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Cottage food by state

New Jersey cottage food law: what you can sell and how

New Jersey's Cottage Food Operator Permit lets you make approved shelf-stable foods at home and hand them directly to customers in New Jersey, up to $50,000 a year.

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

The short version

Get a Cottage Food Operator Permit from the New Jersey Department of Health ($100, valid two years), with a food protection manager certificate and local zoning approval. Approved non-TCS foods only, up to $50,000 in gross sales a year. Online orders and payments are fine, but every product is handed over in person in New Jersey. No mail, shipping, stores or wholesale.

New Jersey rules at a glance

  1. Who regulates

    New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program, under N.J.A.C. 8:24-11.

  2. Permit

    $100 application, valid for two years, renewal $100. You need local zoning approval, a food protection manager certificate and proof of safe water.

  3. Sales limit

    $50,000 in gross annual sales.

  4. Allowed foods

    Approved non-TCS foods that are safe at room temperature, reviewed product by product through a questionnaire.

  5. Where you can sell

    From your home, at the customer's home, and at events and farmers markets in New Jersey with any local permits. Online orders and payments are allowed.

  6. Not allowed

    Shipping by USPS, FedEx or other carriers, sales to retail stores or wholesale businesses, and pet food.

  7. Labels

    Product name, ingredients, a Contains allergen statement, your full name and business name, permit number, town and NJ, and: this food is prepared pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:24-11 in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Department of Health.

Check the source

  • Official source

    New Jersey Department of Health: Cottage Food Operator Permit

    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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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

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  3. We set it up

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  4. Run it or hand it off

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Questions

How much is a cottage food permit in New Jersey?

$100 for a permit valid two years.

What is the New Jersey cottage food sales limit?

$50,000 in gross annual sales.

Can I ship cottage food in New Jersey?

No. Products must be handed to the customer in person; no USPS, FedEx or other carriers.

Can I sell to a cafe or store?

No. Sales to retail or wholesale food establishments 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.

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