Guide
Indiana cottage food law for home bakers
What a home baker in Indiana needs before the first sale: Home based vendor, the sales cap, online orders, delivery, and the exact label line, each with its source.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked source for your state before you sell. Last reviewed September 18, 2026.
The short version
Indiana needs no state license for a home based vendor, sets no sales cap, lets her sell in person, by phone or online, and ship or mail the order anywhere inside the state behind one fixed label sentence and a food handler certificate.
A newer homestead vendor track, added in 2026, covers baked goods, meat and produce sold from her property, with its own higher revenue ceiling.
Registering
The rule is administered by Indiana Department of Health, enforced through local health departments as food environmental health specialists; the guide reads Ind. Code § 16-42-5.3 (Home Based Vendor, House Enrolled Act 1149 of 2022, effective 2022-07-01); a parallel Community Producers track sits at Ind. Code § 16-42-5.4 (House Enrolled Act 1424 of 2026, effective 2026-07-01).
There is no state license or permit, but she does need an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate and has to give a copy to the local health department in the county where she lives. The course fee depends on the provider she picks, and Indiana sets no state fee of its own.
Where you can sell, and whether online counts
She can sell in person, by phone or online, and have the order delivered in person, by mail or by a third-party carrier, anywhere inside Indiana. Nothing may cross the state line, and the food can never be resold. A newer, parallel homestead vendor track opened in 2026 for baked goods, meat and produce sold from her property or a farmers market, with its own higher revenue ceiling and a food handler certificate gating any shipment.
What goes on the label
The statement below goes on a label for packaged food or a sign for unpackaged food, in at least 10 point type, next to her name and address, the item's common name, its ingredients by weight, its net weight or volume, and the date it was processed.
"This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health. NOT FOR RESALE."
- The name and address of the producer
- The common or usual name of the food product
- The ingredients, in descending order by predominance by weight
- The net weight or volume by standard measure or numerical count
- The date the food product was processed
What you can bake and sell
Anything she makes, grows or raises at her own primary residence qualifies, as long as it is not potentially hazardous, which covers most baked goods. Raw or heat-treated animal foods, heat-treated plant foods, raw seed sprouts, cut melons and unmodified garlic-in-oil mixtures need refrigeration and stay off her list.
- Allowed: Any food product she makes, grows or raises at her own primary residence that is not a potentially hazardous food
- Not allowed: Potentially hazardous foods needing time or temperature control for safety: raw or heat-treated foods of animal origin, heat-treated plant foods, raw seed sprouts, cut melons and unmodified garlic-in-oil mixtures
The sales cap
Indiana sets no cap on cottage food sales.
Work out how much room you have left this year with the cottage food sales cap checker.
What changed
July 1, 2022: Home Based Vendor chapter enacted (House Enrolled Act 1149), replacing the individual-vendor farmers market and roadside stand exemption.
July 1, 2026: A parallel Community Producers chapter (House Enrolled Act 1424) added a homestead vendor track for baked goods, meat and produce sold from her property or a farmers market.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register to sell cottage food in Indiana?
No, Indiana does not require registration. No state license or registration; the chapter is framed as an exemption from food-establishment licensing. She must still earn a food handler certificate from a certificate issuer accredited by the American National Standards Institute and give a copy to the local health department in the county where she lives. Fee: None; a food handler certificate costs whatever its provider charges.
Has the cottage food sales cap in Indiana changed over time?
no cap from July 1, 2022.
Can I take orders online in Indiana?
Yes, you can take orders online. You can hand an order over in person or send it anywhere inside the state.
Can I deliver or ship cottage food in Indiana?
Delivery is allowed. Shipping inside the state is allowed.
What does my Indiana cottage food label need to say?
The label must say: This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health. NOT FOR RESALE.
Sources
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Read our story or put your name on the founding bakers list.