Cottage Food Laws in Georgia
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. Since July 1, 2025, you can make shelf-stable foods (foods that don't need a fridge to stay safe) in your home kitchen and sell them in Georgia without a state license or state fee. You can sell straight to customers, online, by mail order, and to stores and restaurants. You must give buyers your business name, phone number and address (or an ID number from the Department of Agriculture) plus a required safety statement, and local zoning and business license rules still apply.[2][1]
At a glance
| State license needed | No (removed July 1, 2025)[2] |
|---|---|
| State fee | None[2] |
| Sales cap | No limit[4] |
| Training | The Department of Agriculture says you must take an ANSI-accredited food safety course. A Food Handler course is enough.[3] |
| Labels | Business name, phone, and address (or state ID number), plus a required statement in at least 10-point type[1] |
| Where you can sell | Direct to customers, and to stores and restaurants (unless your city or county opts out of store sales)[1] |
| Online and shipping | Yes, online and by mail inside Georgia. Shipping to other states may bring in federal (FDA) rules.[1][4] |
| Agency | Georgia Department of Agriculture, Cottage Food Program, (404) 656-3627[3] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Check that your food is allowed
Your food must be shelf-stable. The law calls this "non-potentially hazardous": food that does not need to be kept hot or cold to stay safe. Breads, cookies, cakes without cream fillings, jams, candy, dried herbs and granola are typical. Anything that needs a fridge, like meat, cream-filled cakes or salsa, is not allowed.[1][4]
Check your city and county rules
The state no longer licenses cottage food, but local rules for home businesses still apply. Call your city or county about zoning, a business license, or a DBA ("doing business as") name. Any local fees are set by them.[2][4]
Take a food safety course
The Department of Agriculture says cottage food operators must complete a food safety course accredited by ANSI (the American National Standards Institute). The basic Food Handler level is enough.[3]
If you use a private well, test your water
Only safe drinking water from a city system or a properly built well can be used. If you are on a well, the Department says to test it at least once a year for coliform bacteria and nitrates. Your county health department can help.[4]
Optional: ask for an ID number so your address stays off labels
If you don't want your home address on your labels or website, you can ask the Department of Agriculture for an Identification Number to print instead. Fill in the form and email it as a PDF to CottageFoodID@agr.georgia.gov. Your name, phone number and the required statement must still go on the label. If you move, you need a new number.[1][5]
Label every product
Give buyers your business name, address (or ID number) and phone number, plus this statement in at least 10-point type: "This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens." Put it on the package label, on the bulk container, on a sign where you sell unpackaged items, or on the web page where you sell online. For phone or custom orders, you can instead tell the buyer that the food was made in a home that is exempt from state inspection and may contain allergens; keep your name, address and phone number ready to give them if they ask. The Department also asks for the product name, ingredients by weight, net weight and allergens.[1][4]
Start selling
Sell in person, online or by mail order, or to grocery stores, restaurants and other shops. A store that carries your food must keep it in a separate section or case, labeled as cottage food that is exempt from state inspection, and must post a sign that meets the Department's rules. Your city or county can ban sales through stores, so check first.[1]
What you can and can't sell[1][3][4]
Allowed
- Loaf breads, rolls and biscuits
- Cakes, as long as the filling doesn't need refrigeration and isn't very moist
- Pastries and cookies
- Fruit pies
- Jams, jellies and preserves
- Candy, confections and fudge
- Dried fruits
- Dry herbs, seasonings and spice mixes
- Cereals, trail mixes and granola
- Coated and uncoated nuts
- Vinegars and flavored vinegars
- Dill pickles
- Dry soup mixes and dry pasta
- Roasted coffee beans
- Uncut fruits and vegetables
- Popcorn, popcorn balls and cotton candy
Not allowed
- Any food that must be kept hot or cold to stay safe
- Baked goods with fillings that need refrigeration or have high moisture (for example cream or custard fillings)
- Fruit butters, like apple or pumpkin butter
- Meat, poultry and fish, including jerky and other dried meats
- Cooked vegetable products like salsa and tomato or spaghetti sauce
- Alcoholic drinks
- Foods containing cannabis
- Raw milk
- Pet food and pet treats (these need a separate feed license)
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Any Georgia city or county: A city or county can pass an ordinance banning cottage food sales through stores, restaurants and other third-party sellers in its area. It must first publish notice of a public hearing in a local newspaper, adopt the ordinance at that hearing, and tell the Department of Agriculture before it takes effect. Apart from that, cities and counties can't regulate cottage food itself, and can't stop delivery companies from delivering it.[1]
- Any Georgia city or county: General home business rules still apply, such as zoning and local business licenses. Some farmers markets also require vendors to hold a state Food Sales Establishment License, even though the state doesn't require one for cottage food.[2][4]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Check your city and county rules | Set by your city or county, if they charge one |
| Take a food safety course | Set by the training provider you choose |
| Start selling | Free |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $0 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Check your city and county rules; Take a food safety course.
