Cottage Food Law /US
A structured reference to state cottage food rules

United States · OH

Ohio

Cottage Food Production Operation

Informational only — not legal advice. Verify every requirement with the official agency cited below before producing or selling food.

At a glance

Administering agency
Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Division of Food Safety

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Permit required
No

Cottage food operations are exempt from ODA licensing and inspection. Bakery items that need refrigeration (e.g., cheesecakes, cream, custard, and pumpkin pies) require a separate Home Bakery license.

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

License cost
None

Cottage food: no license, no fee. The separate Home Bakery license is $10 per year, renewed every September.

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Annual sales cap
No cap

No sales limit appears in Ohio's cottage food rules or ODA guidance.

Source: Ohio Adm. Code Chapter 901:3-20 · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Training required
No

Ohio's cottage food rules contain no training requirement.

Source: Ohio Adm. Code Chapter 901:3-20 · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Home inspection
No

Exempt from ODA inspection; products remain subject to ODA sampling.

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Permit details

How it works
Ohio cottage food production operations need no license or inspection from ODA, but their products are subject to ODA food sampling to check for misbranding or adulteration. Potentially hazardous bakery products that need refrigeration require a separate, inspected Home Bakery license.

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Allowed foods

Allowed
  • Non-potentially hazardous bakery products (e.g., cookies, breads, brownies, cakes, fruit pies)
  • Jams
  • Jellies
  • Candy (including no-bake cookies and chocolate-covered pretzels), not including fresh fruit dipped in or combined with candy
  • Flavored honey produced by a beekeeper exempt under ORC 3715.021(A)
  • Fruit chutneys
  • Fruit butters
  • Granola, granola bars, and candy-dipped granola bars (any fruit must be commercially dried)
  • Maple sugar produced by an exempt maple syrup producer
  • Popcorn, flavored popcorn, kettle corn, popcorn balls, caramel corn (not popping corn)
  • Unfilled baked donuts
  • Waffle cones, including candy-dipped
  • Pizzelles
  • Dry cereal and nut snack mixes with seasonings
  • Roasted coffee, whole beans or ground
  • Dry baking mixes in a jar
  • Dry herbs and herb blends
  • Dry soup mixes with commercially dried vegetables, beans, grains, and seasonings
  • Dry seasoning blends
  • Dry tea blends

The list is exhaustive: foods not expressly listed may not be produced (rule 901:3-20-05). Reduced oxygen packaging is not allowed.

Source: Ohio Adm. Code Chapter 901:3-20, rule 901:3-20-04 · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Prohibited
  • Potentially hazardous foods (e.g., raw or cooked animal products, cooked vegetables, garlic in oil, cheesecakes, pumpkin pies, custard pies, cream pies)
  • Acidified foods (e.g., pickles)
  • Low-acid canned foods
  • Any food not on the approved list

Also barred by Ohio Adm. Code 901:3-20-05.

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Labeling requirements

On every package
  • Name of the food (common or usual name)
  • Net quantity in both U.S. customary and metric units
  • Ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight
  • Major food allergens declared in the ingredient list or a "Contains" statement
  • Name and address of the business
  • "This product is home produced." in 10-point type
  • Nutrition Facts panel if nutrient content or health claims are made

Required by ORC 3715.023 and OAC 901:3-20-02 (21 CFR Part 101).

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food (labeling) · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Sales channels

Where you can sell
  • In person: Yes
  • Farmers market: Yes
  • Online (in-state): Not addressed
  • Online (out-of-state shipping): No
  • Delivery (in-state): Not addressed
  • Retail / wholesale resale: Yes
  • Ohio only. Direct from the home where made; through grocery stores, registered farm markets, farmers' markets, and restaurants; and at festivals organized by a political subdivision lasting no more than seven days. Items must be pre-packaged and labeled at markets. ODA's cottage food guidance doesn't address online sales or delivery.

Source: Ohio Dept. of Agriculture — Cottage Food · Verified Sep 15, 2026

Caveats

  • The Home Bakery program (a separate $10/year license with a home kitchen inspection) covers bakery items that need refrigeration.
  • Plain honey isn't on the cottage food list; beekeepers who jar honey mostly from their own hives are covered by a separate exemption (ORC 3715.021).

Official sources

Page last reviewed: 2026-09-15

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