Cottage food laws in Indiana

The limits

Sales cap

None

You can sell

A broad range of non-TCS (not time/temperature-control-for-safety) foods, per the IDOH Home-Based Vendor Handbook: baked goods (breads, bagels, quick breads, sourdough, pretzels, cakes/cupcakes with approved non-TCS icing, cookies, scones, baklava, lamington), baking mixes, candies (candy/caramel apples, cotton candy, hard candy, fudge, molded/tempered chocolate, truffles), acid-fruit canned goods and jams/jellies/preserves/curds (from an approved fruit list), chips, roasted coffee, dairy-free no-bake cookie dough, crackers, dried/dehydrated fruit, granola/trail mix, dried herbs/spices/teas, honey (raw, creamed, combed, or GRAS-infused), non-TCS icings/frostings (must be commercially prepared or a lab-tested recipe), certain muffins, roasted/candied/toasted nuts and seeds, nut butters, dried pasta, filled pastries/doughnuts (commercial or high-acid jam filling only), and select pies (high-acid fruit or pecan)

You cannot sell

TCS foods generally — raw/cooked animal protein and rendered fats, prepared meals (casseroles, charcuterie, fruit salads, lasagna, ready-made meals), dairy (except as a minor ingredient), cut-leafy-green products (kimchi, salad, sauerkraut), cheesecake, alcoholic beverages/kombucha (≥0.5% ABV), cold brew coffee, fresh-pressed juice (extra regulation applies), low-acid or no-/low-sugar jams/jellies/preserves, homemade BBQ/hot sauce, chow chow, chutney, fermented foods, fig preserves, pickles/relish/pepper jelly, marinades, homemade acidified vinaigrettes (requires local health department approval), aluminum canned goods, CBD/Delta-8/Delta-9 products, homemade extracts sold as such, cream/custard fillings, low-acid pie fillings, freeze-dried/fermented/dehydrated meat, dairy, or vegetables (special process), several named low-acid fruits used as standalone ingredients (banana, cantaloupe, cucumber, elderberry, mango, honeydew, mulberry, papaya, pawpaw, pepper, pickle, pumpkin, watermelon), fruit tarts, buttercream containing TCS ingredients, raw milk, processed (post-harvest cut) mushrooms, boiled peanuts, pet treats/animal feed, repackaged bulk foods, and dietary supplements

Getting set up

Permit / registration

No license or permit is required, but an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate is mandatory; a copy must be provided to the local health department in the vendor's county of residence and, on request, to IDOH or an end consumer

Cost

No license/permit fee; cost of the ANSI-accredited food handler certificate course varies by provider

Training

Yes — ANSI-accredited food handler certificate

Kitchen inspection

Only on complaint — not routinely inspected; subject to sampling/inspection only if the state determines a product is misbranded/adulterated, or upon a consumer complaint

Labeling

Producer's name and primary residence address (a PO Box does not qualify), the common/usual product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight/volume, the date processed, and the required statement in at least 10-point type: "This product is home produced and processed, and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health. NOT FOR RESALE." The label must also be posted on the vendor's website if selling online

Where you can sell

Permitted venues

Direct to the end consumer only — in person, by telephone, or via the internet; no wholesale, retail-establishment, or third-party resale; the vendor (or an employee holding the required certificate) must be personally present for in-person sales at markets, festivals, fairs, or shops

Online sales

Yes, with the product label also posted on the vendor's website

Delivery in state

Yes — in person, by mail, or via third-party carrier, in tamper-evident packaging; shipping/delivery address records must be kept for at least 1 year

Shipping out of state

No — a home-based vendor may not ship or deliver a food product to an end consumer located outside Indiana

The fine print

Statute

Indiana Code 16-42-5.3 (Home Based Food Products), most recently amended by House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1149 (2022)

Recent changes

HEA 1149 (2022) expanded permitted sales methods and added the food handler training requirement; IDOH's "Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook" (last updated Summer 2025) substantially expanded product-category guidance based on Purdue University food-safety testing. Separately, House Enrolled Act 1424 (2026, "Farm and Homestead Food Sales"), effective July 1, 2026, appears to create an additional, much higher-volume "homestead vendor"/"small farm" pathway (gross sales up to $1.5 million, including certain meat products, with reduced state/local regulatory authority) — this is distinct from the standard HBV law and was not independently verified against readable primary bill text in this review

Notes

This entry describes the standard, longstanding IC 16-42-5.3 Home Based Vendor program. House Enrolled Act 1424 (2026) appears to create a separate, much larger-scale "Farm and Homestead Food Sales" pathway ($1.5M gross sales cap) that could not be confirmed in detail — the enrolled bill PDF retrieved was not machine-readable, and the searched summaries described only introduced/engrossed versions. Confirm HEA 1424's final, enacted provisions directly with IDOH before advising on it. No separate MEHKO restaurant-style law was identified for Indiana.