Recent changes
- : House Bill 398 took effect. It ended the state cottage food license (which had cost $100 a year) and state pre-license inspections, allowed sales to grocery stores and restaurants, created the optional ID number in place of an address on labels, and set a new required label statement.[2][6]
Frequently asked questions
I already have a Georgia cottage food license. Do I need to renew it?
No. Since July 1, 2025, Georgia doesn't license cottage food operators or charge a state fee, so there is nothing to renew with the Department of Agriculture.[2]
Is there a limit on how much I can earn?
No. Georgia has no cap on sales or on how many items you make.[4]
Can I sell my baked goods to a coffee shop or grocery store?
Yes, unless your city or county has banned sales through stores. The store must put your products in a separate section or case, label it as cottage food that is exempt from state inspection, and post a sign that meets the Department's rules.[1]
Can I ship my cookies to customers in other states?
Georgia law doesn't protect you from federal law or other states' laws. The Department of Agriculture warns that selling across state lines may bring FDA oversight, and the license that would cover it can't be issued to a home kitchen. Ask the Department before you ship out of state.[1][4]
Do I have to put my home address on my labels?
No. You can ask the Department of Agriculture for an Identification Number and print that instead of your address. Your business name and phone number must still be on the label.[2][5]
My farmers market says I need a license. Can they ask for that?
Yes. A market can set its own rules, and some require a Food Sales Establishment License even though the state doesn't require one for cottage food.[4]
Does a church or charity bake sale have to follow these rules?
No. The cottage food law doesn't apply to people selling shelf-stable foods at a bake sale linked to a nonprofit, charitable or religious group.[1]
Can the state inspect my kitchen?
Only if there is a complaint, a report of foodborne illness or another public health emergency. The inspection is limited to the parts of your home you use for the business, and except in emergencies it is scheduled with you in advance.[1]
Sources
- House Bill 398 (as passed House and Senate): Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq., Georgia General Assembly (copy hosted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture). Checked October 24, 2026.
- Cottage Food Update: House Bill 398 & Frequently Asked Questions, Georgia Department of Agriculture. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Cottage Food, Georgia Department of Agriculture. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Cottage Food FAQ, Georgia Department of Agriculture. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Registration for Identification Number, Cottage Food Program, Georgia Department of Agriculture. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Rules of Georgia Department of Agriculture, Subject 40-7-19, Cottage Food Regulations (2021 clean copy), Georgia Department of Agriculture. Checked October 24, 2026.
Related
- Food Truck Permits in Georgia
- Cottage Food Laws in Alabama
- Cottage Food Laws in Florida
- Cottage Food Laws in North Carolina
- Cottage Food Laws in South Carolina
- Cottage Food Laws in Tennessee
- Cottage Food Laws by State
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Georgia Department of Agriculture, Cottage Food Program or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.