Michigan Cottage Food Law 2026: Online Sales, Address Privacy, and the $50,000 Cap

Yes, you can legally sell baked goods and other shelf-stable foods from your home kitchen in Michigan under the Michigan Cottage Food Law (MCL 289.4102). Michigan requires no state permit, no registration, and no kitchen inspection — and as of March 24, 2026, it allows online sales, mail-order sales, and third-party delivery within the state for the first time.

The 2026 changes, enacted through House Bill 4122 (Public Act 51 of 2025), nearly doubled the annual sales cap to $50,000 per person and introduced an optional privacy feature most guides miss: registering with the MSU Product Center lets you print a registration number on your labels instead of your home address.

Is Cottage Food Legal in Michigan?

Yes. Selling food made in your home kitchen is legal in Michigan under the Michigan Cottage Food Law, codified at MCL 289.4102 as part of the Michigan Food Law. The law allows home kitchen producers to sell non-potentially-hazardous foods directly to consumers without a state license, permit, or kitchen inspection.

Michigan's cottage food law is administered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). The law applies only to foods that do not require temperature control for safety — baked goods, jams, candies, and similar shelf-stable products.

2026 law change — what's new: House Bill 4122 (Public Act 51 of 2025) took effect March 24, 2026, and made four significant changes to a law that had been relatively rigid for over a decade:

1. Raised the annual sales cap from $25,000 to $50,000 per person (or $75,000 for operations where all products are priced at $250 or more per unit), with inflation adjustments beginning October 1, 2026
2. Authorized online sales to in-state consumers, mail-order sales within Michigan, and third-party delivery platform sales — all requiring a direct producer-consumer interaction before the sale
3. Created the optional MSU Product Center registration program, which lets producers use a registration number on labels in place of a home address
4. Explicitly permitted multiple cottage food operations at the same residential address

Contact MDARD with specific product eligibility or labeling questions before selling anything borderline.

What Foods Can You Sell?

Michigan's cottage food law permits the sale of non-potentially-hazardous foods — foods that do not require refrigeration or temperature control for safety. If a product would need to be kept cold at a grocery store, it almost certainly does not qualify.

In Michigan, cottage food producers may sell breads, cookies, shelf-stable cakes, fruit pies, candies, jams and jellies, honey, dried herbs, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, and granola, but not foods requiring refrigeration, cream-filled pastries, meat or poultry, dairy products, seafood, low-acid canned goods, or pickles and salsas.

Annual Revenue Cap and Sales Channels

The $50,000 Annual Sales Cap

Michigan limits cottage food operations to $50,000 in gross annual sales per person per year. For operations where all products are priced at $250 or more per unit — custom wedding cake tiers, for example — that cap rises to $75,000. Both thresholds apply per individual producer, not per product, and both will be adjusted for inflation starting October 1, 2026.

The cap is measured in gross sales (total revenue before expenses). This is simpler to track than a net revenue cap: total everything you receive from cottage food sales across the calendar year.

Sales Channels

Michigan's 2026 law change significantly expanded where and how cottage food can be sold. The product must be prepackaged and labeled at the time of sale or delivery.

Permitted sales channels:

• Home sales and porch pickup — selling directly to consumers at your residence
• Farmers markets — one of the primary channels for Michigan cottage food producers
• Community events, craft fairs, and pop-ups — direct-to-consumer sales at temporary venues
• Online sales to in-state consumers — you may sell through your own website, social media, or online marketplaces, as long as the buyer is in Michigan and there is a direct interaction between you and the consumer before the sale is complete
• Mail order within Michigan — you may ship prepackaged cottage food products via standard mail carriers to in-state addresses
• Third-party delivery platforms — delivery through app-based services is now allowed for in-state orders, with the same direct-interaction requirement

What the "direct interaction" requirement means: The law requires an opportunity for direct interaction between the producer and consumer before the sale. This means purely anonymous transactions through third-party platforms without any producer-to-buyer communication may not qualify. A direct message exchange, an email, a phone call, or a checkout flow where the producer is identifiable and reachable satisfies the requirement. Confirm current MDARD guidance on specific platform implementations before listing on any third-party marketplace.

What is not permitted:

• Wholesale or consignment: You may not sell to retail stores, grocery chains, restaurants, or cafes, and you may not place products on consignment
• Shipping outside Michigan: All sales must be delivered in-state. You cannot ship products to out-of-state buyers via any carrier
• Interstate sales: Sales must stay within Michigan regardless of channel

Permit, Registration, and Training Requirements

No Permit or License Required

Michigan does not require a state permit, license, or registration to operate under the cottage food exemption. You do not need to apply to MDARD, notify your county health department, or pay any fees before selling.

Optional MSU Product Center Registration

Historically, Michigan cottage food producers were required to print their full home street address on every package they sold — a privacy concern for anyone selling at public venues or through an online storefront. House Bill 4122 directly solved this by creating an optional registration program administered through Michigan State University's Product Center.

This is not required to sell — but it offers one significant benefit: producers who register can use their MSU registration number on labels in place of their home address.

Key details: - Fee: One-time fee of up to $50 - Privacy protection: Information provided during registration is explicitly exempt from Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Your personal details are not subject to public records requests - Label benefit: You may print your MSU registration number on your label instead of your home street address - Contact: MSU Product Center at productcenter.msu.edu

No Food Safety Training Required

Unlike several other states, Michigan does not require food safety training or a food handler card before selling cottage food. You may start selling as soon as your products and labels are compliant.

