Georgia cottage food law: selling from your home

Georgia lets cottage food operators make only food that is not potentially hazardous. The GDA cottage food page lists:

• Loaf breads, rolls and biscuits
• Cakes, pastries and cookies
• Candies and confections
• Fruit pies, dried fruits, jams, jellies and preserves
• Dry herbs, seasonings and mixtures
• Cereals, trail mixes and granola
• Coated or uncoated nuts
• Vinegar and flavored vinegar
• Popcorn, popcorn balls and cotton candy

Anything that is potentially hazardous, meaning it needs time or temperature control for safety, is out of the cottage food category. Pet food and pet treats are separate: they need a feed license from GDA's Agricultural Inputs division.

If you sell across state lines, GDA warns that may bring FDA oversight, and the manufactured food license GDA issues cannot be issued for food made in a home kitchen. Keep sales to customers in Georgia.

HB 398 removed the state licensing requirement, effective July 1, 2025. You no longer apply for a GDA license or pay a license fee. If you do not want your home address on your label, GDA offers an optional Identification Number through its registration form.

You must complete an ANSI-accredited food safety training program. GDA says food handler training is acceptable. Look for a provider in ANSI's directory.

GDA's cottage food FAQ says cottage food businesses are not inspected and that the department "does not have any limits on gross sales or the number of units that can be produced." It also says a DBA may be required by your county or city, so contact your local government. Some farmers' markets and direct-marketing venues may ask vendors for a Food Sales Establishment License.

GDA's cottage food page describes sales to consumers at events, online sales, and, since HB 398, sales to retail stores. GDA's FAQ says you may sell to the end consumer within Georgia.

An older line in the GDA FAQ says cottage food cannot go to retail establishments and that wholesale is not allowed. The newer cottage food page says HB 398 allows retail stores, so follow the newer page. A store that stocks your food must post signage saying the products are not subject to commercial food regulation or inspection.

The GDA pages we read do not address shipping or delivery apps. Email GDA at CottageFoodInfo@agr.georgia.gov before you ship or hire a courier.

Labels need your operation's name and a home-kitchen address (not a P.O. box) or a GDA ID number, the product name, ingredients by weight, net weight or volume, allergen information, and GDA's required statement. GDA's FAQ quotes the statement as "MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS."

That FAQ predates parts of HB 398, so copy the current statement from GDA's labeling guidance, or ask GDA, before you print a big run.

• Check that every product is not potentially hazardous.
• Complete an ANSI-accredited food safety or food handler course.
• Decide whether to request a GDA Identification Number for your label.
• Confirm the label wording with GDA and print your labels.
• Ask your city or county about a DBA, zoning or home-business rules.
• Check each farmers' market's vendor rules.
• If you will sell to stores, give them the signage requirement.

GDA's pages describe online sales as part of the program, which makes an ordering site a good fit. pickup.kitchen gives you yourname.pickup.kitchen with a menu, photos and checkout, and payments go to your own Stripe account.

Use pickup windows for door pickup. Slots close when full, and you can mark a day sold out, so a Saturday drop stays at the size your oven can handle. If you deliver yourself, the delivery tools plan the route and send it to your phone, with a photo at the door.

Every buyer joins your customer list, ready for your next email. Keep sales inside Georgia and check delivery questions with GDA first. Free onboarding, pay as you use.

Checked November 2026 against the official Georgia sources linked below. Laws change, so open the official page before you print labels or take your first order.

This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Check with your state and county before you sell.