Last verified: October 20, 2026. I’m a Texas home baker, not a lawyer — laws change, so always confirm with the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) before you sell.

Cottage Food Laws by State

MICHIGAN COTTAGE FOOD AT A GLANCE

Annual sales cap: $50,000 gross per person (up to $75,000 if you sell cottage food products priced at $250 or more per unit; beginning October 1, 2026, MDARD may adjust these amounts for inflation each year — check MDARD for the current figure)

License or permit: Not required — a cottage food operation is exempt from the licensing provisions of the Michigan Food Law (MCL 289.4102); no license, no permit, no fee. A voluntary registration program through the MSU Product Center is available if you prefer not to print your home address on your labels

Kitchen inspection: Not required (you’re exempt from inspection, but if a complaint is made, MDARD can inspect your production and storage areas and seize products)

Food handler course: Not required by Michigan’s cottage food law (still a smart idea — you’re legally responsible for what you sell)

Shipping: Allowed within Michigan only — since March 24, 2026, you can sell by internet or mail order and deliver through a third-party delivery platform, but only to consumers in Michigan, and only if the consumer gets an opportunity to directly interact with you before the sale (face to face or by virtual meeting); no shipping out of state under the cottage exemption

Wholesale: Not permitted — every sale must be direct to the consumer; sales by consignment are also prohibited

WHY 2026 IS A BIG YEAR FOR MICHIGAN COTTAGE BAKERS

Michigan updated its cottage food law effective March 24, 2026, and the changes are all in a home baker’s favor. The sales cap rose to $50,000 — and it’s now figured per person at a residence, not per household. Internet and mail-order sales, which Michigan used to prohibit outright, are now allowed for Michigan customers, as long as the customer has a chance to interact with you directly before buying. And if you’d rather not print your home address on every label, the new voluntary registration program through the MSU Product Center lets you put your name, phone number, and registration number on the label instead. There is still no license to apply for, no inspection to pass, and no required course — if your foods qualify and your labels are right, you can get started.

WHAT YOU CAN (AND CAN’T) SELL

Allowed: Foods that do not require time or temperature control for safety (nothing that needs refrigeration). The law and MDARD’s guidance name jams, jellies, and preserves; breads and similar baked products; cakes, including cakes made for special events; cookies; cooked fruit pies; candies; cereal and granola; dry mixes; dried fruit; dried herbs and dry herb mixtures; dried pasta; vinegar; popcorn; cotton candy; and chocolate-covered foods such as chocolate-covered pretzels. Everything must be made in the kitchen of your primary home in Michigan, and stored only in that home.

Prohibited: Anything that needs refrigeration to stay safe — pumpkin or custard pies, cream-based or cream-filled products, and mixtures like olive oil and garlic. The law also specifically excludes meat and poultry products; milk products; salsa; bottled water and other beverages; home-produced ice products; and canned low-acid fruits, acidified vegetables, and other canned foods (standardized jams, jellies, and preserves are the exception). If it has to stay cold, it needs a licensed kitchen.

MICHIGAN LABELING REQUIREMENTS

Michigan requires six things on every cottage food label, and your products must be prepackaged and properly labeled before sale:

  1. Your business name and address — OR, if you register with the voluntary MSU Product Center registration program, your name, telephone number, and registration number instead of your address (registration is voluntary; the MSU Product Center may charge a one-time fee of not more than $50)
  2. The name of the product — “Chocolate Chip Cookies,” not just your brand name
  3. Ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight
  4. Net weight or net volume of the product
  5. Allergen information, per federal labeling requirements
  6. This exact statement, verbatim, in at least 11-point type (note: 11-point, not the 10-point most states use) in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background: Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan department of agriculture and rural development.

Handwritten labels are acceptable if they are legible, in permanent ink, and meet the 11-point rule. No Nutrition Facts panel required — unless you make a nutritional claim, in which case appropriate labeling as specified by federal labeling requirements applies.

WHERE YOU CAN SELL IN MICHIGAN

Farmers markets, roadside stands, and directly from your home — every sale must go directly from you to the consumer. Since March 24, 2026, you can also sell by internet or mail order and deliver through a third-party delivery platform, with two conditions: the product must be sold or delivered only to a consumer in Michigan, and before the sale you must give the consumer an opportunity to directly interact with you — that means a face-to-face meeting or a virtual meeting with two-way communication where you can see or hear each other. What you can’t do: sell wholesale or on consignment (no stocking your cookies in someone else’s shop), and you can’t ship out of state under the cottage exemption.

YOUR 3 STEPS TO START

  1. Confirm your foods qualify. If it needs refrigeration or temperature control, it’s out — everything on the allowed list is fair game. Remember, products must be made in the kitchen of your primary Michigan home and stored only there.
  2. Get your labels right. Six elements, verbatim statement in at least 11-point type, products prepackaged and labeled before sale. Decide up front whether you’ll print your home address or use the voluntary MSU Product Center registration number instead. Labeling is where most cottage bakers get flagged, so don’t wing this one.
  3. Track every dollar from day one. The $50,000 cap (or $75,000 for operations selling products priced at $250 or more per unit) is figured per person, and MDARD may request written documentation to verify your annual gross sales. A simple spreadsheet keeps you under the cap and audit-ready — and check MDARD each fall, because those amounts may be adjusted for inflation every October 1.

OFFICIAL MICHIGAN SOURCES

This guide is for informational purposes only and isn’t legal advice. Cottage food laws change — I last verified this page on October 20, 2026. When in doubt, ask MDARD.

See cottage food laws for all 50 states

Just add sprinkles!