Cottage Food Laws in Indiana
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Indiana you can make shelf-stable foods in your home kitchen and sell them as a "home-based vendor" without a food permit and with no sales limit. You must get an accredited food handler certificate, give a copy to your county health department, label everything, and sell directly to customers in Indiana who will not resell the food. Since July 1, 2026 there is also a separate "homestead vendor" option that allows more kinds of food, with a $1.5 million sales limit.[1][3]
At a glance
| Permit needed | No. Give your county health department a copy of your food handler certificate.[1] |
|---|---|
| Sales cap | None for home-based vendors. Homestead vendors: $1.5 million a year.[3] |
| Training | A food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited course[1] |
| Label 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."[1] |
| Where you can sell | Directly to your customers, in person, by phone or online. Not to stores, restaurants or anyone who will resell it.[1][2] |
| Online and shipping | Yes, inside Indiana. You can deliver in person, mail it or use a delivery company, in a tamper-evident sealed package.[1] |
| Fee | No state permit fee. Cities and counties cannot pass rules requiring a licence or inspection.[1] |
| Agency | Indiana Department of Health, enforced by your county health department[2] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Check that your food is allowed
Home-based vendors can sell foods that don't need to be kept cold or hot for safety, such as cookies, breads, cakes (any icing must be store-bought or made from a tested shelf-stable recipe), candy, fruit jams and jellies, nut butters, dried pasta, roasted coffee and honey. You cannot sell meat, dairy products (store-bought dairy used as an ingredient is fine), prepared meals, pickles or fermented foods, or foods that need refrigeration. The Indiana Department of Health's Home-Based Vendor Handbook lists many foods by name. Ask your county health department if yours isn't listed.[1][2]
Get a food handler certificate
Take a food handler course from a provider accredited by ANSI (the American National Standards Institute). Purdue Extension runs in-person courses, and the Indiana Department of Health links to a list of ANSI-certified food handler courses. Keep a copy: customers and the state can ask to see it.[1][2][4]
Give a copy to your county health department
Send or take a copy of your certificate to the health department in the county where you live. This is not a permit, and there is no state fee.[1]
Make the food in your own home
Cook in your primary residence (a permanent building on the same property also counts). A shared kitchen cannot be used. Wash your hands, keep pets out of the work area, sanitize your surfaces and containers, and store the food safely.[1][2]
Label every item
Packaged food needs a label; unpackaged food needs a sign. Include your name and home address (a PO box is not accepted), the name of the food, the ingredients from most to least by weight, the net weight or count, the date you made it, and the required statement in at least 10-point type. Post each label on your website too. Listing allergens is not required but the state strongly encourages it.[1][2]
Sell directly to your customers in Indiana
Sell in person, by phone or online, directly to your customers, never to someone who will resell it. You can deliver it yourself, mail it or use a delivery company, in a sealed, tamper-evident package. Keep a record of every shipping or delivery address for at least one year.[1]
What you can and can't sell[2]
Allowed
- Cookies, breads, cakes and cupcakes (icing must be store-bought or from a tested shelf-stable recipe)
- Fruit pies made with high-acid fruit, and pecan pie
- Candy, fudge, chocolate and cotton candy
- Jams, jellies and preserves made from high-acid fruit with full sugar
- Nut butters, granola, trail mix, popcorn and dried pasta
- Roasted coffee beans, dried herbs, spices and teas
- Honey and maple syrup
Not allowed
- Meat and other animal protein
- Dairy products (store-bought dairy used only as an ingredient is allowed)
- Prepared meals such as casseroles, lasagna or charcuterie boards
- Cheesecake and other foods that need refrigeration
- Pickles, relish, pepper jelly, salsa-type sauces and other acidified or fermented foods
- Homemade barbecue or hot sauce
- CBD or Delta-8/Delta-9 products
- Kombucha and homemade vanilla extract
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- All Indiana cities, towns and counties: Local governments cannot pass an ordinance requiring a home-based vendor to get a licence, certification or inspection, and county health officers cannot enforce the rules more strictly than the state's guidelines. Farmers markets and event organizers are private and can set their own rules about what they let you sell.[1][3][2]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Give a copy to your county health department | Free |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $0 |
Recent changes
- : House Enrolled Act 1424 took effect. It created a separate "homestead vendor" and "small farm" category alongside the home-based vendor rules, which stay in force. Homestead vendors can sell more kinds of food, including prepared foods and meat from animals raised on their own property and processed under state meat rules, from their property or at farmers markets, up to $1.5 million a year in sales.[3]
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my baked goods in a coffee shop or store?
No. Home-based vendor food must be sold directly to your customer, not to a store, restaurant or anyone who resells. You can sell from your own shop or a booth only if you are there in person at the time of sale; you cannot leave products for someone else to sell.[2]
Can I ship my cookies to customers in other states?
No. You can ship or deliver anywhere in Indiana, but not to a customer outside Indiana.[1]
Can a farmers market make me get a food license?
The state says no: home-based vendors don't need a food permit. But the market manager can ask for a copy of your food handler certificate and things like liability insurance, and a market can choose which products it allows.[2][3]
Can a family member or employee sell for me?
According to the Indiana Department of Health, no. The producer, who holds the food handler certificate, must make the in-person sales. You can also sell by phone or online and mail the food.[2]
Will the health department inspect my kitchen?
Not regularly, if you follow the rules. The state can sample your food and inspect if it receives a consumer complaint or finds a product mislabeled or adulterated (contaminated or unsafe), and it can order you to stop selling if there is an imminent health hazard. The law also lets state health officials enter your kitchen at reasonable times to inspect food, equipment and labels.[2][1]
Do I have to put my home address on the label?
Yes. Home-based vendors must show their name and primary home address. A PO box does not count.[2]
What is a homestead vendor, and should I be one instead?
Since July 1, 2026, Indiana also has homestead vendors. They can sell more kinds of food than home-based vendors, including prepared foods and meat raised on their own property and processed under state meat rules, from their property or at a farmers market, up to $1.5 million a year in sales. The state health department lists a food handler certificate as required if you ship or deliver. Their label statement is different: "This product was produced by a homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm that is exempt from government licensing and inspection." Many prepared foods containing meat also fall under federal rules, so check before you start.[3]
Can I make pickles or pepper jelly?
Not as a home-based vendor. Pickled, acidified and fermented foods, and jellies made with peppers or other low-acid ingredients, carry a botulism risk and are not allowed.[2]
Sources
- IC 16-42-5.3, Home Based Food Products, Indiana General Assembly (copy hosted by Harrison County Health Department). Checked October 25, 2026. A county health department's copy of the statute; iga.in.gov blocked automated reading. Check the live code before verifying, including any HEA 1424 (2026) amendments.
- Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook (last updated Summer 2025), Indiana Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Memorandum: Farm and Homestead Food Sales (May 26, 2026), Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division. Checked October 25, 2026. IDOH memo hosted on the Indiana State Department of Agriculture's site.
- Food Protection: Guidance Documents, Indiana Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Illinois
- Cottage Food Laws in Kentucky
- Cottage Food Laws in Ohio
- 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 Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division (enforced by your county health department) or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.