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Cottage Food Laws in Oregon

Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify

Yes. Oregon's Cottage Food Exemption lets you make baked goods, candy, jams and a short list of other shelf-stable foods in your home kitchen and sell them without a state license or routine inspection, as long as your sales stay at or under $52,700 a year. You do not need to apply or register with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). Everyone who helps make the food needs a food handler card, every item needs the required label, and you must keep sales records. Your city or county may still have zoning or other rules of its own.[2][1][3]

At a glance

Permit neededNo ODA license, application or registration. Your city or county may have its own rules.[3]
Sales cap$52,700 a year in gross sales[1]
TrainingA food handler card for everyone who helps make the food[1][3]
Label statement"This product is homemade, is not prepared in an inspected food establishment, and must be stored and displayed separately if merchandised by a retailer."[1]
Where you can sellDirectly to customers from home, online, by mail and at events. To retail stores only if the food is packaged and labeled and the store agrees to display it separately with a "homemade" sign. Not to restaurants, caterers, schools or other institutions.[2][1]
Online and shippingAllowed. You can sell online and send food by mail. Before shipping to another state, check that state's rules.[2][3]
FeeNo ODA fee. An optional ID number to print instead of your home address costs $25 a year.[3][1]
AgencyOregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), Food Safety Program[4]

Step by step

Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.

  1. Check that your food is on the list

    Only the foods on the state's list qualify: baked goods; candy (including freeze-dried candy); coffee beans; popcorn; nut mixes; syrups; jams, jellies and fruit butters made only from naturally acidic fruit; and, if made from "commercial food" (food processed by a licensed food business), honey products, dried tea, spice and seasoning blends, repackaged freeze-dried or dried foods, and powdered drink mixes. Nothing that has to be kept cold or hot to stay safe, and nothing containing marijuana. ODA can order you to have a recipe tested by a certified lab, or reviewed by a recognized food process expert, to show it is safe without refrigeration.[1]

  2. Get a food handler card

    You and anyone who helps make the food must complete a food handler training program approved by the Oregon Health Authority and hold the certificate.[1][3]

  3. Set up your kitchen

    Keep cottage food ingredients, containers and labels in their own closed storage, and perishable ingredients in a separate part of the fridge. Store cleaning supplies apart and keep medical supplies out of the kitchen. Do not make cottage food while pets are in the kitchen or while other household activities are going on there, such as cooking family meals, doing laundry, cleaning or entertaining.[1]

  4. Order an ID number if you don't want your address on labels (optional)

    ODA will issue a Unique Identification Number (UIN) you can print on labels instead of your street address. Send the form with the $25 fee by mail, or by fax if you pay by credit card. It runs July 1 to June 30 whenever you apply (the fee is not pro-rated) and is renewed each year for another $25. Renew within 60 days after it expires or ODA adds a late fee equal to the registration fee. A P.O. box cannot be used as the label address.[1][5][3]

    Fee: $25 (optional; per year)Unique Identification Number Registration Application

  5. Package and label every item

    The front of the label must carry the required statement. The label also needs the name of the food, ingredients in order by weight, allergen warnings, your business name, address (full street address, just city, state and zip if your business is listed in a city directory, or your UIN), phone number, and net weight or volume in both US and metric units. If you have pets at home, say so and name the species, such as "dog". If the label makes a nutrition or health claim, it also needs federal nutrition information. The type must be at least 1/16 inch high. For an item that is hard to package, like a wedding cake, give the buyer all the label information in writing, such as on a receipt, with the product. For single items such as one cookie at a market stand, post a sign saying "This product is homemade and is not prepared in an inspected food establishment" and have the full label information ready if a customer asks. Unpackaged food can only be sold by you directly to the person who will eat it, never to a store.[1][3]

  6. Sell, and keep sales records

    For each sale, record where it happened (for a farmers market, the market's address and the organizer's contact is enough; for online orders, the buyer's address and contact; for sales to a store, the store's address and contact person), the date, what you sold, the price and the quantity. Keep a running total of your yearly sales to show you are under the cap, plus papers showing you meet the other rules (for example, your food handler cards and any agreement with a store). Keep records for three years and be ready to show them to ODA within five business days.[1]

