Selling food made at home in Indiana
Sources last read Sep 26, 2026
What Indiana lets you make and sell from a home kitchen, in the state's own words with a link to each, and what changes when a store wants to stock you.
Run the free rules check: no account, no AI.
General information, not advice. This is written for small food makers and cites its sources, but it is not legal, regulatory or food-safety advice, and it cannot account for your product, your state or your facility. Rules change and thresholds are adjusted yearly. Confirm anything you are about to act on with your state agency, a Process Authority, or the FDA.
Who regulates food made at home in Indiana?
The Indiana Department of Health. Its own page for the Home-Based Vendor:
Indiana Department of Health, food protection guidance documentsWhat may I make at home in Indiana?
Each sentence below is quoted from Indiana's own pages as ShelfStep read them on September 25, 2026, with a link to where it is written.
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may be made at homeIDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook says:“All non-TCS baked goods/snack items. Examples include jams, jellies, spreads, egg noodles, candies, roasted coffee grounds, trail mixes, value added foods such as maple syrup and honey, spice blends, and dried teas.”IDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may be made at homeIDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook says:“Must be made with recipes using only acidic fruits, sugar, and pectin. Must NOT contain low-acid ingredients such as peppers, fig, mint, elderberry, mulberries, pawpaw, or no/low sugar substitutes or alternatives.”IDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may be made at homeIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“(b) A homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm may sell the following items primarily derived from a location described in subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) directly to an end consumer: (1) Meat products: (A) raised at the individual's property; and (B) slaughtered, processed, and labeled in compliance with IC 15-17-5. (2) Prepared foods, including baked goods. (3) Candy. (4) Produce. (5) Natural sweeteners. (6) Fruit spreads.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
What may I not make at home in Indiana?
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may not be made at homeIDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook says:“Can I produce pickled or acidified foods? No. Pickled and acidified foods pose botulism risks if the pH and other critical control points are not controlled during processing. In retail, acidification is considered a special process and is subject to additional regulatory requirements. Can I sell fermented food? No.”IDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may not be made at homeIDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook says:“Can I make barbecue or hot sauce from scratch? No. Only commercially prepared, shelf-stable sauces can be mixed to make barbecue/hot sauces.”IDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may not be made at homeIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“Sec. 4. A home based vendor shall prepare and sell only a food product that is: (1) made, grown, or raised by an individual at the individual's primary residence, including any permanent structure that is on the same property as the residence; (2) not a time temperature control for safety food;”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what may not be made at homeIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“(b) A homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm may sell the following items primarily derived from a location described in subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) directly to an end consumer: (1) Meat products: (A) raised at the individual's property; and (B) slaughtered, processed, and labeled in compliance with IC 15-17-5.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
What must a home-made label say in Indiana?
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: the home-made labelIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“(6) The following statement in at least 10 point type: "This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE.".”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: the home-made labelIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“Sec. 5. (a) A home based vendor shall include a label for packaged food or a sign for unpackaged food that contains the following information: (1) The name and address of the producer of the food product. (2) The common or usual name of the food product. (3) The ingredients of the food product, in descending order by predominance by weight. (4) The net weight or volume of the food product by standard measure or numerical count. (5) The date on which the food product was processed.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: the home-made labelIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“(6) The following statement in at least 10 point type: "This product was produced by a homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm that is exempt from government licensing and inspection.".”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
Where may I sell food made at home in Indiana?
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: where it may be soldIDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook says:“HBVs must only sell their product directly to the end consumer.”IDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: where it may be soldIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“(4) not resold; (5) sold in person, by telephone, or through the Internet; and (6) delivered to the end consumer in person, by mail, or by a third party carrier.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: where it may be soldIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“Sec. 6. (a) A home based vendor may not ship or deliver a food product to an end consumer who is located outside Indiana. (b) A home based vendor shall do the following: (1) Ship or deliver a food product in a sealed package that allows an end consumer to determine whether the product has been tampered with. (2) Maintain a record of the shipping or delivery address of each end consumer the vendor sells a food product to for at least one (1) year after the date of the sale.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: where it may be soldIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“Sec. 6. (a) The homestead vendor or the owner of a small farm may sell the items described in subsection (b) at: (1) property (as defined in section 3.5 of this chapter); or (2) a farmers market; directly to an end consumer.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
How much may I sell in a year in Indiana?
