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Cottage food by state

Indiana cottage food law: what you can sell and how

Indiana calls cottage food producers Home Based Vendors. HEA 1149 lets you sell shelf-stable homemade food anywhere in Indiana, in person, online or shipped, with a food handler certificate.

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Updated November 2026 by the Madeline's team, who set these tools up for makers and farms.

The short version

No food establishment permit. Make non-potentially hazardous food at your primary residence, get an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate, and sell directly to end consumers in Indiana: in person, by phone or online, delivered in person, by mail or by carrier. No reselling, so no stores or restaurants. Some counties ask you to register.

Indiana rules at a glance

  1. Who regulates

    Indiana Department of Health guidance under IC 16-42-5.3, applied by local health departments.

  2. Training

    A food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer. Show it to the state or a customer on request.

  3. Allowed foods

    Non-potentially hazardous foods such as baked goods, candy and confections, high-acid fruit jams and jellies, honey, maple syrup, tree nuts and whole uncut produce. The state handbook has a detailed list.

  4. Not allowed

    Meat and animal fats, prepared foods like casseroles and charcuterie boards, dairy products, and products made with cut leafy greens such as kimchi and sauerkraut.

  5. Where you can sell

    Anywhere in Indiana directly to end consumers, in person, by phone or online. Delivery in person, by mail or by a third-party carrier, in tamper-evident packaging. Not for resale.

  6. Records

    Keep the shipping or delivery address of each customer for at least one year.

  7. Labels

    Name and address, product name, ingredients by weight, net weight or volume, the date processed, and in 10-point type: "This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health."

Check the source

  • Official source

    Indiana Department of Health: Home Based Vendor guidance

    Rules change. Confirm the current figures and forms with the state before you start selling.

    Open the official page

  • Cottage food to commercial kitchen

    What changes when you outgrow the limits.

    Read the guide

  • Free tool

    Cost per jar calculator

    Price your cottage food products from what they really cost.

    Use the calculator

  • Food label requirements

    What a packaged food label needs, including allergens.

    Read the guide

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Questions

Does Indiana have a cottage food law?

Yes. Indiana's Home Based Vendor law, updated by HEA 1149 in 2022, lets you sell shelf-stable homemade food without a permit.

Can I ship cottage food in Indiana?

Yes, to end consumers inside Indiana, in sealed tamper-evident packaging, and keep delivery records for a year.

Do I need training to be a Home Based Vendor?

Yes, an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate.

Can I sell to a coffee shop in Indiana?

No. Home Based Vendor products cannot be resold.

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