (DOH handout)
Pickled, fermented, or acidified melon-family fruits such as cantaloupe (Act 195; DOH handout)
Products with cut tomatoes such as salsa unless kept at 41 F or below (HAR 11-50-2); refrigerated, so outside this app

The statement your labels must carry

Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health

Common questions about Hawaii’s cottage food law

Can I sell baked goods from home in Hawaii?

Yes. Hawaii lets home bakers sell food made in their own kitchen as a homemade food products (home kitchen exempt from food establishment permit). 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 Hawaii?

No state permit or registration is required.

How much can I sell from home in Hawaii?

The state sets no yearly sales limit.

Do I need food safety training in Hawaii?

Yes: A food safety course that is part of a DOH food safety program or another DOH-approved program.

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

Online and phone orders: Allowed: 'remotely, including by telephone or the internet'. Delivery and shipping: Allowed: delivered to the consumer by the operator, an agent, or a third-party vendor.

What must a cottage food label say in Hawaii?

Labels must carry this statement: “Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health”. Most states also require the product name, ingredients in order of weight, allergens, net weight, and your name and address.

Home and Hearth Baker knows Hawaii’s rules

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