- Indiana, home-based vendors: a yearly sales ceilingIDOH, Homestead and Small Farm Food Processor Guidance says:“No annual gross income restrictions”IDOH, Homestead and Small Farm Food Processor Guidance · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana, homestead vendors: a yearly sales ceilingIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "homestead vendor" means a person that prepares and sells food products or meat products from: (1) property or at a farmers market; and (2) which the person does not receive more than one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) in gross sales from food products or meat products in a single year.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
What do I do before I start in Indiana?
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what comes before the first saleIndiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) says:“Sec. 7. (a) A home based vendor shall obtain a food handler certificate from a certificate issuer that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. (b) Upon request, a home based vendor shall provide a copy of the food handler certificate required by subsection (a) to the state department or an end consumer. (c) A home based vendor shall provide a copy of the food handler certificate required by subsection (a) to the local health department in the county where the home based vendor's residence is located.”Indiana Code, 2026 edition (IC 16-42-5.3 and 16-42-5.4) · Read Sep 25, 2026
What happens when I outgrow Indiana's home-kitchen rules?
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what applies beyond the home-kitchen rulesIDOH, Homestead and Small Farm Food Processor Guidance says:“If a homestead vendor is found selling beyond the end consumer, 21 CFR 117 applies. Under IC 16-42-1-6 a manufacturer, processor, re-packager, or wholesale distributor of food must register as a wholesale establishment with the Indiana Department of Health and comply with 21 CFR 117.”IDOH, Homestead and Small Farm Food Processor Guidance · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Indiana's Home-Based Vendor rules: what applies beyond the home-kitchen rulesIDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook says:“Foods that are not covered within the scope of the HBV Rule shall be produced by a permitted operator within a Food Establishment inspected by a local health department or the Indiana Department of Health.”IDOH, Indiana Home-Based Vendor Handbook · Read Sep 25, 2026
Beyond a home kitchen, ShelfStep's plan lays out the path a commercial kitchen or a co-packer takes, step by step, for each kind of product.
State registration or license in Indianafree. Indiana registers wholesale food makers and charges nothing. Indiana’s Home-Based Vendor handbook answers no to pickled or acidified foods and no to barbecue or hot sauce made from scratch. Confirm your own product with the Indiana Department of Health before you plan on a home kitchen. Source: Indiana Department of Health; checked Sep 2026
Source to check: FDA food facility registration
- FDA's definition of a food facility21 CFR 1.227 says:“Facility means any establishment, structure, or structures under one ownership at one general physical location, or, in the case of a mobile facility, traveling to multiple locations, that manufactures/processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the United States. ... The private residence of an individual is not a facility.”21 CFR 1.227 · Read Oct 8, 2026
Source to check: Acidified foods under a state's own rules
- A state’s own rules for acidified foods21 CFR 108.25(i) says:“Wherever the Commissioner finds that any State regulates the commercial processing of acidified foods under effective regulations specifying at least the requirements of part 114 of this chapter, the Commissioner shall issue a notice stating that compliance with such State regulations shall constitute compliance with this section, if the State through its regulatory agency or each processor of acidified foods in the State files with the Food and Drug Administration the registration information and the processing information prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.”21 CFR 108.25(i) · Read Sep 20, 2026
Where does the path start, whatever you make in Indiana?
Whatever the product, ShelfStep's standard plan opens with the same six steps, and the third is the one this page is about: where you are allowed to make it. Each step's reason is the app's own.
- 1.
Write the recipe down with exact amounts
Cost, price, nutrition and the label are all worked out from this. Write it in the units you actually use; ShelfStep converts for the label. What matters is that someone else could make the same batch from what is written.
