Cottage food rules
Cottage Food License in Georgia: What Home Bakers Need
What changed in Georgia, what you no longer need to apply for, and what to do instead.
On this page
What to remember
- No cottage food license is required or issued in Georgia starting July 1, 2025.
- House Bill 398 removed the state cottage food license and the licensing fee.
- The sales cap is gone, and you can sell to stores and restaurants as well as directly to customers.
- You may register with the Georgia Department of Agriculture for an identifier to put on your label instead of your address.
If you have been putting off selling your bakes because you thought you needed a state license first, that wait is over. Georgia changed its cottage food rules in 2025, and the change is a big one for anyone baking at home for income. This guide covers what the state says now, in plain words. If you bake in another state, start with cottage food laws in the US to see how your rules compare.
What changed on July 1, 2025
House Bill 398 took effect on July 1, 2025. It removed the state cottage food license, eliminated the sales cap, and opened cottage food products up to retail and restaurant sales. The Georgia Department of Agriculture states plainly that no cottage food license will be required or issued by the department, and that no license is required starting July 1, 2025.
One detail worth knowing, because it explains how the change works: the exemption from licensing comes from cottage food operations being excluded from the state definition of food, rather than from an explicit statement in the bill. That is a legal technicality, and it does not change what it means for you. You bake at home, you sell your bakes, and you do not apply to the state for a license to do it.
The label identifier you can register for
Labels still matter. In place of the current address labeling requirements, a cottage food producer may register with the Georgia Department of Agriculture for an identifier to be placed on the label. The state describes this as something a producer may do, so read the department page yourself before you print your first batch of labels and keep a copy of what it says with your records.
Where you can sell your bakes now
The change did more than drop the license. Under HB 398, cottage food producers can sell to grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in addition to selling directly to consumers. That opens a door that used to be closed to home bakers: a standing order from a local cafe, a shelf at a corner market, a box of muffins for a hotel front desk.
Georgia law defines a cottage food operator as a person who produces cottage food items at a residential property for sale to consumers or sellers under the article. If you bake in your own kitchen and sell what you bake, that description is aimed at you. For a neighboring state’s rules, see cottage food laws in TN.
Read the state page
Go to the Georgia Department of Agriculture cottage food page and read it in full before you sell anything.
Decide on your label
Choose whether to use the address labeling or register with the department for an identifier to place on the label.
Write down your prices
Work out what each bake costs you before you quote a store or a restaurant, so a wholesale order does not lose you money.
Keep your records
Keep track of what you sold, to whom, and when, so you can answer questions later.
- Cottage food laws in the USA
- Cottage food laws website: where to check the rules
- Cottage food laws in TN
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Common questions
Do I need a cottage food license in Georgia?
No. The Georgia Department of Agriculture says no cottage food license will be required or issued by the department, and no license is required starting July 1, 2025.
When did the Georgia cottage food license go away?
House Bill 398 took effect on July 1, 2025 and removed the state cottage food license and the licensing fee.
Is there a sales cap on Georgia cottage food sales?
No. HB 398 eliminated the sales cap that used to apply.
Can I sell my bakes to restaurants and stores in Georgia?
Yes. Under the change, cottage food producers can sell to grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in addition to selling directly to consumers.
Do I still have to put my address on the label?
In place of the current address labeling requirements, a cottage food producer may register with the Georgia Department of Agriculture for an identifier to be placed on the label. Read the department page before you print labels.
Who counts as a cottage food operator in Georgia?
The law defines a cottage food operator as a person who produces cottage food items at a residential property for sale to consumers or sellers under the article.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the Georgia Department of Agriculture before you sell.