Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws in Minnesota: What Home Bakers Can Sell
What Minnesota asks of a home baker before the first sale, in plain words.
What to remember
- The law has been in effect since 2015.
- You do not need a license for allowed foods, but you do need to register.
- Registration happens every year, before your first sale, not after.
- Tier 1 sellers making $7,665 or less a year pay no registration fee.
- Labels, training, and where you sell all have rules in the same law.
If you are standing in your kitchen wondering whether you can sell that first tray of bars, the short answer is often yes, with conditions. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture publishes guidance that walks through the whole law, and it is worth reading once before you take an order. Start with your label, because that is the part most home bakers get wrong first: what goes on your label.
What the exemption covers
Statute 28A.152 allows individuals to make and sell certain non-potentially hazardous food and canned goods without a license. The state guidance covers the details that decide whether your bake fits: training and registration, the types of food allowed, food labeling, the types of places you can sell, and the amount of sales permitted. Read it for your own product rather than assuming a cake and a jar of jam sit in the same category. If your recipe leans on eggs, the egg rules are worth a look.
Registration, step by step
Registration is annual, so it is not a one time chore you tick off and forget. Build it into the same week each year as your first big baking push.
Check your food is allowed
Read the Minnesota Department of Agriculture guidance on the types of food allowed before you plan a menu.
Register with the state
Register annually with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture before you sell, including as a Tier 1 seller.
Know your fee
Tier 1 registrants selling $7,665 or less a year pay no registration fee.
Label every item
Labeling is part of the law, so sort your labels before the first order goes out the door.
Where you can sell, and how much
The law sets the types of sales locations allowed and the amount of sales permitted. Those two things shape how you run your year. If you are planning to sell at a market, a pickup spot, or from your porch, check the allowed locations in the state guidance before you advertise. The amount you may sell in a year is also set by the law, so keep a simple running total of what you take in. Once you are close to a threshold, you want to know before you cross it, not in January.
The money side matters for more than peace of mind. Your yearly total is what tells you which fee applies and where you sit against the sales amount the law allows. A simple habit works: record every order the day it comes in, and add it up at the end of each month. If you sell in more than one place, keep the places separate so you can see which one is worth your Saturdays. Brevl recipes also carry real costing, so you can price a bake before you commit to a table full of it.
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If you bake with butter or cream, check the butter rules before you print a menu. And if you are comparing states, find the rule that applies to you rather than borrowing a neighbor’s answer. Minnesota’s rules are specific, and a quick read now saves a wasted batch later.
Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my Minnesota kitchen?
Minnesota's Cottage Food Law, Statute 28A.152, allows individuals to make and sell certain non-potentially hazardous food and canned goods without a license. The exemption comes with conditions, including registration and labeling.
Do I have to register if I only sell a little?
Yes. Minnesota requires every cottage food producer to register annually with the Department of Agriculture before selling, even the smallest Tier 1 seller.
Is there a fee to register?
Tier 1 cottage food registrants selling $7,665 or less a year pay no registration fee.
How much can I sell in a year?
The law sets the amount of sales permitted. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture guidance covers the current figure along with the other conditions.
When did the Minnesota cottage food law start?
The Cottage Food Exemption law first went into effect in 2015. The state guidance has been updated since, so read the current version before you sell.
Sources
This is general information for home bakers, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the Minnesota Department of Agriculture guidance before you sell.