    Time: Ongoing

What you can and can't sell[1][3]

Allowed

  • Baked goods that don't need refrigeration
  • Candy and other sweets, including freeze-dried candy
  • Jams, jellies and fruit butters made only from fruit whose natural pH (a measure of acidity) is below 4.6
  • Coffee beans, popcorn, nut mixes and syrups
  • Honey and honey products, if any added ingredients are commercial food (processed by a licensed food business)
  • Dried tea, spice and seasoning blends made from commercial food
  • Repackaged freeze-dried or dried foods, and powdered drink mixes, made from commercial food

Not allowed

  • Anything that needs refrigeration, such as cheesecake, cream pies, and custard or cream cheese fillings
  • Meat, fish or shellfish, and foods made with them (including jerky)
  • Focaccia-style breads with vegetables or cheese
  • Candied fresh fruit, caramel and candy apples, chocolate-covered strawberries
  • Pickles, pepper jelly, and jams or jellies made from anything with a natural pH of 4.6 or above
  • Brewed or bottled tea
  • Marijuana or cannabinoid edibles
  • Pet treats (the exemption covers only food for people)

Local rules

These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.

What it costs

StepFee
Order an ID number if you don't want your address on labels (optional)$25 (optional; per year)
Total if every fee applies to you$25

Recent changes

Frequently asked questions

Can I ship my cookies to customers?

Yes, within Oregon you can sell online and send cottage food by mail. For other states, ODA says to check that state's own rules, and notes that the Oregon ID number does not meet federal label rules for an address.[2][3]

Can I sell my baked goods in a coffee shop or store?

A retail store, yes, if your food is packaged and labeled, the store agrees to display it separately with a sign saying it is homemade, and you keep a record of that agreement. You cannot sell to restaurants, caterers, schools, day care centers, hospitals, nursing homes or jails, so a coffee shop licensed as a restaurant is out.[1][2]

Do I have to put my home address on the label?

Not if you buy a $25-a-year Unique Identification Number from ODA and print that instead. You can also leave off the street and give just city, state and zip if your business is listed in a city directory. A P.O. box is not allowed.[1][3]

Can I sell cheesecake or other foods that need refrigeration?

No. Anything that needs refrigeration after it is made is not allowed. To sell food from home that falls outside the exemption, you need an ODA domestic kitchen bakery or food processing license, which comes with inspections. Ask ODA whether your product can be made under that license.[1][3]

What if my sales go over $52,700?

You must get licensed and inspected by ODA as a domestic kitchen bakery or food processor to keep making food at home.[3]

Can I have pets?

Yes, but pets cannot be in the kitchen while you make cottage food, and your label must say pets live in the home and name the species.[3]

Will ODA inspect my kitchen?

Not routinely. ODA can inspect in response to a problem such as a customer complaint, and can make you get a license if you break the rules, refuse to have a food tested, fail to keep records or refuse an inspection.[3][1]

I also sell farm products. Do the limits add up?

They are separate. In 2026 you can sell up to $52,700 of cottage foods and, separately, up to $50,000 of processed foods under Oregon's Farm Direct exemption in the same calendar year.[3]

Sources

  1. OAR Chapter 603, Division 25: Food Safety Program (Cottage Food Exemption, OAR 603-025-0311 to 603-025-0335), Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules. Checked October 25, 2026.
  2. Oregon's Cottage Food Exemption (March 2026), Oregon Department of Agriculture. Checked October 25, 2026.
  3. Cottage Food Exemption FAQ (March 2026), Oregon Department of Agriculture. Checked October 25, 2026.
  4. What Can I Do Without a License?, Oregon Department of Agriculture. Checked October 25, 2026.
  5. Unique Identification Number Registration Application (expires June 30, 2027), Oregon Department of Agriculture. Checked October 25, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), Food Safety Program or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.