GeorgiaCottage Food Laws

Under HB 398 (effective July 1, 2025) Georgia no longer requires a state cottage food license for shelf-stable homemade foods, and there is no revenue cap. You can sell direct, ship in-state, and even sell across state lines; temperature-controlled foods still require a different path.

There is no state cottage food permit fee after HB 398 — the basic shelf-stable path is free to start. You do have to complete an ANAB-accredited food handler course first (Learn2Serve runs about $10 for two hours), so your real costs are that training plus ingredients, packaging, and compliant labels rather than a license.

Yes — Georgia is one of the only states that explicitly permits interstate cottage food sales, so you can ship beyond Georgia as well as within it and deliver personally in state. Just remember that selling across state lines brings your products under FDA jurisdiction, so understand the federal requirements before you ship out of state.

Every Georgia label must carry the exact disclaimer: "This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens." Georgia is specific about formatting too — at least 10-point font in Times New Roman or Arial, in a high-contrast color — printed alongside your business name, product name, ingredients in descending order, net weight, allergens, and either your home address or an optional GDA identification number.

Yes — since July 1, 2025 Georgia lets cottage food operators sell to retail food stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores for resale. One caveat: counties and cities may pass ordinances prohibiting third-party vendor sales in their area, so verify local ordinances before approaching a retail partner. They cannot block your direct-to-consumer sales.

Georgia does not require state registration for basic cottage food sales. The cited state sources do not list a revenue cap. Georgia allows online orders, in-state shipping, seller delivery for cottage food sellers.

Not for the basic cottage food path, based on the state sources cited on this page. Georgia may still have label, food-category, local zoning, or other business rules, so check the official source before you sell.

Georgia's cottage food rules mainly cover foods that do not need time or temperature control for safety. Common no-go categories include tcs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish.