Cottage food rules
Cottage Food License in Georgia: What Home Bakers Need
What Georgia actually asks of a home baker now, and what the 2025 change took away.
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What to remember
- The cottage food license and its fee ended July 1, 2025 under House Bill 398.
- Only food that is not potentially hazardous can be sold as cottage food.
- Georgia sets no limit on gross sales or on how many units you produce.
- You can now sell to grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants, not just directly.
- A sign must say cottage food products are not subject to commercial food regulations.
If you have been holding off on selling because you thought a license had to come first, that worry is gone. The change took effect on July 1, 2025, and it also opened up new places to sell. Neighboring states still work under their own rules, so if you are comparing, read the guides for Alabama, Connecticut, and Arizona before you assume anything carries over.
What changed in 2025
House Bill 398 removed the cottage food license and the licensing fee effective July 1, 2025. It also widened where you can sell. Cottage food used to move directly to the customer. Now grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants can buy from you too. For a home baker, that is a real opening: a standing weekly order from one shop can be steadier than a stream of single cake requests.
What Georgia still asks of you
The food comes first. Cottage food operators in Georgia may only make food that is not potentially hazardous. If you are unsure whether a recipe fits, ask the Department before you sell it. Georgia’s cottage food rules are written as the minimum best practices for producing these products, and operators are encouraged to contact the Department for more food safety guidance.
Signage comes second. Anyone offering cottage food products for sale must post a sign, following specifications set by the department, saying that cottage food products are not subject to commercial food regulations. That sign is what tells a customer, or a store manager, exactly what kind of food they are buying.
The old license process, explained
Most guides you will find still describe the old system, which is why the question keeps coming up. Under Georgia’s cottage food regulations, a Cottage Food License was issued after the Department reviewed the registration application and completed a pre-operational inspection of the operator’s home kitchen. If a friend mentions an inspection before selling, that is the process they are remembering, and it belongs to a license the state no longer issues.
Your first steps before you sell
Sort your menu
Write down what you plan to sell and check each item against the rule that only food which is not potentially hazardous can be sold. Ask the Department about anything borderline.
Make your sign
Get a sign with the wording the department specifies, stating that cottage food products are not subject to commercial food regulations, and display it wherever you offer food for sale.
Check your water and waste
If your home runs on a private septic system, call your county health department and confirm the system is adequate for the operation.
Ask what filing still applies
The license and the fee are gone, but confirm with the Georgia Department of Agriculture what, if anything, you still need to file before you sell.
Set up how you take orders
Decide how customers will order and pay before your first batch, so a busy week does not turn into a pile of messages you have to untangle later.
The selling side is usually where home bakers lose money, not the paperwork. There is no ceiling written into the rules: Georgia does not impose limits on gross sales or on the number of units a cottage food operation produces. That means your oven and your calendar are the only real caps, so it pays to know your numbers from the first batch.
The rules are the simple part now. What takes the time is the baking, the packaging, and answering people who want to know what is in the box. Get the sign up, square away your kitchen, and then put your energy into the part you actually love.
Common questions
Do I need a cottage food license in Georgia?
No. Georgia removed the cottage food license and the licensing fee effective July 1, 2025 under House Bill 398. Confirm with the Georgia Department of Agriculture what, if anything, you still need to file before you sell.
Is there a limit on how much I can sell?
No. The Georgia Department of Agriculture does not impose any limits on gross sales or on the number of units a cottage food operation can produce.
What foods can I make?
Only food that is not potentially hazardous. If you are unsure whether a recipe qualifies, contact the Department before you sell it.
Can I sell to a store or a restaurant now?
Yes. Following the 2025 change, Georgia cottage food operators can sell to grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in addition to selling directly.
Do I have to put up a sign?
Yes. Anyone offering cottage food products for sale must post signage, according to specifications set by the department, indicating that cottage food products are not subject to commercial food regulations.
My home is on a septic system. Is that a problem?
Contact your county health department to confirm the system is adequate for the operation before you begin.
Sources
This is general information about Georgia cottage food rules, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the Georgia Department of Agriculture before you sell.