Cottage food rules
Michigan Cottage Food Law: What Home Bakers Need to Know
A plain answer to what the Michigan cottage food exemption lets you bake, label, and sell from home.
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What to remember
- No license application to file if you qualify for the cottage food exemption.
- Make, package, and label every product in your primary residence.
- Sell and deliver only inside Michigan.
- Your label needs a statement starting with the words Made in, plus allergen identification.
- Only some foods are allowed under the exemption, so check your product first.
If you bake from your own kitchen and sell to neighbors, church friends, and people who find you online, this is the set of rules that decides what you can put in a box. It is worth reading once properly rather than guessing, because the parts that trip bakers up are usually the small ones: where the food is made, where it is sold, and what is printed on the label. If you have been selling for a while, start with what changed in 2026 so you are not working from an old version of the rules.
What the exemption actually covers
The exemption in Michigan’s Food Law is about licensing and inspection, not about a permit you go and buy. If you qualify to operate under the cottage food exemptions, you are exempt from obtaining a food establishment license under the Food Code, and there are no application forms to complete. That is the whole of it. You are not registered, you are not issued a number, and there is nothing to renew each year.
Where your bakes can go
A cottage food product may only be sold or delivered within Michigan. That single sentence shapes how you take orders. A cousin in Ohio asking for a box of cookies is outside what the exemption allows, and so is a delivery that crosses the state line, even if the order started on your phone. Everything also has to be made, packaged, and labeled in your primary residence, which means your home kitchen is the only place the work happens.
What has to be on your label
Every product needs a label, and two things on it matter more than the rest. First, a statement beginning with the words Made in that identifies where the product was made. Second, you have to identify whether any ingredients are made from major food groups including milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and fish, which includes shellfish, crab, lobster, and shrimp. If your kitchen is the kind where flour and butter move around all day, write the label as if a crumb could travel, because it can. What goes on your Michigan label walks through a full example line by line.
Only some foods are allowed
The rules under Michigan’s Food Law were developed to protect the health and safety of Michigan citizens and to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, and only some foods are allowed for sale under the Cottage Food exemption. That is the reason a straightforward loaf, a tray of brownies, or a jar of jam sits in a different category from anything that needs refrigeration to stay safe. Before you build a menu around a new item, confirm it is allowed. Our guide to the class and what it covers is a good next step if you want the rules explained properly rather than skimmed.
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- Michigan Cottage Food Law Labels: What Goes on Yours
- Michigan Cottage Food Law Update: What Changed in 2026
- Michigan Cottage Food Law Class: What It Covers
- Michigan Cottage Food Law Changes: What Home Bakers Need
Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my Michigan kitchen?
If you qualify to operate under the Food Law Cottage Food exemptions, you are exempt from obtaining a food establishment license under the Food Code, and there are no application forms to complete.
Can I ship my bakes to another state?
No. A cottage food product may only be sold or delivered within Michigan.
Does the exemption cover everything, including local rules?
No. The exemption only covers licensing and routine inspection by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Local zoning and other laws still apply.
What must my label say?
It needs a statement beginning with the words Made in that identifies where the product was made, and it has to identify whether any ingredients are made from major food groups including milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and fish, which includes shellfish, crab, lobster, and shrimp.
Can I bake in a rented commercial kitchen instead?
Cottage foods must be made, packaged, and labeled in your primary residence, so the work happens at home under this exemption.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Rules can change, so confirm the current requirements with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development before you sell.