Cottage food laws in Illinois

The limits

Sales cap

None — removed by 2018 and 2022 amendments (confirmed in the IDPH-partnered 2022 Cottage Food Guide: "Is there a sales cap on my earnings? No!")

You can sell

All food/drink not specifically prohibited (a "prohibited list" approach since January 1, 2018), including baked goods, candies, jams/jellies/preserves, condiments (honey, ketchup, mustard, nut butters, oils, pickles, salsas, sauces, syrups, vinegars), dry goods, pastries, snacks, non-beverage extracts, frozen produce, hardboiled eggs, carbonated drinks, acidified/fermented foods (with an approved recipe or a submitted food safety plan and pH test), canned tomatoes (with an approved recipe or lab pH test), acidified salad dressings/vinegars/infused oils, buttercream frosting (no raw eggs), non-hazardous baked goods with cheese, cultivated (non-wild) mushrooms, and bottled fresh-pressed juice (with a required unpasteurized-juice warning label)

You cannot sell

Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, shellfish; dairy except as a minor ingredient in a non-hazardous baked good, candy, or frosting; eggs except as a non-raw ingredient in a non-hazardous food or frosting; pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, cheesecake, custard pie, creme pie, and pastries with hazardous fillings/toppings; garlic-in-oil unless acidified; low-acid canned foods; sprouts; cut leafy greens (unless dehydrated, acidified, or blanched and frozen); cut/pureed fresh tomato or melon; dehydrated tomato/melon; frozen cut melon; wild-harvested/non-cultivated mushrooms; alcoholic beverages; kombucha

Getting set up

Permit / registration

Yes — annual registration with the local health department in the operator's county of residence; requires an ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate (8-hour course plus proctored exam, valid 5 years) for the operator and any employee who prepares or packages food (a basic Food Handler certificate does NOT qualify)

Cost

Registration fee capped at $50/year by law (local health department may charge $0–$50); CFPM course/exam generally $100–$300; optional lab tests (pH, water activity, water sample) $10–$60 each as required

Training

Yes — ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification, valid 5 years

Kitchen inspection

Only on complaint — not routinely inspected; inspection may occur following a consumer complaint, foodborne illness, suspected misbranding/adulteration, or a suspected imminent health hazard

Labeling

Name of the Cottage Food Operation and the unit of local government where located; the registration number and name of the municipality/county of registration; the common/usual product name; a full ingredient list in descending order by weight (including sub-ingredients of pre-made components) with the 9 major food allergens identified; the date processed; and the required statement: "This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department." Point-of-sale signage (minimum 8"x10" physical, or an equivalent online notice) carrying a similar disclosure is also required

Where you can sell

Permitted venues

Direct to consumer only (no resale, retail, restaurant, or CSA distribution) — farmers markets, delivery, fairs/festivals/public events, online sales, pickup from the operator's home/farm, third-party private property (with owner consent), and in-state shipping

Online sales

Yes, including via Etsy and online farmers markets, with required point-of-sale signage; sales must remain within Illinois

Delivery in state

Yes, including shipping non-potentially-hazardous products with a tamper-evident seal, within Illinois only

Shipping out of state

No — explicitly prohibited; crossing state lines is treated as federally regulated interstate commerce subject to FDA and destination-state law

The fine print

Statute

Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, 410 ILCS 625/4 (Cottage Food Operation provisions); most recently amended by the Home to Market Act (Public Act 102-0633), effective January 1, 2022

Recent changes

Home to Market Act (PA 102-0633), effective January 1, 2022 — expanded permitted sales avenues from farmers-markets/on-farm sales to statewide direct-to-consumer sales (including delivery, online sales, and in-state shipping), clarified acidified/fermented food rules, and authorized buttercream frosting

Notes

Registration is per home-kitchen/per-operator and renewed annually with the local health department in the operator's county of residence; once registered, sales are allowed statewide. Charitable/religious/nonprofit fundraising sales of non-potentially-hazardous baked goods are exempt from registration. No MEHKO-specific law distinct from the Cottage Food Law was identified for Illinois.