Cottage food rules
Does Missouri Have Cottage Food Laws? What You Can Sell
What Missouri lets you sell from your home kitchen, and the one local call to make first.
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What to remember
- No permit, license, or training is required to sell baked goods, jams, jellies, or dried herb mixes made in a home kitchen.
- There is no income limit on Missouri cottage food sales.
- The allowed foods are non-perishable baked goods, canned jams and jellies from standard recipes, and dried herbs.
- Your county or city can adopt rules stricter than the state’s, so a quick call is worth it.
If you have been holding back on taking your first paid order because you were not sure whether Missouri would allow it, the short answer is that it will. The state treats a home kitchen selling shelf stable bakes as its own category, separate from restaurants and commercial kitchens. Here is what that means in practice, and the one local step worth doing before you print a single price list.
What you can sell from a Missouri kitchen
Missouri law describes a cottage food production operation, and the foods that fit are specific. Non-perishable baked goods, canned jams and jellies made from standard recipes, and dried herbs are the foods named. The list is built around shelf stable items, so it suits the baker who works in cookies, loaves, and jarred preserves rather than anything that has to stay cold.
Neighboring states draw their own lines, and they are not identical. If you sell near a state line or you are simply comparing before you commit, the Kansas rules and the Iowa rules are worth a read.
No permit, no license, no training
Missouri does not require a permit, license, or training to sell these foods from a home kitchen. Under section 196.298 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, a cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment and is not subject to state health or food code laws other than that section itself. In plain terms, the state food code is not the rulebook you are baking under.
There is also no cap on what you can earn. A 2026 Missouri cottage food guide lists no license, an unlimited income limit, and the same three food groups. That means you do not have to turn down a large wedding order to stay under a threshold.
The local rule that catches people out
Chapter 192 of the Missouri Revised Statutes gives local public health agencies the authority to adopt local food ordinances that are equal to or more stringent than current state regulations. In practice that means your county or city can have its own expectations for home based food production, even though the state does not. One phone call to your local health department before your first sale settles it.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services notes that most foods that can be produced in a home setting are covered within the food code, by a section of the definition of what a food establishment is. That is exactly why the cottage food section exists: it carves home bakers out of that definition. Keep your menu inside the three allowed groups and you stay on the right side of the line.
Write your menu down
List every item you want to sell, in plain words. Being specific now saves a rewrite later.
Match each item to the state list
Non-perishable baked goods, canned jams and jellies from standard recipes, and dried herbs. Anything outside those three groups is a question for your local health department.
Call your local health department
Ask whether your county or city has a local food ordinance for home based production, and whether it is stricter than the state rule.
Set your prices before you advertise
Cost each recipe so a busy week actually pays you. The Illinois rules show how differently one nearby state handles the same question.
Once the rules are settled, the rest is the part you already know how to do: baking well and telling people about it. Keep a simple record of what you sell and what each recipe costs you, and the busy seasons stop feeling like guesswork.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my home in Missouri?
No. Missouri does not require a permit, license, or training to sell baked goods, jams, jellies, or dried herb mixes made in a home kitchen.
Is there an income limit for Missouri cottage food sellers?
No. A 2026 Missouri cottage food guide lists an unlimited income limit, so you do not have to cap your sales.
What foods can I sell under Missouri cottage food rules?
Non-perishable baked goods, canned jams and jellies made from standard recipes, and dried herbs.
Can my county have stricter rules than the state?
Yes. Under Chapter 192, local public health agencies in Missouri can adopt local food ordinances equal to or more stringent than state regulations. Call your local health department before your first sale.
Does the state food code apply to my home kitchen?
Under section 196.298 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, a cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment and is not subject to state health or food code laws other than that section.
Sources
This is general information about Missouri cottage food rules, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change and local ordinances vary, so confirm with your local health department and a qualified professional before you rely on anything here.