Why this matters
What Louisiana actually allows — and what it doesn't.
Louisiana permits cottage food sales under La. R.S. 40:4.9 (Act 542, 2013; amended 2014, 2022 HB 828). Annual sales are capped at $30,000. Registration with a state agency is required before you can sell.
Annual revenue cap
$30,000 a year.
Annual gross cap
$30,000
Sales channels
Where you can sell in Louisiana — and where you can't.
Online ordering
YesYesShipping
NoFederal restriction on uninspected food crossing state lines.
Seller delivery
YesYesThird-party delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats)
ConditionalConditionalInterstate sales
NoNoWholesale to retail stores
NoNoLicense, permit & registration
Louisiana requires registration before you sell.
Do you need a cottage food license or permit in Louisiana? Yes — Louisiana wants you to register before selling. Here is what that path involves.
- Registration
Required
Type: local health district plus tax
- Timeline
About 14 days
- Labeling standard
Standard
- Inspection
None
- Food safety certification
Not required
- Address privacy
Not available
Food categories
Foods the basic cottage food rules usually do not cover.
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Dairy
- Low Acid Canned Foods
- Fermented Foods
- Beverages
- Garlic In Oil
- Cannabis Cbd
- Cut Produce
How to start
Steps to a legal first sale in Louisiana.
Confirm your products qualify
Compare your menu against Louisiana's cottage food rules. Temperature-controlled, meat, seafood, and low-acid canned items often require a different path; check the state-specific food categories above.
Register with your state agency
Louisiana requires cottage food operators to register before selling. Registration is free. Expect about 14 days for processing.
Label every product correctly
Every label must include your name (or registered ID), product name, ingredients, and allergens per Louisiana rules.
Start taking orders
Louisiana allows online orders, seller delivery. Route orders through your own channels.
Frequently asked
Louisiana cottage food — your questions answered.
Do I need a license to sell food from my home in Louisiana?
Louisiana's cottage food registration is free, but it runs through your local health unit plus a state sales-tax registration, with a $30,000 annual cap. Tier 1 covers low-risk baked goods like breads, cakes, cookies, and pies; a second tier covers more. Meat, dairy, canned, and fermented foods are excluded.
What is it called when you make food at home and sell it?
It is generally called cottage food or a home-based food business. In Louisiana it is governed by La. R.S. 40:4.9, which lets you sell certain shelf-stable homemade foods directly to customers within an annual sales cap.
Can I sell home-cooked food to the public in Louisiana?
Cottage food covers shelf-stable items, so hot home-cooked meals fall outside it. The path to yes for cooked food is a licensed or commissary kitchen, or catering under a food-service permit. You can sell allowed shelf-stable foods directly and take online orders in-state.
Is there a sales cap on baked goods in Louisiana?
Not for the core baked goods. Louisiana runs a two-tier system where breads, cakes, cookies, and pies (Tier 1) have unlimited gross sales, while all other cottage foods (Tier 2) are capped at $30,000 a year. Tier 1 carries its own rules, though: you may not employ assistants, must exclude pets from preparation areas at all times, and must keep perishable ingredients refrigerated at 45°F or below.
Can I sell cream or custard-filled pastries in Louisiana?
Yes — Louisiana is one of the few states that permits cream and custard-filled pastries from a home kitchen, provided you use pasteurized milk products. That is a notable exception to the general ban on standalone dairy and other temperature-controlled foods. Delivery still has to be in person by the seller, since shipping is prohibited entirely, in-state and out.
Louisiana cottage food laws: what is the short version?
Louisiana requires local health district plus tax before selling cottage food. The annual gross sales cap is $30,000. Louisiana allows online orders, seller delivery for cottage food sellers.
Do I need a cottage food license or permit in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana requires local health district plus tax before selling cottage food. Check the official state source before selling because local zoning, food safety training, or label rules may still apply.
What foods can I sell from home in Louisiana?
Louisiana's cottage food rules mainly cover foods that do not need time or temperature control for safety. Common no-go categories include meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, dairy.