Cottage food rules
Home Bakery License in Michigan: What You Need
A plain answer on whether your Michigan home bakery needs a license, and what still applies to you.
On this page
What to remember
- Sell direct to consumers only. No wholesale and no consignment.
- Label every item the way the Food Law requires.
- Under the cottage food exemption there is no license application and no inspection.
- The rest of the Food Law still applies to what you bake and sell.
- A food establishment license is a different path, with inspection and plan review first.
Most Michigan bakers selling from their own kitchen start by hunting for a form to fill in. For cottage food sellers there is not one. What matters instead is where your bakes go and how they are labeled. If you are working out what a year of selling actually costs you, home bakery license cost walks through the fees bakers pay in other states so you can compare.
What the exemption covers
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development states that cottage food operations are exempt from the licensing and inspection provisions of the Food Law. The getting started guidance says the same thing in plain words: if you qualify for the cottage food exemptions, you are exempt from getting a food establishment license under the Food Code, and there are no application forms to complete. A cottage food operation selling allowable, properly labeled homemade food directly to Michigan consumers does not need a license, as long as it is never sold wholesale or on consignment.
When you need a food establishment license
The Michigan Food Law of 2000 requires a license for anyone who processes, packs, cans, preserves, freezes, fabricates, stores, prepares, serves, sells, or offers food. Cottage food sellers sit outside that requirement because of the exemption. If your plans reach past it, the license path has its own order and its own timing.
Check the exemption first
If you qualify for the cottage food exemptions, you are exempt from getting a food establishment license under the Food Code, and there are no application forms to complete.
Expect inspection and plan review
A new license will not be issued until an inspection takes place and a plan review has been conducted, if applicable.
Apply well ahead
License applications must be made at least 30 days in advance, so plan your start date around that wait.
Keep your labels right either way
Labeling requirements and the other provisions in the Michigan Food Law apply to what you sell, whether or not you hold a license.
What to keep straight while you sell
The exemption is about licensing, not about skipping the rules. Labeling requirements and the other provisions in the Michigan Food Law still apply to every item that leaves your kitchen, so the label is the part to get right early rather than late. If you want the wider picture of how cottage food rules work above the state level, federal cottage food laws is a calm place to start, and Forrager cottage food laws explains how bakers use that site to look up state rules.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell cookies from my home in Michigan?
If they are allowable cottage foods, properly labeled, and sold directly to Michigan consumers, the cottage food exemption means you are exempt from getting a food establishment license under the Food Code.
Is there an application form for Michigan cottage food operations?
No. For operations that qualify for the cottage food exemption, there are no application forms to complete.
Can I sell my bakes to a cafe to resell?
The exemption covers cottage food sold directly to Michigan consumers. Cottage food that is sold wholesale or on consignment does not qualify.
What still applies to me if I am exempt?
Labeling requirements and the other provisions in the Michigan Food Law still apply to what you make and sell.
How far ahead do I apply if I do need a food establishment license?
Applications must be made at least 30 days in advance, and a new license will not be issued until an inspection takes place and a plan review has been conducted, if applicable.
Sources
This is general information about Michigan rules, not legal advice. Rules change, so check with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development before you start selling.