Cottage food rules
Does Georgia Have Cottage Food Laws?
What Georgia's cottage food rules allow, what changed in 2025, and what to check before you sell.
On this page
What to remember
- Georgia has a cottage food program run by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
- There are no state limits on gross sales or on how many units you can produce.
- The cottage food license and its fee were removed effective July 1, 2025.
- Since that date you can sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants, not only directly.
- Your city or county can still pass an ordinance blocking sales through third party vendors.
If you are trying to work out whether you can sell your bakes from your own kitchen in Georgia, the short answer is that the state has a cottage food program with its own rules, run by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. If you have never read a cottage food law before, Cottage Food Laws: What They Are and How They Work explains the basics in plain words before you go deeper into Georgia’s version.
What House Bill 398 changed in 2025
House Bill 398 took effect on July 1, 2025, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture calls it an important update to the state’s cottage food program that makes it easier for home based food producers to sell their goods. The clearest change is that Georgia removed its cottage food license and the licensing fee on that date. Cottage food operators may now sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants in addition to selling directly.
The state also does not have any limits on gross sales or on the number of units that can be produced under its cottage food program. That matters if you are worried about outgrowing your kitchen, because the state program itself does not put a ceiling on what you sell.
Who Georgia counts as a cottage food operator
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 cottage food article. That is the frame the rest of the rules hang on: you make the food where you live, and you sell it under the cottage food article. The definition is worth reading closely if your setup is not a straightforward home kitchen, because it is the residential property that the article is built around.
What the state asks of you
The Georgia Department of Agriculture publishes a cottage food page covering labeling, hygiene, food safety, nutrition and ingredients for cottage food vendors in Georgia. Treat that page as your starting checklist and read it before you print a single label, because it is the state’s own guidance on what goes on your packaging and how you handle food.
Georgia’s cottage food safety directives are the minimum best practices required in the production of cottage food products. The Department encourages operators to contact it for additional guidance beyond those directives, so if something about your kitchen does not fit neatly, ask them directly rather than guessing.
Keep your prices and your paperwork straight
Once you are selling, the everyday work is pricing and planning. Brevl recipes carry real costing, ingredient inventory and a weekly planner, so you can see what a batch costs before you quote a price. If you want to understand how the state’s food licensing side works alongside the cottage food rules, Department of Agriculture Home Bakery License: What to Know walks through it.
Rules differ a lot from state to state, so do not carry assumptions across a state line. Does Florida Have Cottage Food Laws? What Home Bakers Should Know is a useful comparison if you have family or customers just across the border.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Georgia?
Georgia removed its cottage food license and the licensing fee effective July 1, 2025 under House Bill 398. Check the Georgia Department of Agriculture's cottage food page for what is required of you now.
Is there a limit on how much I can sell under Georgia's cottage food program?
No. The Georgia Department of Agriculture does not have any limits on gross sales or on the number of units that can be produced under its cottage food program.
Can I sell my bakes to a grocery store or a restaurant in Georgia?
Yes. Since July 1, 2025, operators may sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants in addition to selling directly. Each city or county may pass an ordinance prohibiting sales through third party vendors, so check locally before you approach a shop.
What food safety rules apply to Georgia cottage food operators?
The state's cottage food safety directives are the minimum best practices required in the production of cottage food products, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture encourages operators to contact it for additional guidance.
What if my home is on a private septic system?
Contact your county health department to be sure the home's septic system is acceptable for the operation before you start selling.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Agriculture: Cottage Food
- Georgia Department of Agriculture: Cottage Food FAQ
- Cottage Food Update HB 398 Frequently Asked Questions
- HB 398 Cottage Food Law, O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 et seq.
- Starting a Cottage Food Business
- Georgia Cottage Food Safety Directives
- Cottage Food Law Library: Georgia
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change, and your city or county may add its own requirements, so confirm the details with the Georgia Department of Agriculture before you sell.