Southeast Cottage Food Laws Compared: Sales Caps, Shipping

Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina all let people make shelf-stable foods at home and sell them without a standard food permit. The details differ in ways that matter to a home baker. Florida caps sales at $250,000 a year, while the other three set no state cap. Georgia and South Carolina allow sales to stores, while Florida and Alabama do not. Alabama law and South Carolina's state agency keep delivery inside the state. Florida's law does not limit mail delivery to Florida, and Georgia's law allows mail order, but the Georgia Department of Agriculture, or GDA, says Georgia cottage food sales are to consumers within Georgia. This guide compares the four states side by side and points to the official text for each rule.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and local business licenses, zoning, HOA covenants and tax rules vary. Check the official sources linked below, your state agency or an attorney before you sell. The full state guides linked here were last reviewed against official text on Oct. 12 and 13, 2026.

The short version

Florida: Florida requires no state food permit while annual gross sales stay at or below $250,000. Online and mail-order sales are allowed, but wholesale sales are not.
Georgia: Georgia has required no state license since July 1, 2025, and it sets no sales cap. Sales to grocery stores and restaurants are allowed. GDA requires food safety training.
Alabama: Alabama requires no food service permit and sets no sales cap. Sales must go directly to consumers in Alabama. State law requires an approved food safety course, and the Alabama Department of Public Health, or ADPH, says operators must submit a Cottage Food Review Form to the county health department.
South Carolina: South Carolina requires no license or permit and sets no sales cap. Sales to retail stores are allowed. The state agency says direct sales must be delivered in South Carolina.

Permits and licenses

None of the four states requires a standard food permit for a home cook who follows its cottage food rules, but each frames the exemption differently.

Florida: A cottage food operation is exempt from the state food permit if annual gross sales of cottage food products stay at or below $250,000. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(1).
Georgia: HB 398 removed the state cottage food license and fee on July 1, 2025. Source: GDA HB 398 FAQ.
Alabama: No food service permit is required for a cottage food production operation that follows the law. ADPH asks operators to take a Cottage Food Review Form, a sample label and a food safety course certificate to the county health department for review. Sources: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(b); ADPH Cottage Food.
South Carolina: No license, permit or mandatory application is required. An identification number from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, or SCDA, is optional. Sources: S.C. Code 44-1-143(F); SCDA guidance (July 2025).

Sales caps

Florida is the only one of the four with a state sales cap.

Florida: Annual gross sales of cottage food products may not exceed $250,000, and the total counts sales at every location and by everyone involved in the operation. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(1).
Georgia: GDA sets no limit on gross sales or on the number of units produced. Source: GDA Cottage Food FAQ.
Alabama: Alabama sets no cap, because Act 2021-461 removed the earlier $20,000 annual limit. Source: Act 2021-461 (SB 160).
South Carolina: South Carolina sets no cap. Operations with net earnings under $1,500 a year are exempt from the law's requirements, but SCDA says they may not sell at retail locations. Sources: S.C. Code 44-1-143(G); SCDA guidance (July 2025).

Online sales, shipping and delivery

All four states allow some form of online or phone ordering. The states differ on where the food may be delivered.

Florida: Sales may be made in person, online or by mail order, with delivery in person, to an event venue or by U.S. Mail or a commercial carrier. The law does not limit mail delivery to Florida, and UF/IFAS Extension says products may be shipped across state lines. Check the receiving state's rules before you ship. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80(2); UF/IFAS Extension, FS425.
Georgia: Sales may be made directly to buyers, including online and by mail order. The law does not exempt operators from federal law, and GDA warns that interstate sales may bring U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight. GDA's FAQ also says cottage food operators may sell to end consumers within Georgia, and the federal license that interstate sales could require cannot be issued for a home kitchen. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-472 and 26-2-477; GDA Cottage Food FAQ.
Alabama: Sales may be made in person, by phone or online, but only directly to consumers in Alabama. Delivery may be in person, by an agent or by mail inside the state. Source: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(a)(2).
South Carolina: The law allows sales online and by mail order. SCDA guidance says direct sales must be delivered only in South Carolina. Sources: S.C. Code 44-1-143(E); SCDA guidance (July 2025).

