Michigan Cottage Food Law (2026): The New Sales Cap and Online Rules

Michigan updated its cottage food exemption in 2026. The cap went up, and producers can now sell online, by mail, and through third-party delivery, with one condition that's easy to miss. There's still no license, registration, or inspection. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) oversees the program.

What's new in 2026

According to MDARD:

• Sales cap: up to $50,000 a year in gross sales. The limit is $75,000 if the operation sells cottage food products priced at $250 or more per unit, such as wedding cakes.
• Online, mail order, and third-party delivery are allowed if you give the consumer an opportunity to interact with you directly before the sale. MDARD's update summary describes this as a chance to speak with the operator.
• In-state only. Products can only be sold or delivered within Michigan.
• Per operator, not per household. If two people in one home each run their own cottage food business, each one gets the full limit.

Keep sales records. MDARD can ask for them.

What hasn't changed

• No license, no application, no registration. MDARD says there are no forms to file.
• Direct to consumer only. No sales to restaurants, grocery stores, wholesalers, brokers, or distributors, and no consignment. You can't donate products to auctions or fundraisers for someone else to give away.
• Your primary residence only. Not a second home, a rented kitchen, a garage, or a barn. Ingredients and finished products must be stored in the home.
• No farm-stop pickup. MDARD says a retail market or farm stop can't act as a go-between or hold pre-sold cottage food for customers to collect.
• Local rules still apply. A farmers' market can require a license even when the state doesn't.

Allowed and prohibited foods

Allowed foods are non-TCS items MDARD has identified, such as breads, cookies, cakes, fruit jams and jellies, and vinegars. Not allowed:

- Canned, acidified, acid, low-acid, or pickled foods - Anything that needs time or temperature control. MDARD's examples include: - Meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish - Eggs, milk, and dairy - Cooked rice, beans, vegetables, or mushrooms - Baked potatoes - Raw sprouts - Tofu - Untreated garlic-in-oil mixtures

The Michigan label

Label each product before sale with:

1. The name and physical address of the cottage food operation (no PO boxes). The exception: if you register voluntarily with the MSU Product Center, you can use your registration number and phone number instead. 2. The product name 3. Ingredients in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients. Write "soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt)", not just "soy sauce". 4. Net weight or volume, with the metric equivalent 5. Allergens under federal rules, naming the specific tree nut 6. This statement, in at least 11-point type (about 1/8") in a contrasting color: "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development"

Hand-printed labels are fine if they're legible and in permanent ink. For wedding and specialty cakes, put the label information on the invoice and deliver it with the cake.

Nutrition Facts

Michigan's cottage food guidance doesn't require a Nutrition Facts panel. A nutrient claim in your label or online listing would trigger federal rules. For a dessert box sold as one item that people may share, look at the dual-column per-serving and per-container format.

Official source

MDARD — Cottage Food: Getting Started and FAQ, Selling and Samples, and Labeling.