Cottage food rules
Hawaii Cottage Food Law: What Home Bakers Need
A clear look at Hawaii's homemade food exemption and what to check before you sell.
On this page
What to remember
- You can sell qualifying homemade foods such as baked goods and candies from your own kitchen.
- No state permit to file, and no registration, fee, or inspection under the exemption.
- The Hawaii Department of Health Food Safety Branch administers the exemption under HAR 11-50.
- The Department of Health adopted amendments to the Hawaii Food Safety Code to allow sale of certain homemade foods.
- Call your local Food Safety Branch office for general food information Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HST.
Hawaii’s homemade food product exemption is the rule home bakers look at first. It lets home cooks sell qualifying foods from their home kitchen without a Department of Health permit. The state’s cottage food rules name baked goods and candies, so a home baker making cookies, cakes, breads, or candy has a clear place to start. The exemption is administered by the Hawaii Department of Health Food Safety Branch under HAR 11-50. If you are working out what to put on your packages, see Hawaii cottage food law labels.
What the exemption allows
Under Hawaii’s homemade food product exemption, you can sell qualifying foods from your home kitchen without a Department of Health permit. Hawaii’s cottage food rules allow selling foods such as baked goods and candies from your own kitchen with no state permit to file. The Hawaii State Department of Health adopted amendments to the Hawaii Food Safety Code to allow sale of certain homemade foods. That gives home bakers a path to sell from home, as long as the food qualifies.
No permit, registration, fee, or inspection
Under Hawaii’s homemade food exemption there is no permit, no registration, no fee, and no inspection. That is a simple starting point, but it does not mean every food or every selling plan is covered. The exemption is for qualifying homemade foods, and the Department of Health Food Safety Branch administers it under HAR 11-50. Keep your questions specific: ask about the food you plan to make, where you plan to sell it, and how you plan to label it.
If you want to confirm a detail, general food information is available by calling your local Food Safety Branch office Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HST. Write down the date, the office, and the name of the person you speak with. Keep that note with your recipe file so you can find it later.
What to confirm before you bake for sale
List your exact foods
Write down each item you plan to sell, such as a specific bread, cookie, or candy. That way you can ask about the item by name.
Call the Food Safety Branch
General food information is available by calling your local Food Safety Branch office Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HST.
Ask about your home kitchen
Tell them you plan to work from a home kitchen and ask whether your specific foods fall under the homemade food product exemption.
Ask about labels
Ask what your labels need to say. For a place to start, see Hawaii cottage food law labels.
Keep a record
Write down who you spoke with, the date, and what they told you. Keep it with your recipe file.
Where your shop fits
Once you know your foods are covered, the next work is the everyday work: pricing, labels, and taking orders. Brevl gives you a shop that is yours to customize, with your photos, your colors, and your own web address. It also has recipes with real costing, ingredient inventory, and a weekly planner, so you can price and plan. You can take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. If you are comparing ways to take orders, this home bakery app roundup looks at the options fairly.
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Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from my Hawaii home kitchen?
Under Hawaii's homemade food product exemption, qualifying foods can be sold from a home kitchen without a Department of Health permit. The state's cottage food rules name baked goods and candies. Confirm your exact item with the Food Safety Branch.
Is there a fee or inspection?
Under Hawaii's homemade food exemption there is no permit, no registration, no fee, and no inspection.
What foods are covered?
The material here names baked goods and candies and describes qualifying homemade foods. It does not list every food, so ask the Food Safety Branch about the exact item you plan to sell.
Who runs the exemption?
The Hawaii Department of Health Food Safety Branch administers the homemade food exemption under HAR 11-50.
How do I ask a question?
General food information is available by calling your local Food Safety Branch office Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HST.
Can I sell from my home kitchen?
Hawaii's homemade food product exemption lets home cooks sell qualifying foods from their home kitchen without a Department of Health permit. Baked goods and candies are named in the state's cottage food rules.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Confirm your specific foods and selling plans with the Hawaii Department of Health Food Safety Branch.