Selling Cottage Food Online: What the Law Allows in 12 States

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Many home bakers now take most of their orders through a website, a social media page or an online shop. Cottage food laws did not all keep pace in the same way. Some states let a cottage food operation sell, take payment and arrange delivery online. Others allow online sales only with conditions, such as in-state buyers, personal delivery or label details posted on the webpage. A few allow online advertising but not online sales. This guide sorts 12 states by how they treat online sales and links to the official source for each rule.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Shipping to other states is covered in a separate post, Can You Ship Cottage Foods Across State Lines? Sources were checked on Oct. 28, 2026. Rules change, and the state or local agency has the final word.

The short version

Online sales allowed

Florida

Florida's law says a cottage food operation may sell, offer for sale and accept payment for cottage food products over the internet or by mail order. Products may be delivered in person, to a specific event venue or by the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial mail delivery service. Wholesale sales are not allowed. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(2). The same section says an operation must give the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services written documentation of its annual gross sales on request, so online order records are worth keeping. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(1). Florida's law does not limit online sales to Florida buyers. For shipping to other states, see the shipping post. See the Florida cottage food law page and the post on Florida's $250,000 sales cap.

Georgia

Georgia cottage food operations may sell directly to a person, including online and by mail order. When an item is offered for sale on the internet, the required label information goes on the webpage where the item is offered. For telephone or custom orders, the seller may skip displaying that information but must tell buyers the item is produced at a residential property exempt from state inspection and may contain allergens, and must provide the rest of the information on request. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-472 and 26-2-473(b)-(c). The Georgia Department of Agriculture's FAQ answers yes to internet sales and says operators may sell to the end consumer within Georgia. It also warns that interstate sales may bring oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Source: GDA Cottage Food FAQ. See the Georgia cottage food law page.

Alabama

The Alabama Department of Public Health says a cottage food producer may sell directly to consumers in person, by phone or online as long as the receiving person is in Alabama. Producers may deliver within the state in person, through an agent or by mail. ADPH also says the law does not prohibit advertising on social media. Source: ADPH Cottage Food. See the Alabama cottage food law page.

Virginia

Virginia's home food exemption covers foods sold through the internet or by phone to an individual in Virginia and delivered in person, by mail or by delivery service to an individual in Virginia. The law also says it does not stop a resident from advertising those foods on the internet. Source: Va. Code 3.2-5130(C)(3). See the Virginia cottage food law page.

New York

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets says home processors may have a website and that internet sales are allowed within New York only. Shipping out of state is not permitted. The department adds that a website or social media account may not advertise foods the home processor exemption does not cover. Source: NYSDAM Home Processing. See the New York cottage food law page.

Colorado

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says internet sales are allowed. The producer and the informed end consumer may decide how the product is delivered, as long as delivery does not involve interstate commerce. Source: CDPHE Cottage Foods Act. See the Colorado cottage food law page.

Illinois

University of Illinois Extension's 2026 Cottage Food Guide lists online sales and shipping within the state among the allowed ways to sell. Online, the required notice must appear on the operation's online sales interface at the point of sale: "This product was produced in a home kitchen, not inspected by a health department, that may also process common food allergens." The guide says that for a website, social media page or online ordering system, the notice belongs on the shop page at the point of sale. Source: University of Illinois Extension, 2026 Cottage Food Guide. See the Illinois cottage food law page.

Online sales allowed with extra conditions

Texas

Texas allows internet sales in the state only if the operator, an employee or a household member personally delivers the food to the buyer. Before accepting payment, the operator must post the required label information in a legible statement on the operation's website. The operation's address may be left off that online statement, but after payment the label must show the address or a unique identification number from the department. The 2025 law, SB 541, removed mail order as an option. Sources: Tex. Health & Safety Code 437.0194(b)-(c) and 437.0193(b-1); SB 541 (2025), enrolled text. See the Texas cottage food law page.

