Part of our walk-through for all 50 US states —
see every state.
Georgia cottage food label requirements and HB 398 checklist
Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against Georgia's current cottage food statute (HB 398), flag anything that isn't allowed, and build you a personalized checklist and a printable food label.
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion
Built from O.C.G.A. §§ 26-2-470 to 26-2-478 (HB 398, effective 2025-07-01) and Georgia Department of Agriculture guidance. Not legal advice and not government approval — GDA is still updating some of its published guidance to match the new statute, so verify final requirements with the Georgia Department of Agriculture before selling.
Free permit walk-throughSee right away if a choice would block you from selling under Georgia's cottage food statute.
Free checklistYour answers folded into Georgia's current requirements, ready to print or save as PDF.
Free label generationThe new Georgia disclosure statement plus name, address, and product details, assembled into a printable draft.
Do I need a license to sell homemade food in Georgia?
Not anymore — Georgia's HB 398, effective July 1, 2025, removed the old cottage food license and fee entirely. There's no registration, no pre-op inspection, and no gross sales cap under the current statute (O.C.G.A. §§ 26-2-470 to 26-2-478). Georgia also expanded sales channels significantly: online orders, mail order, and sale through grocery stores and restaurants are now allowed, in addition to direct in-person sale — though wholesale to a broker/distributor and shipping out of state still aren't covered. Georgia's Department of Agriculture is still updating some of its own published guidance to catch up with the new law, so this page is built against the statute itself. The wizard below checks the product-type and sales-channel choices that commonly change the answer.
Statement of identity (product name) and net weight
Ingredients in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients
Allergen statement for the major food allergens
Business name plus address and phone, or a GDA Identification Number instead of the address
“This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.” in at least 10-point font
Common Georgia cottage food blockers
Baked goods needing refrigeration (cream cheese icing, tres leche-style fillings)
Cooked vegetable products, cooked rice/beans, or most home-canned foods (other than jam/jelly)
Fruit butters, beverages (including cider), honey, and syrup
Meat, poultry, seafood, standalone eggs/dairy, raw milk, alcohol, cannabis products, or pet food
Wholesale sale to a broker or distributor for resale
Shipping or selling to a customer outside Georgia
Making food in a rented/shared kitchen, vacation home, motor home, or outbuilding
Georgia rule review
What this Georgia checker reviews before you print a label
The page is built from O.C.G.A. §§ 26-2-470 to 26-2-478 (HB 398, effective 2025-07-01) and the cited official sources below, then turns those rules into a practical pre-sale review.
Sales path
Direct, in person (home, farmers market, event)
Online or mail order, to customers within Georgia
Sold through a grocery store, restaurant, or other retail food establishment (as a "third-party vendor")
Consignment (a shop sells it on your behalf, you keep ownership until it sells)
A cooked vegetable product (salsa, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce), cooked rice/beans, baked potatoes, mushrooms, sprouts, tofu, or home-canned produce (other than jam/jelly)
Cooked vegetable products and most cooked plant-based or home-canned foods are treated as potentially hazardous and aren't on Georgia's allowed list — jams/jellies are the one canned exception.
A fruit butter (apple butter, pumpkin butter), apple cider or other beverage, honey, or syrup
Georgia excludes fruit butters (their reduced sugar/pectin can affect safety), all beverages, and honey/syrup — these need separate approval, not this cottage food exemption.
Sold through a grocery store, restaurant, or other retail food establishment (as a "third-party vendor")
Selling through a retail store or restaurant is allowed under the new statute, but the product must be displayed in a separate, clearly labeled section, the store must post required signage, and some cities/counties can opt out of allowing third-party-vendor sales by local ordinance.
Consignment (a shop sells it on your behalf, you keep ownership until it sells)
Whether consignment counts as an allowed direct/retail-vendor sale under the new statute is genuinely unclear — the old rule banned it, and the new statute doesn't address it directly.
Use this order when you prepare the permit packet, label, and direct-sales plan.
Step 1
Check whether your product fits the Georgia cottage food path
Start with the product category and shelf-stability questions. The wizard flags foods that usually need refrigeration, separate licensing, or extra official review in Georgia.
Step 2
Confirm where and how you plan to sell
Choose every sales channel you expect to use. The result calls out direct-sale limits, shipping issues, wholesale/resale limits, and other channel rules that matter before you take orders.
Step 3
Draft the label from your actual product details
Enter the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, producer information, and any Georgia-specific disclosure or permit field requested by the form.
Step 4
Print the checklist and verify against official sources
A plain-English helper for Georgia home cooks and cottage food producers under the current HB 398 statute. Not legal advice and not government approval.
Georgia FAQ
Georgia cottage food questions
Short answers to the questions people usually ask before they start the wizard.
Can I sell homemade food in Georgia?
Not anymore — Georgia's HB 398, effective July 1, 2025, removed the old cottage food license and fee entirely. There's no registration, no pre-op inspection, and no gross sales cap under the current statute (O.C.G.A. §§ 26-2-470 to 26-2-478). Georgia also expanded sales channels significantly: online orders, mail order, and sale through grocery stores and restaurants are now allowed, in addition to direct in-person sale — though wholesale to a broker/distributor and shipping out of state still aren't covered. Georgia's Department of Agriculture is still updating some of its own published guidance to catch up with the new law, so this page is built against the statute itself. The wizard below checks the product-type and sales-channel choices that commonly change the answer.
What does the Georgia checker do?
It walks through the state-specific blockers, then produces a printable checklist and a label draft using the answers you entered.
What should I verify before selling in Georgia?
Verify your product category, sales channel, annual limit or registration requirement, and label wording against O.C.G.A. §§ 26-2-470 to 26-2-478 (HB 398, effective 2025-07-01) before relying on the checklist.
Is the label draft official approval?
No. It is an informational draft based on the page sources. Check final wording with O.C.G.A. §§ 26-2-470 to 26-2-478 (HB 398, effective 2025-07-01) or the responsible local agency before printing labels.