Cottage food rules
Indiana Cottage Food Law: What Home Bakers Need to Know
A plain look at Indiana's home-based vendor rules, and the questions to ask before you sell a single bake.
On this page
What to remember
- Indiana’s home-based vendor rules come from House Enrolled Act 1149, passed in 2022.
- The law was written to allow home food production and sales that do not present a health risk.
- Indiana’s sanitation rule for food businesses is 410 IAC 7-24.
- Indiana’s cottage food rules cover what you can sell, permits, sales caps, and labeling.
- Get your answers from your local health department, not from a group chat.
If you bake from your kitchen and sell to neighbors, this is the set of rules you are working inside. It is short on purpose, and it points you to the people who can give you a real answer for your county and your bakes.
What the home-based vendor law does
House Enrolled Act 1149 passed in 2022 and defines the requirements for home-based vendors in the preparation and sale of food products. The goal of the act was to allow certain safe food production in the home and also sales of home-produced foods that do not present a health risk. That word certain is the part to sit with. Not every food is treated the same way, and the law is built around the idea of keeping risky food out of home kitchens rather than letting everything through.
Indiana cottage food rules for home bakers cover what you can legally sell, permit and license rules, sales caps, and labeling requirements. Those four things are where most of your questions will land, and none of them are worth guessing at. If you are comparing states before you decide how to set up, Illinois cottage food law requirements shows how a neighboring state draws the same lines differently.
The food safety rule behind it
410 IAC 7-24, Retail Food Establishment Sanitation Requirements, is Indiana’s rule designed to protect the consumer from contaminated food. The version in force was adopted in 2002 and was drafted based on the 2001 FDA Model Food Code. Indiana’s food protection laws also reference the federal act, defined for these purposes as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.
One line in that rule is worth knowing by name. Under 410 IAC 7-24-79, a retail food establishment does not include an establishment that offers only prepackaged foods that are not potentially hazardous. That is why the kind of bake you make changes which rules apply to you. It is not a green light on its own, and it does not answer the permit question for your kitchen.
What to check before you take your first order
Call your local health department
Start with the office that covers your county. Describe exactly what you bake and how you sell it, whether that is from home, at a market, or by order.
Write down what you plan to sell
Indiana’s rules cover what you can legally sell. Keep your list specific, including fillings, frostings, and anything that needs refrigeration.
Ask about permits and licenses
Permit and license rules are part of the cottage food rules. Ask directly whether your setup needs one for the foods on your list.
Ask for the current sales cap
Indiana’s cottage food rules include sales caps. Get the current number in writing rather than from a Facebook group.
Get labeling requirements in writing
Ask what has to appear on your label, in what wording, and where it goes on the package.
Keep the guidance you were given
Save the emails and documents. If a question comes up later at a market, you have the answer on your phone.
Once you know where you stand, the setup side is easier than it looks. Home bakery licenses and permits walks through the paperwork side, and it pairs well with a plain look at what it costs to run a home bakery once the rules are settled.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my Indiana home?
Indiana's cottage food rules cover permit and license rules, and the answer depends on what you make and how you sell it. Ask your local health department before you bake for sale, and describe your bakes and your sales method exactly.
What law covers home based food sales in Indiana?
House Enrolled Act 1149, passed in 2022, defines the requirements for home-based vendors in the preparation and sale of food products. Its stated goal was to allow certain safe food production in the home and sales of home-produced foods that do not present a health risk.
Is there a sales cap for Indiana home bakers?
Indiana's cottage food rules include sales caps. The rules do not spell the number out for you here, so ask your local health department for the current cap and keep their answer in writing.
Does 410 IAC 7-24 apply to my home kitchen?
410 IAC 7-24 is Indiana's Retail Food Establishment Sanitation Requirements, designed to protect the consumer from contaminated food. Whether it reaches your setup depends on what you sell, so confirm with your local health department.
What has to be on my labels?
Labeling requirements are one of the pieces Indiana's cottage food rules cover. Get the exact wording and placement from your local health department before you order printed labels.
Sources
- Indiana Home-Based Vendors FAQ
- Home-Based Vendors Guidance document, Brown County
- Indiana cottage food rules for home bakers
- 410 IAC 7-24, Retail Food Establishment Sanitation Requirements
- 410 IAC 7-24 rule adoption record
- 410 IAC 7-24-79, definition of retail food establishment
- Indiana food protection laws, rules and regulations
This is general information about Indiana rules, not legal advice. Rules change and local health departments apply them. Confirm what applies to your kitchen before you sell.