Stores, restaurants and wholesale

This is where the four states differ most.

Florida: Wholesale sales are not allowed, so a cottage food operation may not sell to stores, restaurants, coffee shops or distributors for resale. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(2).
Georgia: Since July 1, 2025, cottage foods may be sold to retail food sales establishments, including grocery stores and restaurants. The store must post signage and keep the products in a separate, labeled section or display case. A county or city may ban these third-party sales by ordinance after notice and a hearing. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-472, 26-2-473(d) and 26-2-478.
Alabama: Alabama does not allow these sales. ADPH says permitted food establishments may not sell food made in a private home, and consignment sales are not allowed. Source: ADPH Cottage Food.
South Carolina: Sales to retail stores, including grocery stores, are allowed if the store posts signage saying home-based food is not subject to commercial food regulations. A restaurant may serve home-based food or use it as an ingredient only with an SCDA variance. Sources: S.C. Code 44-1-143(E); SCDA guidance (July 2025).

Labels

Each state requires a statement telling buyers the food was made in a home kitchen outside regular food safety oversight. The exact wording differs, so a label made for one state will not automatically work in another.

Florida: The label lists the operation's name and address, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight or volume, allergens and nutrition facts if a nutrition claim is made. It must carry the statement "Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations" in at least 10-point type. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(3).
Georgia: Buyers must get the business name, phone number and address or a GDA identification number, plus this statement in at least 10-point type: "This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens." Depending on how the item is sold, the information goes on the package label, the bulk container, a placard at the point of sale or the webpage where the item is sold. GDA's older guidance also lists the product name, ingredients, net weight and allergens, so ask GDA which of those still apply until its new rules are final. Source: O.C.G.A. 26-2-473.
Alabama: The label shows the food's name, the operation's name and home or P.O. box address, a statement that the food is not inspected by ADPH or the local health department, the ingredients and an allergen statement, all in at least 10-point type. ADPH says a QR code may not replace the required information. Sources: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(e); ADPH Cottage Food.
South Carolina: The label shows the operation's name and address or SCDA identification number, the product name, the ingredients and an all-caps statement that the food was made by a home-based food production operation not subject to South Carolina's food safety regulations. Source: S.C. Code 44-1-143(D).

For buyers, the guide to reading a cottage food label explains what each part means.

Training, kitchens and inspections

Florida: The cottage food statute does not include a training requirement. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or FDACS, may inspect only after receiving a complaint. Source: Fla. Stat. 500.80(7).
Georgia: Operators must complete an ANSI-accredited food safety training program, and a food handler course is acceptable. Food must be made in the home kitchen of the operator's primary residence. GDA may inspect to investigate a complaint, a foodborne illness report or another public health emergency. Sources: GDA Cottage Food (training); GDA Cottage Food FAQ (primary residence); O.C.G.A. 26-2-476 (inspections).
Alabama: The operator must pass an ADPH-approved food safety course and keep the certification current. ADPH says the county health department reviews the certificate and labels and will not inspect a home kitchen. Sources: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(e); ADPH Cottage Food.
South Carolina: The statute does not require a food safety course, but it does require everyone who handles the food to know and follow safe food handling practices. It does set kitchen rules, such as keeping pets out during production and having separate hand-washing facilities. Source: S.C. Code 44-1-143(B)-(C).

Local rules

Florida: Cities and counties may not ban cottage food operations or regulate how cottage foods are made, stored or sold. Home-based business conditions and HOA rules still apply. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80(6); Fla. Stat. 559.955.
Georgia: Local governments may not prohibit or regulate cottage food items, except for the store-sales opt-out. General business license and zoning rules still apply. Sources: O.C.G.A. 36-60-33; GDA HB 398 FAQ.
Alabama: ADPH and county health departments may not regulate food production at a cottage food operation except as the law provides. City and county business licenses still apply. Sources: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(c); ADPH Cottage Food.
South Carolina: The state law applies in the absence of a local ordinance to the contrary, so a city or county ordinance can change the rules. Source: S.C. Code 44-1-143(I).

