This is general information, not legal advice. Minnesota’s cottage food law changes on Aug. 1, 2027. Check with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and your city or county before you start. Last reviewed Nov. 12, 2026.

What it is

Minnesota’s cottage food exemption, Minn. Stat. 28A.152, lets an individual make and sell food that is not potentially hazardous, plus certain home-canned pickles, vegetables and fruits, without a food license. Sellers must register every year with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, or MDA, and must sell directly to the people who will eat the food. Amendments passed in 2025 take effect on Aug. 1, 2027.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 1, 2 and 4; MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance

License or permit

No food license is needed, but every cottage food producer must register with MDA each year before selling. MDA says registration is free for sellers with $7,665 or less in annual sales and costs $50 a year for sellers above that, and every registration expires on March 31. Sellers in the free tier must pass a free online course and exam before registering, and MDA says they retake it every year. Sellers who pay the fee must complete an approved safe food handling course of up to 8 hours, repeated every 3 years. Starting Aug. 1, 2027, all registrants will pay a $30 yearly fee and must complete the approved course of up to 8 hours every 3 years. The amended law drops the free online course option. Only an individual, a sole proprietorship, a single-member limited liability company owned by 1 individual or a limited liability company owned by 2 individuals who live at the same residence will qualify. A person who holds an MDA food handler license under Minn. Stat. 28A.04 will not qualify.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 4 and 5; MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance; Minn. Stat. 28A.152 (2025 amendments, effective Aug. 1, 2027), subd. 1, 4 and 5

Sales cap

A cottage food producer’s gross receipts may not exceed $78,000 in a calendar year. Starting Aug. 1, 2027, MDA must adjust that limit for inflation every 2 years, using July 2025 as the base month.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 3; Minn. Stat. 28A.152 (2025 amendments, effective Aug. 1, 2027), subd. 8

What you can sell

Producers may sell food that is not potentially hazardous, as defined in Minnesota Rules, part 4626.0020, subpart 62. MDA explains that these foods have a pH of 4.6 or lower or a water activity of 0.85 or less, so they do not support the rapid growth of germs. Home-processed and home-canned pickles, vegetables and fruits are also allowed if they have an equilibrium pH of 4.6 or lower or a water activity of 0.85 or less and are canned in Minnesota. MDA says baked or dehydrated dog and cat treats may also be sold under the cottage food registration.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 1; MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance

What you cannot sell

Potentially hazardous foods, which need time or temperature control to stay safe, are not allowed. MDA says meat and dairy products such as cheese, butter and jerky need a food license, though dairy may be used in baked goods if the finished food meets the pH or water activity limits. MDA also says charcuterie boards, chocolate-covered fruit, tamales and egg rolls are not allowed. It says cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) cannot be cottage food ingredients. Home-canned foods that do not meet the pH or water activity limits are not allowed.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 1; MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance

How you can sell

Producers may sell directly to consumers at farmers markets and community events or from their home to the extent local ordinances allow. They may also sell through donations to certain fundraising events. Online orders are allowed, but until Aug. 1, 2027, the person who made the food must deliver it to the customer, so food for people cannot be mailed or shipped. MDA says dog and cat treats made under the registration may already be mailed or shipped. Starting Aug. 1, 2027, the statute allows food to be delivered by the person who made it, by mail or by commercial delivery. MDA's guidance says that change will allow shipping within Minnesota. Sales to stores or other businesses for resale are not allowed, and home-canned products may not be sold outside Minnesota. The law does not override local business licensing, sanitation, public health or zoning rules.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 2 and 6; MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance; Minn. Stat. 28A.152 (2025 amendments, effective Aug. 1, 2027), subd. 2

Labels

Each label must show the producer’s name and registration number or address, the date the food was made and its ingredients, including any possible allergens. It must also carry the statement "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection." The same statement must be posted on a sign where the food is sold and on any website that offers the food for sale. MDA says a business name submitted with the registration may be used instead of the producer’s full name, and that QR codes cannot replace the required label information.

Sources: Minn. Stat. 28A.152, subd. 1 and 2; MDA Cottage Food Law Guidance

Read the full Minnesota cottage food law guide and FAQs

Minnesota cottage food makers

Counties with listings

Northwest Minnesota and the Red River Valley (23 listings)

Clay County

Lake of the Woods County

Marshall County

Norman County

Pennington County

Polk County

Red Lake County

Arrowhead and the North Shore (39 listings)

Carlton County

Itasca County

Koochiching County

Lake County

St. Louis County

North Central Minnesota and the Brainerd Lakes (29 listings)

Becker County

Beltrami County

Cass County

Clearwater County

Crow Wing County

Hubbard County

Wadena County

West Central Minnesota (34 listings)

Chippewa County

Douglas County

Grant County

Kandiyohi County

Lac qui Parle County

Otter Tail County

Pope County

Stevens County

Swift County

Central and East Central Minnesota (125 listings)

Benton County

Chisago County

Isanti County

Kanabec County

Meeker County

Mille Lacs County

Morrison County

Pine County

Sherburne County

Stearns County

Todd County

Wright County

Twin Cities Metro (197 listings)

Anoka County

Carver County

Dakota County

Hennepin County

Ramsey County

Scott County

Washington County

Southwest Minnesota (32 listings)

Cottonwood County

Jackson County

Lincoln County

Lyon County

Nobles County

Pipestone County

Redwood County

Renville County

Rock County

South Central Minnesota (43 listings)

Blue Earth County

Brown County

Faribault County

Le Sueur County

Martin County

McLeod County

Nicollet County

Sibley County

Waseca County

Watonwan County

Southeast Minnesota (73 listings)

Dodge County

Fillmore County

Freeborn County