Michigan cottage food law in 2026: the new caps, online sales and labels
Updated October 20, 2026
Michigan lets you make non-potentially hazardous foods in the kitchen of your primary home and sell them directly to consumers with no license, registration or inspection, up to US$50,000 in gross sales a year, or US$75,000 if you sell products priced at US$250 or more per unit. The 2026 update to the Michigan Food Law also allows internet and mail-order sales, and delivery through a third-party food delivery platform, as long as the customer has a chance to talk with you before the sale and everything stays inside Michigan. Sales to stores, restaurants, wholesalers or on consignment are still banned.
In short
- No license, registration, application or inspection from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
- 2026 caps: US$50,000 a year, or US$75,000 for operations selling items at US$250 or more per unit. Keep sales records.
- Online, mail and delivery apps are allowed if the customer can interact with you directly before buying.
- Michigan only: no sales or deliveries outside the state.
- No stores, restaurants, wholesalers or consignment.
Michigan cottage food rules at a glance (October 2026)
| Rule | What Michigan requires |
|---|---|
| Law | Michigan Food Law, cottage food definitions in MCL 289.1105 and exemptions in MCL 289.4102, as updated in 2026 |
| Regulator | MDARD, which investigates complaints and foodborne illness |
| License, registration, inspection | None. No application forms to complete |
| Annual cap | US$50,000 gross sales; US$75,000 if you sell cottage foods at US$250 or more per unit. Each operator in a household has their own limit |
| Records | Keep sales records and show them to an MDARD inspector on request |
| Where you make and store it | The kitchen of your primary residence; storage in the home, not a garage, shed or barn |
| Foods | Non-potentially hazardous foods on MDARD's allowed list |
| Where you can sell | Directly to consumers: farmers markets, farm stands, roadside stands, phone, internet, mail order |
| Delivery | Yes, including a third-party food delivery platform, if the consumer can interact with you before the sale |
| Out of state | Not allowed: sell and deliver only within Michigan |
| Not allowed | Restaurants, grocery stores, wholesalers, brokers, distributors, consignment, donations to auctions or fundraisers |
| Training | Optional: MSU Extension offers an MDARD-funded online course |
| Label statement | "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development" in at least 11-point type |
This is general information, not legal advice. Questions go to MDARD at MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov.
What changed in Michigan's 2026 cottage food update?
| Topic | Before the 2026 update | After the 2026 update |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cap | US$25,000 | US$50,000, or US$75,000 for items at US$250 or more per unit |
| Internet and mail-order sales | Advertising online was fine; sales had to be direct to the consumer | Allowed, if the customer can interact with you before buying |
| Third-party delivery | Not listed as allowed | Allowed through a third-party food delivery platform, on the same condition |
MDARD has clarified one limit already: a farm stop or small market can't act as a pickup point or "delivery platform" by holding your pre-sold products for customers to collect.
Which foods can you sell, and which buttercream is allowed?
MDARD's allowed list is detailed. Some of the points home bakers ask about most:
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Cookies, breads, celebration cakes (birthday, wedding, cupcakes), shelf-stable and cooked fruit pies | Cheesecake; banana cream, pumpkin, lemon meringue or custard pies |
| Quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin or zucchini bread and blueberry muffins | Breads with fresh or frozen vegetables, soft cheese or large chunks of hard cheese |
| Buttercream only from two lab-tested recipes, followed exactly: Kansas State University's "Simple Buttercream Frosting" or Texas Come and Bake It's "American Buttercream Frosting"; or commercially made shelf-stable frosting | Any other buttercream recipe; cream cheese frosting; anything needing refrigeration |
| Fruit jams and jellies to the federal standard, in glass jars | Pepper jelly and other vegetable jams; low-sugar or no-sugar jams; apple and pumpkin butter |
| Candy, freeze-dried candy, chocolate-covered pretzels and strawberries, maple candy, flavored honey | Caramel apples; candy with real alcohol; simple and elderberry syrups |
| Granola, dry mixes, dried pasta, roasted coffee, nut butters, vinegars | Drinks of any kind, pickles, salsa, sauces, fermented foods, meat, dairy, CBD, pet treats |
You may change food coloring or flavoring extracts in the approved buttercream recipes, but nothing else.
Can you sell cottage food online in Michigan?
Yes, since the 2026 update, with one condition. A cottage food product may be sold online or by mail order, or delivered through a third-party food delivery platform, if you give the consumer an opportunity to interact with you directly before the sale. MDARD's FAQ describes this as the consumer having an opportunity to speak to the operator.
MDARD doesn't define exactly what counts. A practical approach is to show your phone number on your ordering page and in every product description, invite questions before ordering, and keep a record. Ask MDARD if you plan to rely on a delivery app.
Two rules don't change: everything must be sold and delivered within Michigan, and the sale must be directly from you to the consumer.
What goes on a Michigan cottage food label?
Every product is labeled individually before sale with:
- your operation's name and the physical address of your home kitchen (no PO boxes), or, if you sign up for MSU Product Center's voluntary registration, your registration number and phone number instead;
- the product name;
- ingredients in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients of prepared items, such as soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt);
- net weight or volume, with the metric equivalent;
- allergens as federal rules require, naming the specific tree nut;
- the statement in the table above, in at least 11-point type (about 1/8 inch) in a contrasting color.
