Guide
New York cottage food law for home bakers
What a home baker in New York needs before the first sale: Home Processor registration, 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 5, 2026.
The short version
New York registers home processors for free, sets no sales cap, and lets her sell from home, online, by delivery and to local shops, all inside the state.
Allow up to sixteen weeks for the registration to come back, and read the frosting rule before planning a cake menu.
Registering
The rule is administered by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets; the guide reads Agriculture and Markets Law, Article 20-C home processor exemption.
The Home Processor registration is free, has no expiry date, and covers one kitchen; moving means registering again. The Department says to allow up to sixteen weeks.
Where you can sell, and whether online counts
Internet sales are allowed within New York State only, and shipping out of state is not permitted. Inside the state she may deliver, sell at markets and supply local retail.
What goes on the label
No fixed sentence, but a home-kitchen phrase at least one sixteenth of an inch tall, her name and full address, and the allergens named inside the ingredient list.
"Made in a Home Kitchen"
One of three phrasings the Department accepts: Made at Home by [name], Made in the Home Kitchen of [name], or Made in a Home Kitchen, at least one sixteenth of an inch tall
- The common name of the product
- Ingredients in descending order by weight
- Net quantity
- Her name and full address
- The allergens, named in the ingredient list
What you can bake and sell
Breads, cookies, cakes, brownies and double-crust fruit pies are in. Buttercream and cream cheese frostings made at home are out, as are tempered chocolate coatings and any single-crust or custard pie; a shortening, sugar and meringue-powder frosting, or a commercial one, is the way round it.
- Allowed: Breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, brownies and double-crust fruit pies
- Not allowed: Homemade buttercream or cream cheese frostings, tempered chocolate coatings, single-crust, custard or meat pies
The sales cap
New York sets no cap on cottage food sales.
Work out how much room you have left this year with the cottage food sales cap checker.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register to sell cottage food in New York?
Yes, New York requires registration before the first sale. Home Processor registration for the kitchen she bakes in; a move means a new registration. Fee: Free.
Has the cottage food sales cap in New York changed over time?
no cap from January 1, 2000.
Can I take orders online in New York?
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 New York?
Delivery is allowed. Shipping inside the state is allowed.
What does my New York cottage food label need to say?
The label must say: Made in a Home Kitchen
Sources
- Agriculture and Markets: Home Processingagriculture.ny.gov
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