Start with your state
Find the state food agency responsible for retail food businesses, home-based food sales, cottage-food rules, or food permits.
Open official state directoryBAKER STARTING POINT
Find your path
to selling safely.
There is no one nationwide cottage-food license. What you may sell, where you may sell it, and whether you need a permit can change by state, county, city, product, and business setup.
START WITH YOUR LOCATION
Check your state’s official food-business contacts.
Select the state where you primarily bake. This is guidance only—CakeMatch does not determine whether you are legally allowed to operate.
Check your local rules too
City and county health departments can have requirements that are different from, or in addition to, statewide cottage-food rules.
Find local government contactsUnderstand the food-business baseline
The FDA explains why home-based and commercial food businesses may be subject to different federal, state, and local requirements.
Read FDA’s getting-started guideA PRACTICAL CHECKLIST
Before you accept your first order.
- Find the official agency for your state and ask about home-based or commercial cake sales.
- Confirm permitted products, labeling, sales channels, and any local health or zoning rules.
- Keep any license, registration, or food-safety record you receive. You can submit it privately to CakeMatch for review.