Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Law in Ohio: What Home Bakers Can Sell
A plain walk through Ohio's cottage food rules so you know what you can sell from your own kitchen.
On this page
What to remember
- Ohio defines a cottage food production operation in Chapter 3715 of the Ohio Revised Code.
- Bakery products, jams, jellies and candy are named as covered foods.
- For non perishable items there is no license, no fee and no inspection.
- Acidified foods, low acid canned foods and potentially hazardous foods are off limits.
If you bake from your own kitchen in Ohio and sell what you make, the phrase you will keep running into is cottage food production operation. The short version is that Ohio has a set of rules for food made at home that is not potentially hazardous, and bakery products sit inside that set. This guide walks through what the law says, what it rules out, and what is worth checking before you take your first order. For a wider view of how states differ, see the cottage food law list.
What Ohio calls a cottage food operation
Chapter 3715 of the Ohio Revised Code defines a cottage food production operation as a person who, in the person’s home, produces food items that are not potentially hazardous foods. The same chapter names bakery products, jams, jellies and candy as the kind of non potentially hazardous foods the definition covers. If your week looks like sandwich loaves, cinnamon rolls, jam from the summer fruit and a tray of fudge, that is the shape of business the definition was written for.
No license, no fee, no inspection
For non perishable items, Ohio’s cottage food path requires no license, no fee and no inspection. That is the part most home bakers want to hear first. It also means the checking is on you. Nobody is going to look over your kitchen before you sell, so your recipes and your habits have to hold up on their own. The cottage food law guidelines walk through the checks worth doing yourself, from keeping your workspace clean to writing down what went into each batch.
Because there is no inspection, the trust your customers feel comes from somewhere else. It comes from a clear label, a straight answer when someone asks what is in a bake, and a shop that looks like it was made on purpose. That part is yours to build, and it matters as much as the recipe.
Where the actual rules are written
Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 sets out the cottage food rules, pursuant to division (B) of section 3715.025 of the Revised Code. That is the chapter to open when you want the exact wording rather than a summary of it. The Ohio Department of Agriculture also keeps a cottage food page, and the two together are a better starting point than a comment thread. If you are still working out whether this path applies to you at all, cottage food law exemption explains what an exemption does and does not cover.
Checking your own menu against the law
Write down every item you plan to sell
Not the category, the actual item. Loaves, rolls, jam, fudge, whatever else you have in mind.
Match each one to Chapter 3715
Bakery products, jams, jellies and candy are the foods the chapter names. Anything outside that list deserves a closer look before you sell it.
Cross off anything on the prohibited list
Acidified foods, low acid canned foods and potentially hazardous foods are not allowed under this path.
Read Chapter 901:3-20 before your first sale
The administrative code chapter is where the detailed cottage food rules live, so read the wording yourself rather than relying on a summary.
Ohio is short on paperwork, which means the real work sits in your recipes, your records and how clearly you talk about what you make. Get those right and the rules stop feeling like a hurdle.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my home in Ohio?
For non perishable items under the cottage food production operation path, Ohio requires no license, no fee and no inspection.
What foods can I sell as an Ohio cottage food operation?
Chapter 3715 of the Ohio Revised Code covers foods that are not potentially hazardous, and it names bakery products, jams, jellies and candy.
Can I sell canned low acid vegetables or acidified foods?
No. Section 3715.025 says a cottage food production operation shall not process acidified foods, low acid canned foods, or potentially hazardous foods.
Where do I find the detailed Ohio cottage food rules?
Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 sets out the cottage food rules, pursuant to division (B) of section 3715.025 of the Revised Code.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Rules can change. Check Chapter 3715 of the Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 and the Ohio Department of Agriculture before you sell.