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Can I sell food from home in Missouri?
Missouri cottage food law at a glance
| Home food sales allowed | limited Cottage Food Production Operation |
|---|---|
| Law | RSMo 196.298 (as amended by HB 1697, 2022) |
| Sales cap | No cap |
| Permit or registration | none. No permit, registration or inspection; operation is not a food service establishment and local health departments may not regulate its production (they keep complaint records and may investigate outbreaks). No training requirement. |
| Sell in person | limited |
| Take online orders | yes |
| Ship within the state | yes |
| Ship to other states | no |
| Sell to shops and cafes | no |
| Where you can sell, details | Statute covers production for sale at the individual's home, sold only directly to consumers; internet sales allowed only when both seller and buyer are in Missouri (2022). Secondary source reports in-state delivery and shipping allowed after HB 1697; statute itself does not mention shipping. Farmers markets, events and stores are not covered by this law. |
yes = allowed; limited = allowed with conditions; no = not allowed; unverified = we could not confirm it from an official source.
What foods can you sell from home in Missouri?
Allowed: Only three categories: baked goods (cookies, cakes, breads, danish, donuts, pastries, pies and other oven-baked items that are not potentially hazardous), canned jams or jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes.
Not allowed: Everything outside those categories, including potentially hazardous baked goods; secondary source lists candy, fudge, acidified/low-acid canned foods, sauces, honey, nut butters, dried fruit, jerky and beverages as not covered.
Label requirements in Missouri
Required statement: Statement that the food is not inspected by the Department of Health and Senior Services or the local health department (RSMo 196.298.4 sets the meaning, not fixed words; DHSS guidance describes it as a statement that the product is prepared in a kitchen that is not subject to inspection by DHSS). summary, not exact wording
Suggested wording: This food was prepared in a home kitchen that is not inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services or the local health department.
Other label items: RSMo 196.298.4: the name and address of the cottage food production operation and the not-inspected statement. DHSS guidance (Aug 2023) says the label must be legible to the consumer; no type size is set.
Selling from home in Missouri? The Cottage Kitchen Toolkit prices your recipes for markets, pre-orders and shops. It scales batches and prints ingredient and allergen labels with suggested wording for the statement Missouri's law describes. It also has this guide for all 50 states and DC. One-time price, and it works offline.
Get the toolkit Try the free cookie price checkNotes
HB 1697 (effective Aug 28, 2022) allowed in-state internet sales. No sales cap. HB 3108 (2026) to greatly expand the law to non-perishable foods, markets, retail and online failed per secondary source. Missouri DHSS cottage food page could not be fetched, so rule-level label wording was not confirmed. Label check (2026-10-25): RSMo 196.298.4 and DHSS's Aug 2023 guidance read; no rule fixes the words. The toolkit offers suggested wording.
Sources
- Missouri DHSS - Home-based kitchen food production guidance (Aug 2023, PDF) official
- RSMo 196.298 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes) official
- National Agricultural Law Center - Missouri cottage food law text secondary
- Forrager - Missouri cottage food law secondary
Last checked: 2026-10-25 · confidence: medium (high = key facts confirmed on an official page; medium = partly confirmed or secondary sources agree; low = a single secondary or outdated source). Summaries are our own wording, not the text of the law.
This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm with your state agency and local health department, using the official sources below, before you sell.