Hand-printed labels are fine if legible and permanent. For wedding and birthday cakes that can't carry a label, put all of this on the invoice and deliver it with the cake. Use the food label maker.
Worked example: a celebration cake baker in Grand Rapids
Prices are illustrative, as of October 2026. A home baker sells custom tiered cakes, iced with the Kansas State simple buttercream recipe, by pickup and her own delivery.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price per tiered cake | US$320.00 |
| Cakes a month | 8 |
| Sales a year (8 × 12 × US$320) | US$30,720 |
| Michigan cap | US$75,000 if her products are priced at US$250 or more per unit; otherwise US$50,000 |
| Label | On the invoice delivered with each cake |
| Menuthere plan | Lite, US$17 a month, for pre-orders on a chosen date and card payments (8 orders a month would fit the Free plan's 50) |
| Stripe fee per US$320 cake (2.9% + 30¢) | about $9.58 |
| Menuthere commission | US$0.00 |
Even at the lower US$50,000 cap she has about US$19,000 of headroom. Collect the design details with the cake order form and price each tier in US dollars with the menu price calculator.
How to set up a Menuthere ordering page for Michigan rules
- Give customers a way to talk to you first. Put your phone number in your store details and in each product description, with a line such as "Call or text us with any questions before you order."
- List only allowed foods, with allergens ticked (allergens and nutrition, every plan) and the MDARD statement in each description.
- Choose order types in
Settings → Ordering → Order types(order types). Since 2026 Michigan allows third-party delivery, so you can also switch on the customer's own courier, keeping the talk-first step. - Take cake orders for a set date on Lite with dishes that need notice, and connect Stripe for card payments.
- Export or note monthly totals so you can show MDARD your sales records.
Menuthere doesn't check Michigan law for you; you choose the products and options. MDARD says prepackaged food not for immediate consumption generally isn't charged sales tax, but ask the Michigan Department of Treasury about your products, and see our guide to sales tax on restaurant food.
Other states
Ohio next door has its own cottage food and home bakery rules, Texas has a US$150,000 cap, and Florida allows shipping by mail. Compare them all on the cottage food laws hub.
FAQs
What is the Michigan cottage food limit in 2026?
Since the 2026 update, US$50,000 a year in gross sales, or US$75,000 if the operation sells cottage food products priced at US$250 or more per unit. It was US$25,000 before. Each cottage food operator in a household has their own limit.
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Michigan?
No. Michigan's Food Law exempts cottage food operations from licensing and routine inspection, and there is no application or registration with MDARD. Local zoning rules and some farmers markets may still have their own requirements.
Can I sell cottage food online in Michigan?
Yes, since the 2026 update. You can sell online or by mail order, or deliver through a third-party food delivery platform, if the customer has an opportunity to interact with you directly before the sale. Sales and deliveries must stay inside Michigan.
What buttercream can I use under Michigan cottage food law?
Only commercially made shelf-stable frosting, or one of two lab-tested recipes followed exactly: Kansas State University's Simple Buttercream Frosting or Texas Come and Bake It's American Buttercream Frosting. Cream cheese frosting isn't allowed.
What statement goes on a Michigan cottage food label?
"Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development", in at least 11-point type in a contrasting color, along with your name and home address, product name, ingredients, net weight and allergens.
Can I take Michigan cottage food orders through Menuthere?
Yes. A free Menuthere ordering page takes up to 50 orders a month with 0% commission, and Lite (US$17 a month) adds pre-orders and card payments through your own Stripe account. Show your phone number so customers can talk to you before they buy.
Sources (6)
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cottage Food (overview: exemption from licensing and inspection; internet, mail order and third-party delivery platform with consumer interaction; Michigan only; MSU Extension training): michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food (read in a browser, accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- MDARD, Cottage Food: Getting Started and FAQ (2026 update: US$50,000 / US$75,000 at US$250+ per unit, opportunity to speak to the operator; primary residence; no application or registration; sales records; PHF/TCS examples; per-operator limits in one household; farm stops can't act as delivery platforms; sales tax note; MCL 289.1105 and 289.4102): michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/getting-started-faq (read in a browser, accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- MDARD, Cottage Food: What Can I Make? (allowed and not-allowed foods, incl. the two approved buttercream recipes and no cream cheese frosting): michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/what-can-i-make (read in a browser, accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- MDARD, Cottage Food: Labeling (label contents, physical address, MSU Product Center registration number option, 11-point statement, invoice for specialty cakes): michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/labeling (read in a browser, accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- MDARD, Cottage Food: Selling and Samples (where you can and can't sell; no wholesale, consignment, restaurants or grocery stores; storage in the home; out-of-state sales): michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/cottage-food/selling-and-samples (read in a browser, accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Stripe, US card pricing 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction (stripe.com geo-redirects to India from our location; figure taken from Stripe's US support pages): stripe.com/pricing (accessed 20 Oct 2026)