How each state got here

All four states have loosened their rules since 2021. Georgia's 2025 law is the largest recent change in this group.

July 1, 2021: Florida's HB 663 raised the cap to $250,000, allowed shipping and blocked local bans. Source: HB 663 (2021).
2021: Alabama's Act 2021-461 removed the $20,000 cap, expanded the food list and allowed phone, online and in-state mail sales. Source: Act 2021-461 (SB 160).
May 23, 2022: South Carolina's S. 506 opened the law to all nonpotentially hazardous foods and allowed online, mail-order and retail store sales. Source: S. 506 (2022).
July 1, 2024: South Carolina moved the program to SCDA. Source: SCDA guidance (July 2025).
July 1, 2025: Georgia's HB 398 removed the state license, allowed store and restaurant sales and limited local regulation. Florida's SB 700, which also took effect July 1, 2025, reworded the definition of a cottage food product without changing the cap. Sources: HB 398 bill page; Ch. 2025-22, Laws of Florida.

One change is still pending. GDA plans to amend its Cottage Food Regulations, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-7-19, to remove parts that conflict with HB 398, such as licensing. GDA says it is using enforcement discretion until then and will post proposed rules on its legal notices page. For changes in other states this year, see the 2026 cottage food law changes roundup.

Selling near a state line

A baker in Pensacola, Augusta or Phenix City may have buyers in two states. The home state's cottage food law covers the kitchen, and the buyer's state's rules can apply once the food crosses the line.

A Florida operator's mail-order sales are not limited to Florida by Florida law, and UF/IFAS Extension says products may be shipped across state lines. Check the receiving state's rules first. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80(2); UF/IFAS Extension, FS425.
Georgia law does not exempt operators from federal law or another state's law, and GDA warns that interstate sales may bring FDA oversight. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-477; GDA Cottage Food FAQ.
Alabama and South Carolina operators should treat their cottage food sales as in-state only. Sources: Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(a)(2); SCDA guidance (July 2025).
Before booking a booth at a market in another state, ask that state's cottage food agency whether its rules cover food made in an out-of-state home kitchen. The farmers market checklist lists questions to ask the market.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ship cottage food from Florida to Georgia?

UF/IFAS Extension says Florida cottage foods may be shipped across state lines. GDA warns that interstate cottage food sales may bring FDA oversight, so ask GDA before you ship to Georgia. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80(2); UF/IFAS Extension, FS425; GDA Cottage Food FAQ.

Can I sell cottage food to a grocery store in these four states?

Georgia and South Carolina allow sales to grocery stores that follow the signage rules. In Georgia, a county or city can ban these sales by ordinance. Florida and Alabama do not allow them. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-472 and 26-2-478; S.C. Code 44-1-143(E); Fla. Stat. 500.80(2); ADPH Cottage Food.

Can I sell more than $250,000 a year in cottage food?

Florida's cottage food exemption ends at $250,000 in annual gross sales, so a larger operation needs an FDACS food permit. Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina set no state sales cap. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80(1); GDA Cottage Food FAQ; ADPH Cottage Food; SCDA guidance (July 2025).

Can I start selling without a food safety course?

The Florida and South Carolina statutes do not require a food safety course. GDA requires an ANSI-accredited food safety training program, and Alabama law requires an ADPH-approved food safety course. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80; S.C. Code 44-1-143; GDA Cottage Food; Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(e).

Can I keep my home address off my label?

Georgia and South Carolina let you request a state identification number and use it in place of your address. Alabama allows a home or P.O. box address. Florida's law requires the name and address of the cottage food operation, and UF/IFAS Extension says the label must show the physical address. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-473(a); S.C. Code 44-1-143(D); Ala. Code 22-20-5.1(e); Fla. Stat. 500.80(3); UF/IFAS Extension, FS425.

Full state guides

Each guide covers allowed foods, labels, local rules and official sources in more detail:

To find home bakers and other cottage food makers in these four states, browse the Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina listings.

How Cottage Food Laws Compare in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina