CottageFoodTool Michigan

Michigan · Cottage Food Law

Part of our walk-through for all 50 US states — see every state.

Michigan cottage food label requirements and sales cap checklist

Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against Michigan's current cottage food law — no license or state inspection needed — flag the choices that push you toward a licensed food establishment, and build you a personalized checklist plus a printable label draft.

Free permit walk-through Free label generation Free checklist
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion

Built from current Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development guidance and the Michigan Cottage Food Law (MCL 289.4101 et seq.) as amended by HB 4122. Not legal advice and not state approval — verify final requirements with MDARD before selling.

  • Free permit walk-throughSee fast whether you fit Michigan's no-license cottage food law.
  • Free checklistKeep the revenue cap, sales-channel rules, and allowed-product list tied to your own answers.
  • Free label generationDraft Michigan's exact disclosure statement plus your producer and ingredient lines in one place.

Do you need a license to sell cottage food in Michigan?

No — Michigan's Cottage Food Law doesn't require a license, permit, or home-kitchen inspection for direct-to-consumer sales within the state. It covers non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods only, and currently caps annual gross sales at $50,000 (or $75,000 if every product is priced at $250 or more per unit). Since March 24, 2026, in-state online orders, mail order, and third-party delivery-platform sales are also allowed, as long as you give the buyer a chance to directly interact with you before the sale completes. Out-of-state shipping, wholesale, and consignment sale aren't covered.

MDARD — Cottage Food Law HB 4122 (2025)

Michigan label requirements

  • Business name and address, or phone number plus an optional MSU Product Center registration ID
  • Ingredients in descending order by weight
  • Net weight or net volume
  • Allergen information required by federal law
  • Exact statement: Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Common Michigan blockers

  • Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy/cheese, or other TCS products
  • Low-acid canned vegetables, salsa, hot sauce, pickled products, oil infusions, kombucha, or fermented foods
  • Annual cottage food revenue above $50,000 (or above $75,000 for $250+-per-unit products)
  • Shipping outside Michigan, or wholesale/consignment sale through a store or distributor
  • Online, mail-order, or delivery-platform sales without offering a direct-interaction step first

Michigan rule review

What this Michigan checker reviews before you print a label

The page is built from Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development — Cottage Food Law and the cited official sources below, then turns those rules into a practical pre-sale review.

Sales path

  • $50,000 or less
  • Between $50,000 and $75,000, and every product is priced at $250 or more per unit

Product fit

  • Baked goods not requiring refrigeration, jams/jellies/preserves, candy, dried fruit, dried herbs, cereal/granola, dry mixes, vinegar, or popcorn

Label draft fields

  • Product name
  • Ingredients
  • Net weight or volume
  • Producer / business name
  • Address, or phone number
  • City
  • Required home-kitchen disclosure
  • Major allergen statement

Final wording should be checked against MCL 289.4101 et seq. — Michigan Cottage Food Law before printing.

Usually blocks the cottage food path

Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy/cheese/cheesecake, cream or custard pies, or other time/temperature-control-for-safety (TCS) foods

Michigan's cottage food law only covers non-potentially-hazardous foods — anything requiring refrigeration for safety needs a licensed food establishment.

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development — Cottage Food Law

Usually blocks the cottage food path

Low-acid canned vegetables, salsa, hot sauce, pickled products, garlic- or vegetable-in-oil mixtures, kombucha, or other fermented foods

Low-acid canned goods, most pickled/acidified products, oil infusions, and fermented foods carry botulism or spoilage risks that Michigan's cottage food law doesn't cover unless independently process-validated by a process authority.

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development — Cottage Food Law

Michigan permit prep

Michigan cottage food permit steps

Use this order when you prepare the permit packet, label, and direct-sales plan.

Step 1

Check whether your product fits the Michigan 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 Michigan.

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 Michigan-specific disclosure or permit field requested by the form.

Step 4

Print the checklist and verify against official sources

A plain-English helper for Michigan cottage food sellers. Not legal advice and not state approval.

Michigan FAQ

Michigan cottage food questions

Short answers to the questions people usually ask before they start the wizard.

Can I sell homemade food in Michigan?

No — Michigan's Cottage Food Law doesn't require a license, permit, or home-kitchen inspection for direct-to-consumer sales within the state. It covers non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods only, and currently caps annual gross sales at $50,000 (or $75,000 if every product is priced at $250 or more per unit). Since March 24, 2026, in-state online orders, mail order, and third-party delivery-platform sales are also allowed, as long as you give the buyer a chance to directly interact with you before the sale completes. Out-of-state shipping, wholesale, and consignment sale aren't covered.

What does the Michigan 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 Michigan?

Verify your product category, sales channel, annual limit or registration requirement, and label wording against Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development — Cottage Food Law 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 MCL 289.4101 et seq. — Michigan Cottage Food Law or the responsible local agency before printing labels.