Cottage food rules
Mississippi Cottage Food Laws: A Home Baker's Guide
Know the Mississippi cottage food rules before you take your first order.
On this page
What to remember
- Mississippi requires no permit, registration, or fee to operate a cottage food business if you stay within the rules, including the $35,000 annual sales cap.
- Cottage food products are non-potentially hazardous foods made in the kitchen of a private home.
- A private home is the place where an individual lives, whether or not it is a house.
- You cannot sell cottage food products over the internet, by mail order, wholesale, or to a retail establishment, but you can advertise them.
- The Mississippi State Department of Health oversees cottage food operations and publishes a Questions and Answers document updated in September 2023.
If you bake in another state or want to compare how nearby states handle home food sales, our guides to Louisiana cottage food law and Kansas cottage food laws walk through those rules. Use this page for the Mississippi points you need before you take orders.
What counts as a cottage food in Mississippi
Mississippi’s cottage food definition covers specific types of foods that individuals are allowed to make in their private homes with the intention to sell those food items for public consumption. The state extension service adds that cottage food products are non-potentially hazardous foods made in the kitchen of a private home. Cottage food products are not directly regulated, but they are overseen by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
A private home is defined as the place where an individual lives, regardless of whether it is a house. That definition matters because the rules are built around food made in a home kitchen.
The $35,000 cap and what it means for your baking income
Mississippi requires no permit, registration, or fee to operate a cottage food business as long as the operator stays within the rules, including the $35,000 annual sales cap. That cap is the number to watch as you plan your baking year. If your sales are growing toward the cap, check the current Mississippi State Department of Health guidance before you take the next order.
Where you can sell, and where you cannot
A cottage food operation may not sell cottage food products over the internet, by mail order, or at wholesale or to a retail establishment. The same rule does not prohibit advertising of cottage food products, so you can still let people know what you make. Keep the sales channel separate from the advertising in your mind: a post or a flyer is not the same as an internet sale.
Records, questions, and staying current
The Mississippi State Department of Health publishes Cottage Food Operations: Questions and Answers, updated in September 2023. That document is the place to check for current details on cottage food operations. The state extension service also publishes Mississippi Cottage Food Operations: Regulations and Guidance, which explains the definitions behind the rules.
Before you take an order, confirm that your food fits the cottage food definition, that your home kitchen is the place where you live, and that your sales will stay under the $35,000 annual cap. Then keep a simple record of what you sell so the yearly number is not a guess.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Mississippi?
No. Mississippi requires no permit, registration, or fee to operate a cottage food business as long as you stay within the rules, including the $35,000 annual sales cap.
Can I sell my bakes online in Mississippi?
No. A cottage food operation may not sell cottage food products over the internet, by mail order, wholesale, or to a retail establishment. Advertising is allowed.
What is the sales limit for Mississippi cottage food?
The annual sales cap is $35,000.
Who oversees cottage food in Mississippi?
The Mississippi State Department of Health oversees cottage food operations. The department publishes Cottage Food Operations: Questions and Answers, updated in September 2023.
What is a private home under Mississippi cottage food rules?
A private home is the place where an individual lives, regardless of whether it is a house.
Sources
This is general information for home bakers, not legal or tax advice. Check the current Mississippi State Department of Health guidance for your situation.