Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Regulations in Georgia: What Home Bakers Need
A plain walk through Georgia cottage food rules so you can bake and sell without guessing.
On this page
What to remember
- No cottage food license and no licensing fee in Georgia since July 1, 2025.
- The Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates home-kitchen food producers through its Retail Food section.
- Under HB 398 you may sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants, in addition to selling directly.
- Your city or county can pass an ordinance blocking sales through third-party vendors.
- The Cottage Food Safety directives are described by the state rule as the minimum best practices for producing cottage food.
If you bake in your own kitchen in Georgia and sell what you make, the rules moved in your favor in 2025. The state dropped the license, kept the food safety expectations, and opened a few more doors for selling. Here is what that looks like for someone working from a home oven, and how it sits next to a state like Tennessee where a license is still part of the picture.
Who regulates cottage food in Georgia
The Retail Food section of the Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates cottage food producers, which the state also calls home-kitchen food producers. That is the office to look at when you want to know what applies to your kitchen.
The state publishes Cottage Food Safety directives, excerpted from Agriculture Rule 40-7-19-.08. Rule Subject 40-7-19 states that these directives represent the minimum best practices required in the production of cottage food products, and it encourages cottage food operators to contact the Department for additional guidance on food safety.
No license, no fee, since July 1, 2025
House Bill 398 removed Georgia’s cottage food license and the licensing fee, effective July 1, 2025. There is no state license to apply for or renew, and no fee to send in. That does not mean there are no rules. It means oversight now runs through the food safety directives instead of through a license.
If you have been reading guides written before mid 2025, expect some mismatch. North Carolina still talks about a license in its guide, and Louisiana has its own path. Georgia’s is now the lighter one on paperwork.
Where you can sell your bakes
Under House Bill 398, Georgia cottage food operators may sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants in addition to selling directly. Direct sales are the familiar ground: your own customers, your own handoffs. The shop and restaurant side is newer, and it means you can walk into a local store with a sample box and a price list.
That local layer is the one people miss. Two bakers in two counties can get different answers about selling through a shop, even though the state rule reads the same for both of them.
What to do before your first sale
Read the Cottage Food Safety directives on the Georgia Department of Agriculture site, not a summary of them. They are the minimum best practices the state expects in producing cottage food, and they come straight out of the rule. Then call the Department with the questions your own kitchen raises, which the rule explicitly invites you to do.
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Once the rules are clear, the rest is ordinary bakery work: know what a batch costs you, keep your recipes steady, and answer customers before they wander off to someone else.
Common questions
Do I need a cottage food license in Georgia?
No. House Bill 398 removed the cottage food license and the licensing fee effective July 1, 2025, so there is no state license to apply for or renew.
Who regulates cottage food in Georgia?
The Retail Food section of the Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates cottage food producers, also known as home-kitchen food producers.
Can I sell my bakes to a grocery store or restaurant in Georgia?
Yes. Under House Bill 398, cottage food operators may sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants in addition to selling directly. Check first whether your city or county has passed an ordinance prohibiting sales through third-party vendors.
What are the Cottage Food Safety directives?
They are directives published by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, excerpted from Agriculture Rule 40-7-19-.08. Rule Subject 40-7-19 describes them as the minimum best practices required in the production of cottage food products.
Where do I ask a food safety question about my kitchen?
Contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Rule Subject 40-7-19 encourages cottage food operators to contact the Department for additional guidance on food safety.
Sources
This is general information about Georgia cottage food rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and your city or county may add its own requirements. Confirm what applies to your kitchen with the Georgia Department of Agriculture before you sell.