No Routine Kitchen Inspection

Your home kitchen is not subject to routine state inspection under the cottage food exemption. MDARD does not conduct pre-operational inspections or require your kitchen to meet any specific equipment standards. However, state agricultural officials retain the right to inspect your home if a formal consumer complaint or foodborne illness report is filed. Operate a clean, sanitary kitchen.

Multiple Operations at One Address

The 2026 law explicitly permits multiple cottage food operations at the same residential address. Two bakers sharing a home can each operate independently under their own $50,000 cap.

Label Requirements for Michigan Cottage Food

Every Michigan cottage food product must be prepackaged and labeled before sale or delivery. Michigan's disclaimer requirement includes a specific minimum font size — 11-point — which is higher than many states' 10-point standard and easy to miss when printing small labels.

Required label elements:

1. Product name — the common name of the food
2. Net weight or volume — stated in both US and metric units (e.g., Net Wt. 16 oz / 454g)
3. Ingredient list in descending order by weight — all ingredients and sub-ingredients listed in parentheses
4. Major allergen declaration — declare milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame when present
5. Business name and physical address — your full street address, city, state, and ZIP; or, if registered, your MSU Product Center registration number in place of the address
6. Required disclaimer — verbatim, in at least 11-point type, in a color that contrasts sharply with the background:

Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

REQUIRED vs. RECOMMENDED

Michigan law requires 6 label elements: product name, net weight or volume in US and metric units, ingredient list in descending order by weight, major allergen declaration, business name and physical address (or MSU Product Center registration number), and the required disclaimer in at least 11-point high-contrast type.

Common labeling mistakes Michigan bakers make:

• Setting the disclaimer text below 11-point — the most common error and one that can trigger stop-sale enforcement
• Using a P.O. box when a full street address is required
• Paraphrasing the disclaimer instead of copying it verbatim
• Omitting sesame — it became a federally recognized major allergen in January 2023
• Listing a compound ingredient (e.g., "chocolate chips") without unpacking its sub-ingredients

For broader label layout guidance and allergen phrasing examples, see the cottage food labeling requirements guide.

Now That You Know the Rules — Here's How to Start Selling

Michigan is one of the most accessible cottage food states in the country right now: no permit, no training requirement, no inspection, and — as of 2026 — online sales, mail order, and third-party delivery fully open. Before opening your first order window, sanity-check your margins with the home bakery pricing guide so your revenue cap room turns into actual profit. Get these steps right before your first sale:

1. Confirm your product list. Verify every product you plan to sell is non-potentially-hazardous and does not require refrigeration. If you have any doubt about a specific product, contact MDARD before printing labels.
2. Decide on your address approach. If you are comfortable printing your home address on labels, you can start selling immediately at no cost. If you'd prefer privacy, register with the MSU Product Center ($50 one-time at productcenter.msu.edu) and use your registration number on labels instead. Your registration data is FOIA-exempt.
3. Build compliant labels. Every label needs the product name, ingredient list with sub-ingredients, net weight in US and metric, allergen declarations, your business name and address (or MSU registration number), and the verbatim disclaimer in at least 11-point type. MyPorch can help draft your Michigan label with the disclaimer pre-populated — verify against current MDARD requirements before printing.
4. Set up your sales channels. Michigan now allows online sales, mail order, and third-party delivery within the state. If you plan to sell online, ensure your checkout flow gives buyers the opportunity to interact directly with you before the sale is complete — a "contact us" option, a DM response, or a producer-identified storefront all satisfy the requirement. Read how to take pre-orders for your home bakery →, then start your free MyPorch storefront →.
5. Track your annual revenue from day one. The $50,000 cap is per person, not per product, so a single running total across all channels is all you need. Keep a monthly log of gross sales so you know where you stand throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Michigan's cottage food regulations, allowed foods, labeling requirements, sales channels, and the 2026 law changes.

Recent Law Changes

Michigan's cottage food law has evolved steadily since its original enactment, with the most significant expansion occurring in early 2026.

March 24, 2026 — House Bill 4122 (Public Act 51 of 2025)

The most substantial update to Michigan's cottage food law in years. Key changes:

• Raised the annual gross sales cap from $25,000 to $50,000 per person ($75,000 for operations where all products are priced at $250 or more per unit)
• Authorized online sales to in-state consumers, mail-order shipping within Michigan, and third-party delivery platform sales — with a direct producer-consumer interaction requirement before each sale
• Created the optional MSU Product Center registration program (one-time fee up to $50), allowing producers to use a registration number instead of their home address on labels; registration data is FOIA-exempt
• Explicitly permitted multiple cottage food operations at the same residential address
• Provided that inflation adjustments to both caps begin October 1, 2026
• Maintained the prohibition on consignment and wholesale sales

2024 — House Bill 6132 (Proposed, Not Enacted)

An earlier proposal that would have raised the gross sales threshold to $45,000, with a $75,000 limit for products priced at $250 or more per unit. HB 6132 laid the groundwork for the successful passage of Public Act 51 of 2025 but was not enacted on its own.

Prior cap — $25,000 per year

Before HB 4122, Michigan's annual gross sales limit was $25,000 per person. The 2026 law doubled this threshold.

Original Michigan Cottage Food Law

Michigan's cottage food law was enacted as part of the Michigan Food Law, establishing the basic framework that remains in place: non-potentially-hazardous foods, direct-to-consumer sales, no permit required, with labeling and disclaimer requirements. The law has been amended several times over the years to expand the cap and sales channels.

_This guide was last reviewed May 25, 2026. Michigan cottage food law should be verified against the official MDARD sources listed above before making compliance decisions. The 2026 law change is recent — MDARD may issue updated guidance on the online sales and third-party delivery provisions as the year progresses._