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Indiana cottage food law

Selling home-baked goods in Indiana

How home bakers in Indiana can sell what they make: the sales limit, permits, training, where you can sell and the statement your labels must carry. Indiana has 2 ways to operate; each is shown below.

At a glance: Home-based vendor

Sales limit
The state sets no yearly sales limit.
License or permit
No state permit or registration is required.
Food safety training
Yes: Food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer.
Online orders
Allowed; label must also be shown on the vendor's web page.
Label statement
“This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health.”

Indiana also has 1 other way to sell, shown below.

About this information. Indiana’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.

Home-based vendor

IC 16-42-5.3 · HEA 1149 (2022), P.L.49-2022; it repealed the old home-based vendor section IC 16-42-5-29 (HEA 1149 SECTION 3, effective 2022-07-01)

Yearly sales limit
No state limit
Permit or registration
Not required by the state
Food safety training
Yes
Food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer
Where you make it
Primary residence
Selling in person
Farmers markets, roadside stands, events that permit HBVs
Phone and online orders
Allowed; label must also be shown on the vendor's web page
Delivery and shipping
May ship or deliver from home within Indiana: in person, mail, or carrier, tamper-evident packaging
Selling out of state
No
Stores and wholesale
No

Examples you can sell

Non-TCS foods only (no time/temperature control needed for safety)

  • Breads, bagels, scones, sourdough, quick breads
  • Cookies, muffins
  • High-acid fruit pies, pecan pie
  • Cupcakes and cakes with commercially prepared shelf-stable frosting or a lab-tested recipe
  • Candy and confections
  • Jams and jellies from high-acid fruit, full-sugar
  • Honey, molasses, sorghum, maple syrup
  • Tree nuts, legumes, roasted coffee beans

Not allowed

  • Cheesecake
  • Cream and custard pies
  • Dairy products other than commercial dairy used as an ingredient
  • Meat, poultry, aquatic animals
  • Pickled, acidified, or fermented foods
  • Pepper jelly, low-acid jams
  • Home-canned vegetables
  • Homemade vanilla extract
  • Pet treats
  • Repackaged bulk foods

The statement your labels must carry

This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE.

In type at least 10 point.

Homestead vendor

IC 16-42-5.4 · HEA 1424 (2026)

Yearly sales limit
$1,500,000
Permit or registration
Not required by the state
Food safety training
Only to ship or deliver
Food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer
Where you make it
Own property: primary residence or agricultural land, owned or leased
Selling in person
From the property or at a farmers market
Phone and online orders
Orders by phone or online from Indiana buyers (Home and Hearth Baker policy)
Delivery and shipping
May ship or deliver from home within Indiana, sealed packages; food handler certificate required to ship or deliver
Selling out of state
No
Stores and wholesale
No

Examples you can sell

Listed categories only, primarily derived from the property; Home and Hearth Baker policy: no foods that need refrigeration (non-TCS only)

  • Prepared foods and baked goods (some subject to federal rules)
  • Candy
  • Produce
  • Natural sweeteners
  • Fruit spreads
  • Meat raised on the property and processed under IC 15-17-5

Not allowed

  • Foods that need refrigeration (Home and Hearth Baker policy), e.g. cheesecake, cream and custard pies

The statement your labels must carry

This product was produced by a homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm that is exempt from government licensing and inspection.

In type at least 10 point.

Common questions about Indiana’s cottage food law

Can I sell baked goods from home in Indiana?

Yes. Indiana lets home bakers sell food made in their own kitchen in 2 ways: Home-based vendor; Homestead vendor. 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 Indiana?

Home-based vendor: No state permit or registration is required. Homestead vendor: No state permit or registration is required.

How much can I sell from home in Indiana?

Home-based vendor: The state sets no yearly sales limit. Homestead vendor: Up to $1,500,000 a year in sales.

Do I need food safety training in Indiana?

Home-based vendor: Yes: Food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer. Homestead vendor: Only to ship or deliver.

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

Home-based vendor: Online and phone orders: Allowed; label must also be shown on the vendor's web page. Delivery and shipping: May ship or deliver from home within Indiana: in person, mail, or carrier, tamper-evident packaging. Selling to other states is not allowed. Homestead vendor: Online and phone orders: Orders by phone or online from Indiana buyers. Delivery and shipping: May ship or deliver from home within Indiana, sealed packages; food handler certificate required to ship or deliver. Selling to other states is not allowed.

What must a cottage food label say in Indiana?

Labels must carry this statement: “This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE.”, 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.

Home and Hearth Baker knows Indiana’s rules

The program puts Indiana’s required wording on every label for you, tracks your sales against any yearly limit, and updates for free when the rules change.

Try it free for 30 daysSee what it does

Official sources

  1. IDOH Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook (Summer 2025)
  2. IDOH guidance on homestead and small farm food sales (2026-05-26), ISDA copy
  3. IC 16-42-5.3 (home based food products), official copy on in.gov
  4. IDOH guidance on homestead and small farm food sales (2026-05-26)
  5. HEA 1424 (2026) enrolled text
  6. HB 1424 (2026) Senate committee print, HB1424.04.COMS (iga.in.gov)
  7. HB 1424 (2026) Senate committee print, copy used because iga.in.gov would not open (billtexts mirror)
  8. HEA 1424 (2026) enrolled fiscal note, HB1424.05.ENRS.FN001 (billtexts mirror)
  9. HEA 1149 (2022) enrolled act (Purdue Extension copy; repeals IC 16-42-5-29)
  10. CounselStack: IC 16-42-5.3-5 (2026 code, third-party)
  11. HB 1424 (2026) fiscal note
  12. Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook (Spring 2025)

Nearby states

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