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Can I sell food from home in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island cottage food law at a glance
| Home food sales allowed | limited Cottage Food Manufacture (plus Farm Home Food Manufacture for farms) |
|---|---|
| Law | R.I. Gen. Laws 21-27-6.2 (cottage food, P.L. 2022 ch. 231; amended P.L. 2024 ch. 403); 21-27-6.1 (farm home food) |
| Sales cap | $50,000 gross annual sales |
| Permit or registration | registration. Annual registration with RI Dept. of Health (RIDOH) plus a notarized affidavit of compliance. A food safety manager or ANSI food handler course is required before first registration. Fee set under 23-1-54; amount unverified. RIDOH may inspect anytime. Kitchen needs a 2-compartment sink or a 150F dishwasher plus a 1-compartment sink; private wells tested yearly. Leased licensed commercial kitchens are allowed. |
| Sell in person | yes |
| Take online orders | yes |
| Ship within the state | no |
| Ship to other states | no |
| Sell to shops and cafes | no |
| Where you can sell, details | Direct-to-consumer only, by pickup or by in-state delivery made in person by the registrant or a designee. Online, mail and phone orders are OK if delivered in person. Consignment and wholesale are banned, as are sales to grocery stores, restaurants, schools, day cares, nursing homes and group homes. Farm home food: farmers markets, farmstands and farmer-run stores. |
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 Rhode Island?
Allowed: Only baked goods that don't need refrigeration or time/temperature control: double-crust pies, yeast breads, biscuits, brownies, cookies, muffins, shelf-stable cakes, plus others RIDOH defines. Farm home food (farms only): jams and jellies from local produce, fruit pies, breads, maple syrup, candy and fudge, dried herbs.
Not allowed: Everything that isn't a qualifying non-TCS baked good (for non-farm registrants): candy, jams, canned goods, and any TCS food such as cream or custard items and cheesecake.
Label requirements in Rhode Island
Required statement: Made by a Cottage Food Business Registrant that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection exact wording from an official source
Other label items: Business name, address and phone; ingredients in descending order by weight or volume; allergen information. Statement in at least 10-point type, clear and contrasting. The statement is not required if made in a licensed commercial kitchen.
Selling from home in Rhode Island? The Cottage Kitchen Toolkit prices your recipes for markets, pre-orders and shops. It scales batches and prints ingredient and allergen labels with Rhode Island's required statement filled in. 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
The cottage food law took effect 6/27/2022, with first certificates issued 11/1/2022; it was amended in 2024 (effective 6/26/2024). Sales above $50k require a food processor license. Sales tax applies. The RIDOH website blocked automated fetching, so the fee and application details are unverified.
Sources
- R.I. Gen. Laws 21-27-6.2 Cottage food manufacture official
- R.I. Gen. Laws 21-27-6.1 Farm home food manufacture official
Last checked: 2026-10-24 · confidence: high (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.