- 2.
Decide how it is kept: on a shelf, in the fridge or frozen
The planned storage helps the reviewer assess the process, shelf life and packaging.
In the plan: It decides which rules you follow.
- 3.
Find out where you are allowed to make it for sale
This finds out whether the state’s rules allow making this in a home kitchen or point to a commercial one — and that changes the cost and the timeline of everything after it. It is much cheaper to find out now than after buying packaging.
In the plan: Your state's home-kitchen rules, in its own words. Whether they cover your product is for your state's agency to say.
- 4.
Have the pH and water activity of a finished batch measured
These measurements give your reviewer information about the batch; they do not establish safety or storage conditions on their own.
In the plan: The two numbers the acidified-food rules name. Measured on the finished product, once it has settled.
- 6.
Look into FDA registration
Registration is how FDA knows your facility exists; the plan is what an inspector or a buyer’s audit asks to see. Both are far easier to do now than during either.
In the plan: Look into registration with FDA. Any filing your Process Authority letter names belongs here too.
How much do other states let a home kitchen sell in a year?
Not every state sets a yearly ceiling on home-kitchen sales, and those that do set very different ones. What the written-up states other than Indiana say, each in its own words:
- California's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingCDPH, Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 says:“January 1, 2026 2024-2025 3.1 $88,878 $177,756”CDPH, Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Colorado's Cottage Foods Act rules: a yearly sales ceilingCDPHE, Cottage Foods Act says:“Net revenue allowance If I produce muffins, does the Act allow me to earn up to $10,000 for each type (blueberry, banana, chocolate chip)? Yes.”CDPHE, Cottage Foods Act · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Connecticut's Cottage Food Operator rules: a yearly sales ceilingDCP, Sales and Doing Business in Connecticut says:“Yes, there is a yearly gross sales limit of $50,000. You must maintain records of all sales.”DCP, Sales and Doing Business in Connecticut · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Florida's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingFlorida Statutes §500.80 says:“(1)(a) A cottage food operation must comply with the applicable requirements of this chapter but is exempt from the permitting requirements of s. 500.12 if the cottage food operation complies with this section and has annual gross sales of cottage food products that do not exceed $250,000. (b) For purposes of this subsection, a cottage food operation’s annual gross sales include all sales of cottage food products at any location, regardless of the types of products sold or the number of persons involved in the operation.”Florida Statutes §500.80 · Read Oct 8, 2026
- Kentucky's Home-Based Processor rules: a yearly sales ceilingKRS 217.015 (Kentucky General Assembly) says:“and who has a gross income of no more than sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) annually from the sale of the products;”KRS 217.015 (Kentucky General Assembly) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Louisiana, the date Act 801 took effect: a yearly sales ceilingLouisiana State Legislature, HB403 (2026 Regular Session) says:“06/08 H Effective date: 08/01/2026. 06/08 H Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 801.”Louisiana State Legislature, HB403 (2026 Regular Session) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Louisiana's Low-Risk Foods (R.S. 40:4.9) rules: a yearly sales ceilingLouisiana State Legislature, House Summary of Senate Amendments, HB 403 (2026 Regular Session) says:“1. Changes gross annual sales limit for producers of low-risk, homemade foods from $30,000 to $100,000. ... Proposed law increases the gross annual sales limit for this exemption from $30,000 to $100,000, after which a producer would no longer qualify for the exemption.”Louisiana State Legislature, House Summary of Senate Amendments, HB 403 (2026 Regular Session) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Maryland's Cottage Food Business rules: a yearly sales ceilingMaryland General Assembly, 2026 Laws of Maryland Chapter 320 (HB 535) says:“(b–1) "Cottage food business" means a business that: ... (3) Has annual revenues from the sale of cottage food products in an amount not exceeding [$50,000] $100,000. ... SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect October 1, 2026.”Maryland General Assembly, 2026 Laws of Maryland Chapter 320 (HB 535) · Read Oct 8, 2026
