Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws in Bexar County, Texas
The short version of what Bexar County asks of a home baker, and the one card you still need.
On this page
What to remember
- No permits, licenses, or inspections are required to start a cottage food business in Texas.
- A food handler’s card from a state accredited program is required, and has been since January 1, 2014.
- San Antonio Metro Health permits restaurants and commercial kitchens, not home cottage food operations.
- Crosodo’s 2026 Bexar County page references a $150,000 sales cap.
If you are baking from your kitchen in San Antonio, Converse, Helotes, or anywhere else in the county, the rules that matter are the state ones, plus a county health order that points back to the Texas Administrative Code. Start with the wider picture in cottage food law in Texas, then come back here for the local pieces.
What Bexar County actually requires
The county runs a Health Inspections Program, and it follows rules laid out in a Commissioners’ Court order that specifically refers to the Texas Administrative Code. That is where the inspection side of local food work lives. It is aimed at food service establishments, not at your home kitchen.
Inside San Antonio itself, Metro Health administers food establishment permits for restaurants and commercial kitchens. Cottage food operations are explicitly exempt from those permits. So the answer you get when you call about a permit may sound like a no, and that is the correct answer for a home baker selling under cottage food rules.
The sales cap and what it means for your year
Crosodo’s 2026 Bexar County cottage food page references a $150,000 sales cap. Whether you are nowhere near it or creeping toward it, the practical habit is the same: know your running total. Bakers who sell at markets and take weekend orders lose track fastest, because cash and card and app payments all land in different places.
Who is allowed to sell from home
Only individuals who meet the requirements of the Cottage Food Regulations are allowed to produce food in their home for sale in San Antonio. The rules regulate the production and sale of certain types of homemade food items, so the question is not just who you are but what you are making. Walk through the checklist in cottage food law requirements before you print a menu.
Get your food handler's card
Book a course from a state accredited program and keep the card where you can find it. Texas has required this of cottage food owners since January 1, 2014.
Confirm your bakes are allowed
Cottage food rules cover certain types of homemade food items. Check each item on your list against the Cottage Food Regulations before you add it to your menu.
Track your sales total
Crosodo’s 2026 Bexar County page references a $150,000 cap, so keep a running record of what you sell through every channel.
Skip the permit call, keep the records
Cottage food operations are explicitly exempt from San Antonio Metro Health food establishment permits. You still keep your own paperwork in order.
One more thing worth reading before you scale: the difference between selling direct and selling to a shop is covered in cottage food law and wholesale, and it changes what you are allowed to do with the same recipe. If you would rather see how the permit question plays out in another Texas city, cottage food laws in Austin is a useful comparison.
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None of this is complicated once you have the pieces in order: a card, a product list that fits the rules, and a sales total you can actually look up. Everything else is baking.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from my home in Bexar County?
No. There are no permits, licenses, or inspections required to start a cottage food business in Texas. San Antonio Metro Health does issue food establishment permits, but cottage food operations are explicitly exempt.
Do I need a food handler's card?
Yes. Since January 1, 2014, owners of cottage food businesses in Texas have been required to have a food handler's card from a state accredited program.
Does Bexar County inspect home kitchens?
The county's Health Inspections Program follows a Commissioners' Court order that refers to the Texas Administrative Code, and it covers food service establishments. Cottage food operations are exempt from the permit side, so a home kitchen is not permitted as a food establishment.
Is there a sales limit?
Crosodo's 2026 Bexar County cottage food page references a $150,000 sales cap. Keep a running total of what you sell so you always know where you stand.
Who is allowed to make food at home for sale in San Antonio?
Only individuals who meet the requirements of the Cottage Food Regulations may produce food in their home for sale in San Antonio.
Sources
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Bexar County: Cottage Food and Food Based Businesses
- Texas Cottage Food Law
- Crosodo: Bexar County, Texas cottage food rules
- San Antonio Metro Health: Licenses and Food Permits
- Food Handlers Guide: Cottage food laws in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
- Bexar County: Food Service Establishment Health Inspections
This is general information about cottage food rules, not legal advice. Rules can change, so confirm the current requirements with Bexar County or the State of Texas before you sell.