Michigan cottage food law: what you can sell from home

Michigan's exemption covers cottage food products: non-potentially hazardous foods that do not need time or temperature control to stay safe. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) gives shelf-stable baked goods as the core category. Its March 2026 one-pager lists breads, quick breads, muffins, cookies and cakes, including cupcakes, birthday cakes and wedding cakes.

Fruit jams and jellies qualify only if they are fruit jams or jellies as defined in 21 CFR part 150, in glass jars. MDARD's what-can-I-make page has the full list.

MDARD's one-pager excludes foods that need refrigeration or that carry botulism risk.

• Cakes that need refrigeration, such as cheesecake
• Canned fruits or vegetables
• Pickled products such as pickles, corn relish and sauerkraut
• Anything sold at wholesale or on consignment, which the law prohibits

A cottage food operation is exempt from the licensing and evaluation provisions of Michigan's Food Law. You do not need a license, a registration or an inspection from MDARD. Your food can still be investigated under the law's adulteration and enforcement rules.

Registration is optional. You can register with the MSU Product Center, which may issue a registration number and charge a one-time fee of up to $50. If you register, the number goes on your label in place of your address.

Michigan sets two sales limits in the statute. The standard limit is $50,000 a year. If you sell at a price of $250 or more per unit, the limit is $75,000. The Public Act that set these took effect March 24, 2026. Starting October 1, 2026, and each October 1 after, MDARD may adjust both amounts for inflation using the Detroit Consumer Price Index. Check MDARD's page for the figure in force today.

Gross sales are counted per person at a particular home. MDARD may ask in writing for documents that verify your annual sales.

The default is a direct sale from you to the consumer. Michigan's statute then allows internet and mail order sales, and delivery "through a third-party food delivery platform," on one condition. You must give the consumer an opportunity to directly interact with you before the sale. The interaction can be face to face or a virtual meeting where people can hear or see each other in two-way communication.

Internet, mail order and delivery-platform sales must be to a consumer in Michigan. Older MDARD material says shipping and having someone else deliver are not allowed. The statute as amended is newer, so follow the statute, and check MDARD's current page if the two ever differ.

Wholesale and consignment sales are prohibited. You may store products only in your primary home.

Cottage food must be prepackaged and labeled before sale. The label has to include this statement: "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan department of agriculture and rural development."

• Your business name and address, or your MSU Product Center registration number if you registered
• The product name and ingredients
• Net quantity and allergen information under federal rules
• Nutrition information only if you make a nutritional claim

• Check every product is shelf-stable and not a canned or pickled item.
• Decide whether to register with the MSU Product Center (optional).
• Print labels with the exact home-kitchen sentence.
• Set up a way for buyers to talk to you before they pay, such as a call or video chat.
• Keep sales records. MDARD may ask for proof of your annual sales.
• Check your city or township for zoning and home-occupation rules.
• Check MDARD's page each October for any inflation-adjusted limit.

Michigan is open to online ordering as long as buyers can interact with you first. pickup.kitchen gives you your own site at yourname.pickup.kitchen with a menu, checkout and call and text buttons for questions. Payments go to your own Stripe account.

The statute's test is a face-to-face or two-way virtual meeting. Whether a text thread or a call meets it is MDARD's decision. Ask MDARD, or offer a video call or in-person pickup to first-time buyers and say so on your menu.

Pickup windows, time slots that close when full and delivery days make weekly drops easy. Delivery tools plan routes if you drive orders yourself. Each buyer lands on your customer list for your next email. Keep every order inside Michigan, and watch your yearly total against $50,000. Free onboarding, pay as you use.

Checked November 2026 against the official Michigan 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.