Cottage food rules
Kansas Cottage Food Laws: What Home Bakers Need to Know
A plain look at what Kansas allows, so you know what to ask before you take your first order.
On this page
What to remember
- The farmers market allowance covers foods that do not need temperature control for safety and do not need specialized processing.
- The current Kansas Food Code took effect on June 2, 2023.
- Only food facilities located in Kansas need a Kansas food safety license.
- Every food business still has to comply with federal and state regulations.
Most home bakers start with a table at a market, a box for a neighbor, or a message from a friend of a friend. In Kansas, the clearest written opening is the farmers market allowance, and it is worth reading closely before you plan a menu. If you are still working out what paperwork a home baker generally needs, start with home bakery licenses and permits and come back to this page for the Kansas side.
What the Kansas allowance actually covers
The Kansas Department of Agriculture says direct to consumer sales are allowed at farmers’ markets and similar locations without a food establishment license, as long as the food does not require temperature control for safety and does not require specialized processing. That is the sentence to hold on to. It describes the food rather than listing approved items, so the question for each bake is simple. Does it need to stay cold or hot to be safe, and does it need a process most home kitchens do not have?
A loaf of bread or a box of cookies that sits happily on a table is a very different thing from a cream filled pastry that has to stay chilled. You do not need anyone to tell you which of your bakes fall on which side of that line, but you should not guess on the ones you are unsure about. Write your list, then check it with the Kansas Department of Agriculture before you take money.
What to confirm before your first sale
Check each item on your menu
Go through your bakes one at a time against the two part description: no temperature control for safety, no specialized processing. Anything that does not fit, leave off the list for now.
Confirm where you can sell
The written allowance covers farmers’ markets and similar locations. If you plan to sell somewhere else, ask the department whether that place counts before you book a table.
Ask about licensing for your kitchen
Only food facilities located in Kansas need a Kansas food safety license. Ask whether your setup counts as a food facility, and get the answer for your address rather than for the state as a whole.
Ask what has to be on your label
The Kansas material we can point to here does not set out a label format. Ask what is required for the items you plan to sell before you order printed stickers or stamps.
Keep your own records
Write down what you sold, where, and when. It makes the next conversation with the department much shorter.
The selling side, once you are clear on the rules
Rules are the first gate, not the whole job. Once you know what you can sell and where, the everyday work is taking orders, keeping track of what you have made, and getting paid without chasing people. If you bake near the metro, the state line matters, and Kansas City cottage food laws walks through both sides of it.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
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Price before you print a menu. Ingredients are only part of a batch cost, and the box, the sticker, and the drive to the market all come out of the same sale. Brevl keeps real costing on every recipe along with a weekly planner, so you can see what a bake actually costs before you decide what to charge for it.
Nothing here replaces the word of the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Read the farmers market page, read the food code page, and ask your own questions before your first sale. Then get baking, because the paperwork is a morning’s work and the orders are the part you actually enjoy.
Common questions
Can I sell home baked goods in Kansas without a license?
The Kansas Department of Agriculture allows direct to consumer sales of foods that do not require temperature control for safety or specialized processing at farmers' markets and similar locations without a food establishment license. Only food facilities located in Kansas need a Kansas food safety license, so ask whether your setup counts as one.
Which of my bakes are allowed?
The rule is written as a description of the food rather than a list of approved items. Anything that does not need temperature control for safety and does not need specialized processing fits that description. Check anything you are unsure about with the department.
Which version of the rules applies now?
The current Kansas Food Code took effect on June 2, 2023. Rules can change, so confirm the current version before you sell.
Do I still have to follow other rules?
Yes. Every food business has to comply with federal and state regulations, whether or not a Kansas food safety license applies to it.
Where exactly can I sell?
The written allowance covers farmers' markets and similar locations. For any other setting, ask the Kansas Department of Agriculture first.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the Kansas Department of Agriculture before you sell.