Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We sort your plan into Missouri's narrow statewide cottage-food statute or the broader local Food Code path, flag any mismatch, and build you a personalized checklist and printable label draft.
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion
Built from Missouri DHSS guidance, Missouri law, and current state FAQ materials. Not legal advice and not state approval — rules can change, so verify final requirements with DHSS and your local public health agency before selling.
Free path checkSee whether your product fits Missouri's narrow statewide statute or only the broader local Food Code path.
Free checklistTurn Missouri's overlapping state and local exemption rules into a practical next-step list.
Free label generationDraft the Missouri label with the producer/address, allergens, and uninspected-kitchen disclosure.
Do I need a cottage food license in Missouri?
Often no, but the answer depends on which Missouri exemption you fit. The narrow statewide cottage-food statute only covers baked goods, canned jams or jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes sold directly to consumers. Missouri DHSS also describes a broader Food Code individual-stand exemption for other non-potentially-hazardous foods, but only where local laws allow it. That means some Missouri sellers need to confirm the broader path with their local public health agency before relying on it.
Statement that the product was prepared in a kitchen not subject to inspection
Common Missouri blockers
Trying to use the statewide statute for fruit butter, spice mixes, or other non-statutory processed products
Wholesale / resale inventory
Potentially hazardous foods, salsa, pickles, dairy, meat, or eggs
Relying on the broader local Food Code path without LPHA confirmation
Missouri rule review
What this Missouri checker reviews before you print a label
The page is built from Missouri Revised Statutes § 196.298 and the cited official sources below, then turns those rules into a practical pre-sale review.
Sales path
Direct handoff to the consumer from home / a stand / a market
Internet order from a Missouri customer
Product fit
Baked good
Standard canned jam or jelly
Dried herb or dried herb mix
Fruit butter, sorghum, cracked nuts, packaged spices/spice mixes, or dry soup mix
Label draft fields
Product name
Ingredients
Net weight or volume
Producer / business name
Street address
City, state, ZIP
Required home-kitchen disclosure
Major allergen statement
Final wording should be checked against Missouri DHSS — Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance before printing.
Missouri's statewide cottage-food statute allows internet sales only when both the producer and purchaser are located in Missouri. The broader local Food Code exemption is framed around an individual stand direct to consumer, so internet sales are not the cleanest fit for that path.
Missouri's statewide cottage-food statute does not allow internet sales across state lines, and the broader local individual-stand exemption is not an interstate-shipping path.
Use this order when you prepare the permit packet, label, and direct-sales plan.
Step 1
Check whether your product fits the Missouri 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 Missouri.
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 Missouri-specific disclosure or permit field requested by the form.
Step 4
Print the checklist and verify against official sources
A plain-English helper for Missouri home-food sellers navigating the statewide cottage law and the broader local Food Code exemption. Not legal advice and not state approval.
Missouri FAQ
Missouri cottage food questions
Short answers to the questions people usually ask before they start the wizard.
Can I sell homemade food in Missouri?
Often no, but the answer depends on which Missouri exemption you fit. The narrow statewide cottage-food statute only covers baked goods, canned jams or jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes sold directly to consumers. Missouri DHSS also describes a broader Food Code individual-stand exemption for other non-potentially-hazardous foods, but only where local laws allow it. That means some Missouri sellers need to confirm the broader path with their local public health agency before relying on it.
What does the Missouri 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 Missouri?
Verify your product category, sales channel, annual limit or registration requirement, and label wording against Missouri Revised Statutes § 196.298 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 Missouri DHSS — Home-Based Kitchen Food Production Guidance or the responsible local agency before printing labels.