What license do i need to sell homemade food

If you do not find information you are looking for, please contact your local Environmental Health Officer. If you plan on selling your products within the Municipality of Anchorage, these exemptions may not apply.

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Each district responds to local needs. Click for the Department of Health and Welfare , and then click on your district for specific information. Illinois Click here for Illinois Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Indiana Click here for Indiana Cottage food HBV facts, laws, regulations and news Iowa Click here for more information about Iowa's cottage food requirements. Maryland Click here for Maryland Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Massachusetts Click here for Massachusetts Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Michigan Click here for Michigan Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's.

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Oklahoma Click here for Oklahoma Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Oregon Click here for more information about Oregon's domestic kitchen laws. Tennessee Click here for Tennessee Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Texas Click here for Texas Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Utah Click here for more information about this Utah's cottage food requirements.

Vermont Click here for more information about Vermont's cottage food requirements. Freedom Food Act food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Washington State Click here for Washington State Cottage Food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's West Virginia Click here for West Virginia Cottage food facts, laws, regulations and how-to's Contact: Teresa Halloran for specifics on rules and start up procedure.

Wisconsin Click here for more information about Wisconsin's cottage food requirements. When a person is starting a catering service or starting a business of homemade food then it is necessary to have few licenses and certification as selling food from home is the same as selling food at a restaurant. To protect your personal assets such as your home, consider creating a business entity such as a limited liability company, if not go with Sole Proprietorship, which is very simple and easy to get it done.

One should compare and understand the pros and cons of both business entities properly. Also, it is very important for the service provider to follow the Health Department rules and regulations. Before starting your business contact the local Health Department for specific regulations, certifications, licenses, and insurance information in your area.

The Health Department also usually inspects the area which is going to be used for the kitchen or for the catering business. One should get in touch with the local municipality to know more about state-specific licenses that are required.

Some people prefer enrolling their names as a chef in food delivery places to grow easily and reach out to more audience very easily rather than starting their own home food selling business. This means that location is a big factor in what licenses a food vendor might need. Mobile food vendors are particularly affected by this because they may do business in several different locations in a single day.

Driving your food truck across county lines can change the requirements for licensure or require a separate license. Arm yourself with the information about the vendor laws in the area or areas that you intend to operate within. Then, you need to find out about the process. Remember, all of the details may vary depending on which government entity you want to get your license through. Depending on the municipality you need to go through, you might have several types of food vendor licenses available.

This would be needed for situations where your business will only be selling food for a limited time, such as a single festival or street fair. You might also have the option of a restricted food vendor license. These restrict sales to a certain area of town or on a certain property, such as a public park or commercial area. On the other hand, unrestricted licenses allow sales in all locations with no restrictions.

In some places, a food vendor license might be limited or unlimited. Limited licenses only allow you to sell prepackaged food and have less strenuous requirements for health inspection.

Unlimited licenses allow you to sell both packaged and prepared foods. Some municipalities have separate food vendor licenses for individuals and their trucks or carts. The rest of this article pertains to the Cottage Food Bill in California; however, many of the same principles apply for Cottage Food Bills across the nation. You can check out the Cottage Food laws specific to your state here.

Here are a few commonly asked questions when starting your home-based food business. Keep in mind that the Cottage Food Bill only grants you the right to operate in your home state. You cannot sell or ship Cottage Food products across state lines. In order to apply, you must contact your county office and request an application. Commercial Canning products are different than home canning, one piece lids vs. A few of the more general rules that apply to both license types include….

There can be other requirements as well, such as…. To learn more about the exact health and safety requirements for your home kitchen, check out the official sanitation and preparation requirements for Cottage Food Operations. Visit your respective government websites or your local small business resource center to learn more. States are constantly updating and improving their laws. Here are a couple of places you can go to get solid information….