Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws in RI: What Home Bakers Need
A clear read on Rhode Island cottage food registration, training, and kitchen rules.
On this page
What to remember
- Rhode Island registers cottage food manufacture through the Department of Health.
- Only certain foods can be produced in a residential kitchen and sold.
- Your home kitchen must meet the Cottage Food Manufacture sections of Rhode Island law.
- Before initial registration, complete a Food Safety Manager Course or an ANSI approved food handler course.
- Starting in November of 2022, residents can apply to be a registered Cottage Food Manufacture by filling out an application.
If you bake from your home kitchen in Rhode Island and want to sell to customers, the first step is understanding what the state calls cottage food manufacture. The rules are specific, and they start with the food you make and the kitchen you make it in. Read the Department of Health cottage foods page for the current details, then work through the application. If you are comparing nearby states, our guide to cottage food laws in CT is a useful next read.
What Rhode Island law says
Under Rhode Island General Law § 21-27-6.2, only certain foods can be produced in a residential kitchen and sold, and the residential kitchen used to prepare the food must meet certain requirements. The statute also directs the Department of Health to register cottage food manufacture and the sale of the products of cottage food manufacture directly to consumers. The Rhode Island Food Code uses the same definition: production in accordance with § 21-27-6.2 of allowable foods for retail sale directly to the consumer in a residential kitchen.
Before you apply
Starting in November of 2022, Rhode Island residents can apply to be a registered Cottage Food Manufacture by filling out an application. The application is on the Department of Health site. Before initial registration, each cottage food manufacturer is required to successfully complete a Food Safety Manager Course or an American National Standards Institute approved food handler course. Keep proof of that course with your records.
Check the food list
Read the Department of Health cottage foods page and confirm your bakes are allowable foods under § 21-27-6.2.
Check your kitchen
Make sure your home kitchen meets the Cottage Food Manufacture sections of Rhode Island law.
Complete the course
Finish a Food Safety Manager Course or an ANSI approved food handler course before initial registration.
Fill out the application
Use the Cottage Food Manufacture application from the Department of Health to apply to be a registered Cottage Food Manufacture.
Sell directly to consumers
Rhode Island law covers sale of cottage food manufacture products directly to the consumer.
What to keep straight as you sell
The statute is clear that cottage food manufacture is production for retail sale directly to the consumer in a residential kitchen. That direct to consumer language matters when you plan how you sell. If you are also looking at how neighboring states handle home baking, our guides to cottage food laws in Mass and cottage food laws in NH can help you compare. For bakes that use cream cheese, read cottage food laws and cream cheese before you add them to your menu.
Your home kitchen is part of the rules. A home kitchen used for cottage food manufacture must meet the requirements of the Cottage Food Manufacture sections of Rhode Island law. The Department of Health FAQ points back to those sections, so read them with your kitchen in mind before you fill in the application.
Getting paid and staying organized
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Common questions
Do I need to register my home bakery in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island law directs the Department of Health to register cottage food manufacture and the sale of those products directly to consumers. Starting in November of 2022, residents can apply to be a registered Cottage Food Manufacture by filling out an application.
What training do I need before I register?
Before initial registration, you must successfully complete a Food Safety Manager Course or an American National Standards Institute approved food handler course.
What foods can I sell?
Only certain foods can be produced in a residential kitchen and sold under § 21-27-6.2. Check the Department of Health cottage foods page for the current allowable foods before you plan your menu.
Does my home kitchen need to meet special requirements?
Yes. A home kitchen used for cottage food manufacture must meet the requirements of the Cottage Food Manufacture sections of Rhode Island law.
Can I sell directly to customers?
The statute defines cottage food manufacture as production of allowable foods for retail sale directly to the consumer in a residential kitchen.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Rules can change. Check the Rhode Island Department of Health and the statute before you sell.