Wisconsin · Cottage Food

Wisconsin cottage food label requirements and baked-goods / Pickle Bill checker

Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We sort your plan into Wisconsin's current homemade baked-goods path or the Pickle Bill path, flag channel or product mismatches, and build you a personalized checklist and printable label draft.

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

Built from current Wisconsin DATCP guidance and agency publications. Not legal advice and not state approval — rules can change, so verify final requirements with DATCP before selling.

  • Free path checkSee whether your plan fits Wisconsin's baked-goods path, the Pickle Bill path, or neither.
  • Free checklistTurn Wisconsin's litigation-driven baked-goods rules and Pickle Bill limits into a practical next-step list.
  • Free label generationDraft a Wisconsin label and switch to the Pickle Bill disclaimer automatically when needed.

Do I need a cottage food license in Wisconsin?

Sometimes no, but it depends heavily on the product. Wisconsin's current DATCP guidance says unlicensed homemade sales are presently limited to two narrow paths: court-protected non-potentially-hazardous baked goods sold directly to consumers, and the Pickle Bill path for certain acidic or acidified home-canned fruits and vegetables sold retail at specific Wisconsin events. Most other foods still require a licensed facility.

Pickle Bill label rules

  • Name and address of the person who did the canning
  • Date of canning
  • Ingredients in descending order of prominence
  • Statement: This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection.

Common Wisconsin blockers

  • Refrigerated or otherwise potentially hazardous finished products
  • Pickle Bill sales above $5,000/year
  • Internet, consignment, or out-of-state Pickle Bill sales
  • Dehydrated foods sold under the baked-goods path