Cottage food rules
Home Bakery License in Illinois: What You Need
The Illinois steps to register and sell home baked goods legally, in plain words.
What to remember
- Illinois has no state permit. Your local health department is where you register.
- If you bake and sell in Chicago, you register with the Chicago Department of Public Health.
- You and anyone helping you must complete an ANSI accredited certification.
- Illinois Extension publishes a cottage food guide made with the state health department.
If you bake from your own kitchen and sell to neighbors, church friends, and market customers, Illinois treats you as a cottage food operation. That is a home based food business run by a person producing food or drink, other than foods and drinks Illinois law prohibits, in a kitchen in that person’s home. The rules shifted in a big way on January 1, 2022, so older advice you find online may not match what your county asks for today.
Who you register with
Registration happens locally, not at the state level. Your county or city health department is the office that takes your cottage food registration, and the Illinois Department of Public Health points you there. If you live and sell inside Chicago, the Chicago Department of Public Health is the office that registers you. A quick call to your local office before you print labels saves a lot of back and forth. If you want the step by step version of the online sign up, see how to register online in Illinois.
The certificate you need first
Before you sell, you need a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, and you need to register with your local health department. All cottage food operators, plus anyone who prepares or packages products as part of the operation, must also complete an American National Standards Institute accredited certification. That means if your sister bags cookies with you on a Saturday, she needs it too. Build the course time into your plan before you take your first order.
Check what your kitchen will make
Confirm the bakes you plan to sell are allowed for a cottage food operation in Illinois, since some foods and drinks are prohibited.
Get your food protection certificate
Earn the Certified Food Protection Manager certificate before you sell anything.
Complete the ANSI accredited certification
You need it, and so does anyone who prepares or packages your products with you.
Register with your local health department
Register as a cottage food operation with your county or city office. In Chicago, that is the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Set up how you take orders and get paid
Have your order taking and payment ready before you tell people you are open.
Where to read the full rules
Illinois Extension publishes a comprehensive cottage food guide created with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, and it also keeps a checklist. Read both before you bake for sale, because the details on allowed foods, labeling, and sales limits come from those documents. Rules differ from state to state, so do not carry over what a friend in another state told you. If you are comparing how other states handle it, our guides on Georgia cottage food law requirements and Florida requirements show how differently each state sets things up.
Once registration is done, the work shifts to selling. Work out your prices properly with how to price your bakes, and keep your ingredient costs in view so a busy week still makes money.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
Common questions
Is there a state home bakery license in Illinois?
No. There is no state level permit for a home bakery. You register as a cottage food operation with your local county or city health department.
Do I register with the county or the state?
Your local health department. If you sell home prepared foods in Chicago and prepare them in a home in Chicago, you register with the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Do I need a food protection certificate before I sell?
Yes. You need a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, and you need to register with your local health department before selling.
Does anyone helping me need certification too?
Yes. All cottage food operators, and anyone preparing or packaging products as part of the operation, must complete an ANSI accredited certification.
Did the Illinois cottage food law change recently?
Major changes to the Illinois Cottage Food Operation law took effect on January 1, 2022, so check current guidance rather than older articles.
Where can I read the official rules in one place?
Illinois Extension publishes a comprehensive cottage food guide created with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, plus a checklist.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your local health department and the Illinois Department of Public Health before you sell.