Why this matters
What Missouri actually allows — and what it doesn't.
Missouri permits cottage food sales under RSMo § 196.298 (Home Sales); Missouri Food Code (Individual Stands). The statute sets no revenue cap on cottage food sales. No state registration is required; optional ID programs may be available for label privacy.
Annual revenue cap
Missouri sets no cap on cottage food revenue.
Annual gross cap
Unlimited
Sales channels
Where you can sell in Missouri — and where you can't.
Online ordering
YesYesShipping
NoFederal restriction on uninspected food crossing state lines.
Seller delivery
YesYesThird-party delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats)
NoNoInterstate sales
NoNoWholesale to retail stores
NoNoLicense, permit & registration
Missouri does not require state registration.
Do you need a cottage food license or permit in Missouri? For basic cottage foods, Missouri does not require a separate license or permit — but other rules can still apply.
- Registration
Not required
- 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.
- Tcs
- Meat
- Poultry
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Cut Produce
- Fermented Foods
- Acidified Foods
- Canned Goods
How to start
Steps to a legal first sale in Missouri.
Confirm your products qualify
Compare your menu against Missouri'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.
Label every product correctly
Every label must include your name (or registered ID), product name, ingredients, and allergens per Missouri rules.
Start taking orders
Missouri allows online orders, seller delivery. Route orders through your own channels — third-party couriers are not permitted here.
Frequently asked
Missouri cottage food — your questions answered.
Do I need a license to sell homemade food in Missouri?
No. Missouri's home sales law (RSMo 196.298) lets you sell shelf-stable homemade foods directly to customers with no license and no revenue cap. Community and individual stands are common ways to sell. Temperature-controlled foods are excluded.
How do I sell cooked food from home in Missouri?
Missouri's home sales path covers shelf-stable items, so hot cooked meals fall outside it. The path to yes for cooked food is a licensed or inspected kitchen. You can sell allowed shelf-stable foods directly, including at community stands.
How is selling from a stand different from selling from home in Missouri?
Missouri treats home sales differently from individual stand sales. Qualifying home food sales under RSMo 196.298 need no permit or registration and have no listed revenue cap, but a front-yard stand, community stand, or farmers market can move into a different rule set — so check local health-department expectations before you build the order calendar.
Which foods fall outside Missouri's basic home-sales lane?
Missouri's home sales path covers shelf-stable items, so TCS (temperature-controlled) foods, cut produce, fermented foods, acidified foods, and canned goods sit outside the basic cottage food lane. Keep the menu narrow and built around foods that clearly qualify before you advertise availability.
Missouri cottage food laws: what is the short version?
Missouri does not require state registration for basic cottage food sales. The cited state sources do not list a revenue cap. Missouri allows online orders, seller delivery for cottage food sellers.
Do I need a cottage food license or permit in Missouri?
Not for the basic cottage food path, based on the state sources cited on this page. Missouri may still have label, food-category, local zoning, or other business rules, so check the official source before you sell.
What foods can I sell from home in Missouri?
Missouri'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, dairy, eggs.