Artisanal Solutions / Guides / Michigan cottage food law

Cottage food by state

Michigan cottage food law: what you can sell and how

Michigan's cottage food exemption was updated in 2026: higher sales caps, and online and mail order sales within Michigan, with no license, registration or inspection.

Get a plan and a priceSee the picks

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

The short version

Michigan cottage food operations can sell up to $50,000 a year in gross sales ($75,000 if products sell for $250 or more per unit) with no license, registration or inspection. Sales must be direct to consumers in Michigan, including by internet or mail order when the customer can interact with you before buying. No wholesale or consignment.

Michigan rules at a glance

  1. Who regulates

    Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).

  2. Sales limit

    $50,000 a year in gross sales, or $75,000 if products sell for $250 or more per unit. Keep sales records for MDARD on request.

  3. License

    None. No license, registration or inspection.

  4. Allowed foods

    Non-potentially hazardous foods such as breads, cookies, shelf-stable pies and cakes, popcorn, granola, roasted coffee beans and dehydrated fruit.

  5. Not allowed

    Beverages, dairy, meat, fish, pickled products, canned fruit or vegetables, ice products, CBD or cannabis foods, pet food and foods that need refrigeration.

  6. Where you can sell

    Direct to consumers within Michigan: farmers markets, farm and roadside stands, phone, internet and mail order. No wholesale, consignment, restaurants or grocery stores.

  7. Labels

    Include "Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development." Registering with the MSU Product Center lets you use a registration number in place of your address.

Check the source

  • Official source

    Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: Cottage Food

    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

Want one of these set up for you?

Tell us what you make. We send back a short plan and a price.

Get a plan and a price

How it works

  1. Tell us what you make

    What you make and what you use now. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer.

  2. Get a short plan

    Keep this, replace that, connect these, and the cost.

  3. We set it up

    Setup and migration done for you. You approve before anything goes live.

  4. Run it or hand it off

    Take it from there yourself or keep us on for the upkeep.

Questions

What is the Michigan cottage food sales limit?

$50,000 a year in gross sales, or $75,000 if products sell for $250 or more per unit.

Can I sell cottage food online in Michigan?

Yes, within Michigan, if the customer can interact with you before the sale.

Do I need a license?

No. Michigan cottage food operations need no license, registration or inspection.

Can I sell to a store?

No. Sales to grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers and on consignment are not allowed.

Get a plan and a price

Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.

The newsletter for artisans, makers and farmers

Tools worth using, shipping and labeling how-tos, and what is working for other small producers. Email only, unsubscribe any time.

Related

All solutions