Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws MN: What Home Bakers Must Know
A plain English walk through Minnesota's cottage food registration, the $50 fee, and the details to check before you sell.
What to remember
- The Cottage Food Exemption has been in effect since 2015.
- Certain non-potentially hazardous food and canned goods can be sold without a license.
- You must register annually with the commissioner.
- The annual registration fee is $50, waived if gross receipts are $5,000 or less.
- A complete registration must be handled within 30 days.
Minnesota has had a cottage food exemption since 2015, and the state pages spread the details across a few documents. This guide pulls the main points into one place. If you want the broader picture first, read Cottage Food Laws in Minnesota: What Home Bakers Can Sell, then come back here for the registration and fee steps.
What the exemption allows
The Cottage Food Law allows individuals to make and sell certain non-potentially hazardous food and canned goods in Minnesota without a license. The exemption covers details on training and registration, types of food allowed, food labeling, types of sales locations, and amount of sales. That means not every recipe is automatically covered. Check the MDA pages for the allowed food list and the sales rules before you plan a menu.
Registration and the $50 fee
A person who prepares and sells exempt cottage food must register annually with the commissioner. The commissioner must register a person within 30 days of submitting a complete registration. The annual cottage food registration fee is $50. An individual with $5,000 or less in annual gross receipts from the sale of exempt food is not required to pay the registration fee. Keep your receipts so you can track where you stand against that $5,000 line.
Confirm your food is allowed
The exemption applies to certain non-potentially hazardous food and canned goods. The MDA page covers the types of food allowed.
Check training and registration details
The exemption covers details on training and registration. Read the MDA registration page before you fill out anything.
Register annually
A person who prepares and sells exempt cottage food must register annually with the commissioner. A complete registration must be handled within 30 days.
Work out the fee
The annual fee is $50. If your annual gross receipts from exempt food are $5,000 or less, you are not required to pay the fee.
Review labels and sales locations
The exemption covers food labeling, types of sales locations, and amount of sales. Check those pages before you print labels or plan where you will sell.
Labels and sales details to check
The exemption covers food labeling, types of sales locations, and amount of sales. Those are the details most likely to trip up a home baker who is ready to take orders. Use Cottage Food Laws Labeling when you design your label, and check the MDA pages for the sales location and sales amount rules. If eggs are part of your bakes, read Cottage Food Laws and Eggs before you plan those recipes.
A simple record keeping habit helps here. Keep a folder with your registration, your fee payment, and a running total of exempt food sales. At the end of the year, you can see whether you are under the $5,000 line. If you sell in more than one spot, keep those totals together.
Minnesota Statutes section 25.391 is titled ‘Exemption for cottage food producers; home-processed pet treats.’ That title is a useful reminder that the cottage food exemption sits in state law, not just on a helpful webpage. If you want the exact wording, read the statute and the MDA guidance side by side.
Treat the state pages as your checklist, not as fine print to skim. The exemption covers details on training and registration, types of food allowed, food labeling, types of sales locations, and amount of sales. Read each part before you take your first order of the year.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Minnesota?
The Cottage Food Law allows individuals to make and sell certain non-potentially hazardous food and canned goods without a license. You still need to register annually with the commissioner.
How much is the Minnesota cottage food registration fee?
The annual fee is $50. An individual with $5,000 or less in annual gross receipts from the sale of exempt food is not required to pay the registration fee.
When did the Minnesota cottage food law start?
The Cottage Food Exemption law first went into effect in 2015.
How long does registration take?
The commissioner must register a person within 30 days of submitting a complete registration.
What does the exemption cover?
It covers details on training and registration, types of food allowed, food labeling, types of sales locations, and amount of sales.
Sources
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture: Cottage food law guidance
- Cottage Food Law Guidance, Minnesota Department of Agriculture (PDF)
- Minnesota Statutes 28A.152
- Minnesota House Research: Cottage food registration fee
- Minnesota Statutes 25.391
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture: Cottage food producer registration
This is general information about Minnesota cottage food rules, not legal or tax advice. Confirm the details with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture before you sell.