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South Carolina cottage food label requirements and home-based food checklist
Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against South Carolina's current Home-based Food Production Law, 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 public South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) and Clemson Extension guidance, and S.C. Code Ann. § 44-1-143. Not legal advice and not government approval — verify final requirements with SCDA before selling.
Free permit walk-throughSee right away if a choice would block you from selling under South Carolina's home-based food production law.
Free checklistYour answers folded into South Carolina's current requirements, ready to print or save as PDF.
Free label generationThe required South Carolina disclosure statement plus name, address, and product details, assembled into a printable draft.
Do I need a license to sell homemade food in South Carolina?
No — South Carolina's Home-based Food Production Law (S.C. Code Ann. § 44-1-143) requires no permit, license, or mandatory registration at all. A voluntary SCDA ID number exists only so you can print an ID instead of your home address on the label. South Carolina is also one of the more permissive states on sales channels: direct in-person, online/mail order shipped within South Carolina, and even wholesale to retail/grocery stores are all allowed, and there's no gross sales cap — just a $1,500/year net-earnings floor below which you're exempt from labeling/facility rules but can't sell through a retail store. The wizard below checks the product-type and sales-channel choices that commonly change the answer.
Statement of identity (product name) and net weight in both customary and metric units
Ingredients in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients
Allergen statement for the major food allergens
Your name and street address, or your voluntary SCDA ID number instead
“PROCESSED AND PREPARED BY A HOME-BASED FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO SOUTH CAROLINA'S FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS.” in all caps with clear contrast
Common South Carolina cottage food blockers
TCS/refrigerated foods, including cheesecake, custard/cream pie, and cream-cheese icing
Home-canned, pickled, fermented, or acidified foods (salsa, pickles, low-sugar jams)
Meat, poultry, seafood, raw milk, ice cream, or bottled beverages
Shipping to customers outside South Carolina (this law is intrastate only)
Selling through a restaurant that hasn't obtained its own SCDA variance
Preparing or icing food on board a food truck rather than selling it pre-packaged
Selling through a retail store while earning under the $1,500/year threshold
South Carolina rule review
What this South Carolina checker reviews before you print a label
The page is built from SCDA/Clemson — South Carolina Home-based Food Production Law Guidance (July 2025, v1.4) 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, shipped to South Carolina addresses
Wholesale to a retail or grocery store (store posts a sign that it's home-based food)
Sold in a restaurant that has an SCDA-approved operational variance for it
Sold pre-packaged from a food truck (no on-truck prep or icing)
Product fit
Non-refrigerated baked goods, candy/chocolate, standardized high-acid jams/jellies, dried or dehydrated goods, honey, granola/trail mix, chips, popcorn, dried pasta, or protein balls made from shelf-stable ingredients
Label draft fields
Product name
Ingredients
Net weight
Business / operation name
Street address, or your voluntary SCDA ID number
City
Required home-kitchen disclosure
Major allergen statement
Final wording should be checked against SCDA/Clemson — South Carolina Home-based Food Production Law Guidance (July 2025, v1.4) before printing.
Usually blocks the cottage food path
Anything that needs refrigeration to stay safe (custard/cream fillings, cheesecake, cream cheese icing, fresh-fruit fillings, etc.)
South Carolina's home-based food law only covers non-potentially-hazardous foods that don't need refrigeration — anything TCS/refrigerated isn't covered.
An alcoholic beverage, pet treats/animal feed, a charcuterie board, or canned goods packed in aluminum cans
Alcoholic beverages, pet treats/animal feed, charcuterie boards, and aluminum-canned goods are specifically excluded from South Carolina's home-based food production law.
Sold in a restaurant without an SCDA-approved variance
Home-based food can only be sold in a restaurant if that restaurant has an SCDA-approved operational variance and gives customers the required advisory — without the variance, it isn't allowed.
Use this order when you prepare the permit packet, label, and direct-sales plan.
Step 1
Check whether your product fits the South Carolina 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 South Carolina.
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 South Carolina-specific disclosure or permit field requested by the form.
Step 4
Print the checklist and verify against official sources
A plain-English helper for South Carolina home cooks and home-based food producers. Not legal advice and not government approval.
South Carolina FAQ
South Carolina cottage food questions
Short answers to the questions people usually ask before they start the wizard.
Can I sell homemade food in South Carolina?
No — South Carolina's Home-based Food Production Law (S.C. Code Ann. § 44-1-143) requires no permit, license, or mandatory registration at all. A voluntary SCDA ID number exists only so you can print an ID instead of your home address on the label. South Carolina is also one of the more permissive states on sales channels: direct in-person, online/mail order shipped within South Carolina, and even wholesale to retail/grocery stores are all allowed, and there's no gross sales cap — just a $1,500/year net-earnings floor below which you're exempt from labeling/facility rules but can't sell through a retail store. The wizard below checks the product-type and sales-channel choices that commonly change the answer.
What does the South Carolina 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 South Carolina?
Verify your product category, sales channel, annual limit or registration requirement, and label wording against SCDA/Clemson — South Carolina Home-based Food Production Law Guidance (July 2025, v1.4) 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 SCDA/Clemson — South Carolina Home-based Food Production Law Guidance (July 2025, v1.4) or the responsible local agency before printing labels.