Michigan

Michigan allows cottage food sales by internet or mail order and delivery through a third-party food delivery platform if the operation gives the buyer a chance to interact directly with it before the sale. The law says direct interaction includes a face-to-face meeting or a virtual meeting, such as an electronic meeting with two-way communication in which participants can see or be seen and hear or be heard. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development describes this as giving the consumer an opportunity to speak to the operator. These sales must go only to consumers in Michigan. The rules took effect March 24, 2026. Sources: MCL 289.4102(4); MDARD Cottage Food Getting Started and FAQ. See the Michigan cottage food law page.

Online sales not allowed or not listed

Mississippi

Mississippi cottage food operations may advertise online, including on social media, but may not sell over the internet or by mail order. The Mississippi State Department of Health says sales must be directly from the producer to the end consumer. Sources: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(2); MSDH Cottage Food FAQ. See the Mississippi cottage food law page.

Washington

Washington's cottage food law says products may only be sold directly to the consumer and may not be sold by internet, mail order or for retail sale outside the state. Source: RCW 69.22.020(4). See the Washington cottage food law page.

Ohio

Ohio's cottage food rules bar sales outside Ohio. Source: Ohio Adm. Code 901:3-20-05(F). The Ohio Department of Agriculture lists where cottage food may be sold: directly to the consumer from the home where it is made, grocery stores, registered farm markets, farmers markets, restaurants and festivals that a political subdivision organizes for no more than seven consecutive days. Online sales are not on that list. Source: ODA Cottage Foods. Hamilton County Public Health's cottage food pamphlet says cottage foods may not be sold on the internet. Source: Hamilton County Public Health. Ask ODA at [email protected] or 614-728-6250 before taking orders online. See the Ohio cottage food law page.

Setting up an online shop

These steps come from the rules above. The state law page for each state has the full list.

  1. Confirm the home state allows online sales and whether it limits them to in-state buyers.
  2. Put the required details on the listing. Georgia requires label information on the webpage where the item is sold, Texas requires it on the website before payment and Illinois requires its notice on the shop page.
  3. Match delivery to the law. Texas requires personal delivery, Michigan requires a chance to talk with the seller first and several states limit delivery to in-state addresses.
  4. Keep advertising within the rules. New York bars advertising foods the exemption does not cover, even on social media.
  5. Keep order records. States with sales caps, such as Florida, can ask for proof of gross sales.

For label wording, see Cottage Food Label Templates and Tools. For mailed orders, see Packaging That Ships Well.

Frequently asked questions

Can I advertise my cottage food on social media?

In the states here that address it, yes. Mississippi allows online advertising, including on social media, even though it bans online sales. Alabama's health department says the law does not prohibit social media advertising, and Virginia's law says it does not stop internet advertising. Michigan's agriculture department says operators may use a website or social media to advertise. New York says a website or social media account may not advertise foods its exemption does not cover. Sources: Miss. Code Ann. 75-29-951(2); ADPH Cottage Food; Va. Code 3.2-5130(C)(3); MDARD Cottage Food Selling and Samples; NYSDAM Home Processing.

Can I sell cottage food on Etsy?

In Illinois, yes, according to University of Illinois Extension, but only to buyers in Illinois and with the required home kitchen notice on the Etsy page. In other states, the state's online sales rule applies to marketplaces too, so check the state law page first. Source: University of Illinois Extension, 2026 Cottage Food Guide.

Can I use a delivery app for cottage food orders?

Michigan allows delivery through a third-party food delivery platform if the buyer can interact directly with the operation before the sale. Texas requires the operator, an employee or a household member to personally deliver internet orders. Sources: MCL 289.4102(4); Tex. Health & Safety Code 437.0194(b).

Can I take payment online before I deliver?

In Florida, yes. The law lets cottage food operations accept payment over the internet. In Texas, the operator must post the required label information on the website before accepting payment. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80(2); Tex. Health & Safety Code 437.0194(b).

Can I sell cottage food online in Washington?

No. Washington's law says cottage food products may not be sold by internet, mail order or for retail sale outside the state. Source: RCW 69.22.020(4).

Official sources

Find home bakers and makers in covered states on the all states page.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed Oct. 28, 2026.