Cottage food label requirements in Indiana
Home Based Vendors (HEA 1149, 2022), IC 16-42-5.3 (added by HEA 1149, P.L.49-2022, eff. July 1, 2022; § 5 amended by P.L.56-2023); see also IC 16-42-5.4 homestead vendors/small farms (HEA 1424, P.L.163-2026, eff. July 1, 2026). Regulated by Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division (enforced by local health departments). Checked against state sources on .
Not fully verified. We could not confirm every detail for Indiana on a primary state source when we checked. Treat these items as unconfirmed and check them with Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division (enforced by local health departments) before you print: disclaimerText, agencyUrl.
The statement your label needs
This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE.
Type size and placement: Statement in at least 10 point type
What is different in Indiana
- Food handler certificate (ANSI-accredited) required
- Shipped/delivered items must be in tamper-evident sealed packaging; keep buyer shipping/delivery addresses 1 year
- No pets/animals in prep area; must be made at primary residence
- From July 1, 2026, HEA 1424 adds homestead vendor/small farm track (prepared foods, meat, $1.5M cap) with statement: "This product was produced by a homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm that is exempt from government licensing and inspection."
- Permit
- No permit or registration for most baked goods. No permit or registration; local units may not require licensure, certification or inspection. ANSI-accredited food handler certificate required; copy must be given to the county local health department and provided on request. Inspection only if misbranded/adulterated or on consumer complaint.
- Sales cap
- No annual sales cap found in state sources
- Where you can sell
- To the end consumer only: in person, by telephone, or through the Internet; delivered in person, by mail, or by third-party carrier; farmers markets, roadside stands, events.
- Online orders
- Yes
- Ship in state
- Yes
- Ship out of state
- No
- Sell to shops / cafés
- No
- Allowed foods
- Non-TCS (not potentially hazardous) foods made at the vendor's primary residence, e.g. cakes, cookies, breads, jams and jellies, candy; IDOH handbook lists tested items.
What a Indiana cottage food label must show
- Name and address of the producer
- Common or usual name of the food product
- Ingredients in descending order by predominance by weight
- Net weight or volume by standard measure or numerical count
- Date on which the food product was processed
- The required statement (above) in at least 10 point type
- Label of each product must also be posted on the vendor's website
Federal rules still apply on top: ingredients in descending order by weight (21 CFR 101.4), the nine major allergens declared by name (FALCPA and the FASTER Act), and net quantity in ounces and grams (21 CFR 101.7). Indiana allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is allowed, and products may not cross state lines.
Make a Indiana label now
The Indiana statement is already on it. Type your ingredients, tick the allergens and print on Avery sheets or a thermal roll. To have the ingredient order and allergens worked out from a costed recipe, use the workbench.
Still missing: business name and address.
Print at 100% scale with no margins. Check the result against Indiana’s rules above before selling.
True size. Indiana statement at 10 pt minimum.
Indiana cottage food questions
What statement has to be on a Indiana cottage food label?
Indiana requires: “This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE.” (Statement in at least 10 point type).
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Indiana?
No permit or registration for most baked goods. No permit or registration; local units may not require licensure, certification or inspection. ANSI-accredited food handler certificate required; copy must be given to the county local health department and provided on request. Inspection only if misbranded/adulterated or on consumer complaint.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Indiana?
No annual cap appears in the state sources we checked. No gross sales cap for home based vendors (IDOH). Separate homestead vendor track (IC 16-42-5.4) is limited to $1,500,000 gross sales per year.
Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Indiana?
Indiana allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is allowed, and products may not cross state lines.
Sources
- HEA 1149 (2022) enrolled text, IC 16-42-5.3 - IDOH copy (statute)
- IDOH: Indiana Home Based Vendor Handbook (2025) (agency)
- IDOH memo: Farm and Homestead Food Sales (HEA 1424), May 26, 2026 (agency)
- Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division (enforced by local health departments) (agency)
Checked October 18, 2026. This is a checklist built from the sources above, not legal advice. Rules change; your county or the agency has the final word. Spotted something out of date? The about page explains how we check.
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