Home and Hearth BakerCottage food operation
410 ILCS 625/4 (Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, Sec. 4) · P.A. 97-393 (2011, eff. 2012-01-01); expanded by P.A. 100-1069 (2018), P.A. 102-633 Home-to-Market Act (2021)
Yearly sales limit
No state limit
Permit or registration
Yes
Registration (certificate of registration with registration number)
Local health department for the unit of local government where the operation is located (Chicago: Chicago Department of Public Health; suburban Cook: Cook County Department of Public Health). Counties without a local health department must contract with an adjacent county's health department (P.A. 103-903).
Fee: Set by local health department; statutory cap $50 (examples: DuPage $50, McHenry $50, Coles $50, Egyptian Health Dept $50)
Registration (certificate of registration with registration number)
Local health department for the unit of local government where the operation is located (Chicago: Chicago Department of Public Health; suburban Cook: Cook County Department of Public Health). Counties without a local health department must contract with an adjacent county's health department (P.A. 103-903).
Fee: Set by local health department; statutory cap $50 (examples: DuPage $50, McHenry $50, Coles $50, Egyptian Health Dept $50)
Food safety training
Yes
Department-approved Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM), ANSI-accredited, for every person preparing or packaging products
Department-approved Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM), ANSI-accredited, for every person preparing or packaging products
Where you make it
Kitchen in the operator's primary domestic residence, or another appropriately designed and equipped kitchen on a farm; one registration per kitchen; may not be made in a licensed commercial kitchen (Extension 2026 addendum)
Selling in person
Farmers' markets; fairs, festivals, public events; mobile farmers markets; pickup from the operator's home or farm (unless barred by a local law that applies equally to all cottage food operations; in a municipality of 1,000,000+ i.e. Chicago, must follow that city's home-based business laws); pickup from third-party private property with the holder's consent
Phone and online orders
Online sales allowed; point-of-sale notice must appear on the online sales interface
Delivery and shipping
Delivery to the customer allowed
Selling out of state
No
Stores and wholesale
No
Examples you can sell
All food and drink except the items prohibited in 410 ILCS 625/4(b)(1.5). Law allows some TCS foods (e.g. non-canned fermented/acidified foods kept at or below 41 F) — broader than Home and Hearth Baker's shelf-stable policy.
- Breads, sourdough bread and starter, cookies, cakes, muffins, scones
- Fruit pies (high-acid)
- Baked goods and candy containing dairy if not TCS (e.g. caramel)
- Baked goods with buttercream-style frosting (dairy, cooked/not-raw eggs)
- Dry noodles with eggs
- Candy and confections
- Alcohol-based extracts (e.g. vanilla) not meant to be drunk as a beverage
- Jams, jellies, high-acid canned foods
- Canned tomatoes (tested recipe or lab-tested)
- Acidified and fermented foods (tested recipe or food safety plan plus pH test)
Not allowed
- Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, shellfish
- Dairy, except as an ingredient in a baked good or candy that is not TCS, or in a baked good frosting such as buttercream
- Eggs, except as an ingredient in a non-TCS food (including dry noodles) or in a baked good frosting if the eggs are not raw (Extension: no raw eggs including pasteurized raw eggs; meringue powder OK)
- Pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies, cheesecakes, custard pies, creme pies, and pastries with potentially hazardous fillings or toppings
- Garlic in oil or oil infused with garlic, unless acidified
- Low-acid canned foods
- Sprouts
- Cut leafy greens, unless dehydrated, acidified, or blanched and frozen
- Cut or pureed fresh tomato or melon; dehydrated tomato or melon; frozen cut melon
- Wild-harvested, non-cultivated mushrooms (even if bought commercially, per Extension)
The statement your labels must carry
This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.