New Hampshire cottage food label requirements and homestead license checklist

Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against New Hampshire's current homestead food operation rules, flag which sales channels push you from the free unlicensed tier into a Class H license, and build you a personalized checklist plus a printable label draft.

Free permit walk-through Free label generation Free checklist

Built from current New Hampshire DHHS guidance and RSA 143-A (Homestead Food Operations). Not legal advice and not state approval — verify final requirements with NH DHHS before selling.

Free permit walk-throughSee fast whether you fit New Hampshire's unlicensed homestead tier or need a Class H license.
Free checklistKeep the sales-channel rules and allowed-product list tied to your own answers.
Free label generationDraft the exact disclosure statement for your tier plus your producer and ingredient lines in one place.

Do you need a license to sell cottage food in New Hampshire?

It depends on how you sell and what you make. New Hampshire's homestead food operation law has two tiers: an unlicensed, free tier for sales from home, your own farm stand, farmers' markets, or a retail food store — with no sales cap — and a licensed "Class H" tier required for online sales, mail order, wholesale/distributor sales, selling to a restaurant, or making freeze-dried products. The unlicensed tier only covers a specific enumerated product list (baked goods, double-crusted fruit pies, candy/fudge, repackaged spices/herbs, vinegars/mustards, jams/jellies) — meat, dairy, other TCS foods, and low-acid canned goods aren't covered at either tier, and honey isn't covered by these rules at all.

NH DHHS — Homestead Food Operations RSA 143-A

New Hampshire label requirements

Operation name and contact information
Ingredients in descending order by weight
Net weight or net volume
Allergen information required by federal law
Unlicensed: "This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection." Class H (or freeze-dried): "This product is made in a residential food production area licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services."

Common New Hampshire blockers

Meat, dairy, or other TCS products, or low-acid canned goods
Shelf-stable products outside the enumerated unlicensed list (check with DHHS)
Freeze-dried products or honey (freeze-dried needs Class H; honey isn't covered by homestead rules at all)
Online sales, mail order, wholesale/distributor sales, or restaurant sales without a Class H license