OhioCottage Food Laws

Ohio has two paths. Cottage Food needs no license, no fee, and has no sales cap for shelf-stable items — you can start right away. The Home Bakery License is a separate, inspected path through the Ohio Department of Agriculture for a wider product range; that one carries a $25–$50 annual fee and a kitchen inspection.

Ohio's shelf-stable path excludes anything temperature-controlled: cream-filled pastries, cream cheese frosting, custards, puddings, and fresh or cut produce, plus meat, poultry, seafood, and jerky. Also off the list are acidified and low-acid canned foods, pickles, salsas, hot sauces, fermented items like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha, garlic in oil, and cannabis products.

Yes to wholesale and in-state shipping, no to crossing state lines. Ohio's cottage food law lets you sell online, ship within the state, and wholesale to retail stores and restaurants. Interstate sales are prohibited, so keep fulfillment inside Ohio.

Not yet, but it might. HB 134 would create a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) registration allowing temperature-controlled foods including dairy, meat, poultry, and seafood, in exchange for annual registration, food safety training, and inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. As of early 2026 it had passed the House and moved to the Senate, so it is not law yet.

Ohio does not require state registration for basic cottage food sales. The cited state sources do not list a revenue cap. Ohio 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. Ohio may still have label, food-category, local zoning, or other business rules, so check the official source before you sell.

Ohio's cottage food rules mainly cover foods that do not need time or temperature control for safety. Common no-go categories include tcs, acidified foods, low acid canned goods, meat, poultry.