Mississippi's Cottage Food Law: Where It Stands and What May Come Next

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Mississippi lets home producers sell shelf-stable foods without a state food permit, but its rules are narrower than those in the four states that border it. Sales are capped at $35,000 a year. Sellers may advertise online and on social media, but they may not sell over the internet, by mail order, at wholesale or to a store, and the Mississippi State Department of Health, or MSDH, says the food must stay in Mississippi. Six bills in 2025 and 2026 tried to raise or remove the cap, and the only one that passed a chamber died in a Senate committee in March 2026.

Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. Law details come from Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951 as published in the 2025 Mississippi Code, the Mississippi Legislature's bill records on billstatus.ls.state.ms.us and MSDH's Cottage Food Operation FAQ, all linked below. Sources were checked on Nov. 4, 2026. The "Outlook" section is Cottage Food Directory's analysis, not a sourced forecast. MSDH Food Protection enforces the cottage food rules.

Mississippi's law today

The Mississippi cottage food law guide has the full rules, including MSDH's allowed and barred food lists.

How Mississippi got here

How Mississippi compares

Mississippi's rules are narrower than the rules in all four states that border it. Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee set no sales cap, and Louisiana raised its cap from $30,000 to $100,000 on Aug. 1, 2026. Alabama and Tennessee allow online sales delivered inside their states, and Arkansas allows online and store sales and, if the seller follows federal law, sales to other states. Farther east, Florida caps sales at $250,000 and allows internet and mail-order sales, and Georgia and South Carolina set no cap and allow sales through stores. Sources: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1; Ark. Code Ann. 20-57-504, enacted by Act 1040 of 2021 (PDF); Tenn. Code Ann. 53-1-118; La. R.S. 40:4.9; Louisiana Act 801 of 2026 (HB 403); Fla. Stat. 500.80; O.C.G.A. 26-2-472, as passed (PDF posted by GDA); S.C. Code 44-1-143.

On foods that need refrigeration, Mississippi has not moved. Several states now allow some of those foods, each with conditions.

For a side-by-side look at the region, see How Cottage Food Laws Compare in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, Georgia's Cottage Food Law: Where It Stands and What May Come Next, Alabama's Cottage Food Law: Where It Stands and What May Come Next, Florida's Cottage Food Law: Where It Stands and What May Come Next and South Carolina's Cottage Food Law: Where It Stands and What May Come Next. For the national picture, see Where Cottage Food Laws Are Headed: The 2025-2026 Wave and What Comes Next.

Outlook: what may come next in Mississippi

  1. Expect another bill to raise or remove the cap. All six cottage food bills filed in 2025 and 2026 did one or the other, with proposals of $59,000, $120,000 and $200,000 and three bills that would have dropped the cap. Four of the six, including HB 910, died in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, so a new bill would have to get through that committee.
  2. In-state online and mail-order sales have the strongest record. HB 910 would have removed the cap and allowed online, mail-order, wholesale, store and agent sales delivered to Mississippi consumers. The House passed it 109-6 on Feb. 10, 2026, and it died in that Senate committee on March 3. A bill that allows only in-state online and mail-order sales, as Alabama does, would ask the Senate for less than HB 910 did. Sources: HB 910 House vote (PDF); HB 910 history; Ala. Code 22-20-5.1.
  3. No recent bill tried to add refrigerated foods or out-of-state shipping. Mississippi's recent cottage food bills focused on the cap, sales channels, training and food lists. MSDH already says sales stay in Mississippi, and the statute bans mail-order sales. A state bill cannot rewrite federal rules for products that cross state lines. Sources: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(2); MSDH Cottage Food Operation FAQ. For more, see Can You Ship Cottage Foods Across State Lines? A State-by-State Look.

What Mississippi operators can do now

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Mississippi?

No state food permit is required if you follow Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951 and stay at or under $35,000 in gross annual sales. MSDH says to check with your city or county about a business license. Sources: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(1); MSDH Cottage Food Operation FAQ.

Can I sell cheesecake from my Mississippi home kitchen?

No, because MSDH bars dairy products, including custard pies, from cottage food sales, and cheesecake is a dairy dessert that needs refrigeration. Source: MSDH Cottage Food Operation FAQ.

Can I sell my cottage foods online or by mail?

No. The statute bars sales over the internet and by mail order, though advertising online, including on social media, is allowed. Source: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(2).

Can I sell my cottage foods to a grocery store or coffee shop?

No, since Mississippi law bars sales at wholesale or to a retail establishment. Source: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(2).

Can I ship cottage foods to a customer in another state?

No. Mail-order sales are banned, and MSDH says cottage foods may be sold only in Mississippi. Sources: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(2); MSDH Cottage Food Operation FAQ.

Is a bill pending to change Mississippi's cottage food law?

No. Every cottage food bill from the 2025 and 2026 sessions died in committee, and the 2027 session opens Jan. 5, 2027. New filings will show up on the Legislature's sessions list once that session is posted. Sources: Mississippi Legislature, sessions list; HB 910 (2026) history; Miss. Const. art. 4, sec. 36 (PDF).

Official sources

To find home bakers and makers in the state, browse the Mississippi listings.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed Nov. 4, 2026.