- Michigan's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingMDARD, Cottage Food: getting started FAQ says:“The limit is currently gross sales up to $50,000 yearly, however, $75,000 is allowable if the cottage food operation sells cottage food products at a price of $250 or more per unit.”MDARD, Cottage Food: getting started FAQ · Read Oct 8, 2026
- Michigan's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingMichigan Compiled Laws 289.4102 says:“(5) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the gross sales of cottage food products by a cottage food operation must not exceed $50,000.00 annually until October 1,2026. ... Beginning October 1, 2026, and by each October 1 thereafter, the department may adjust the gross sales amounts set under this subsection by the amount calculated by multiplying the sales limit in effect during the immediately preceding fiscal year by the inflation adjustment factor and rounding to the nearest whole dollar.”Michigan Compiled Laws 289.4102 · Read Oct 8, 2026
- Minnesota's Cottage Food Exemption rules: a yearly sales ceiling2024 Minnesota Statutes, 28A.152 Cottage Foods Exemption says:“An individual selling exempt foods under this section is limited to total sales with gross receipts of $78,000 or less in a calendar year.”2024 Minnesota Statutes, 28A.152 Cottage Foods Exemption · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Mississippi's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingMSDH, Cottage Food Operation: Frequently Asked Questions says:“You are limited in the amount of sales you can have selling Cottage Foods, which is $35,000 in gross annual sales.”MSDH, Cottage Food Operation: Frequently Asked Questions · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Nevada's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingNRS 580.600 (Nevada Legislature) says:“(a) "Cottage food operation" means a natural person who manufactures or prepares food items in his or her private home or, if allowed by the food safety authority, in the kitchen of a fraternal or social clubhouse, a school or a religious, charitable or other nonprofit organization, for sale to a natural person for consumption and whose gross sales of such food items are not more than $100,000, as adjusted pursuant to subsection 6, per calendar year.”NRS 580.600 (Nevada Legislature) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Nevada's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingNRS 580.600 (Nevada Legislature) says:“Beginning with Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the amount of gross sales of a cottage food operation specified in paragraph (a) of subsection 7 must be adjusted for each fiscal year by the Department by adding to the amount the product of the amount multiplied by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (All Items) published by the United States Department of Labor from July 2025 to the July preceding the fiscal year for which the adjustment is calculated. The Department shall publish the adjusted amount on the Internet website of the Department on or before September 30 of each year.”NRS 580.600 (Nevada Legislature) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- New Jersey's Cottage Food Operator Permit rules: a yearly sales ceilingN.J.A.C. 8:24-11, Cottage Food Operator Rules (NJDOH) says:“(b) The gross annual sales (that is, before deductions of taxes and operating expenses) that a cottage food operator generates from the sale of cottage food products shall not exceed $ 50,000.”N.J.A.C. 8:24-11, Cottage Food Operator Rules (NJDOH) · Read Oct 8, 2026
- Oklahoma's Local Food Freedom Act rules: a yearly sales ceilingODAFF, Food Safety says:“The maximum allowable earnings for a local food business is $250,000 each year in sales.”ODAFF, Food Safety · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Oklahoma, the date the $250,000 limit starts: a yearly sales ceilingOklahoma House of Representatives, news release, 7 May 2026 says:“The measure increases the allowable annual sales cap for local food businesses from $75,000 to $250,000 and clarifies how products can be sold and delivered to consumers. ... The measure takes effect Nov. 1, 2026.”Oklahoma House of Representatives, news release, 7 May 2026 · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Oregon's Cottage Food Exemption rules: a yearly sales ceilingODA, Cottage Food Exemption FAQ (March 2026) says:“In 2026, this means you can sell up to $52,700 of Cottage Foods and up to $50,000 of Processed Farm Direct foods in the calendar year.”ODA, Cottage Food Exemption FAQ (March 2026) · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Rhode Island's Cottage Food Manufacture rules: a yearly sales ceilingR.I. Gen. Laws § 21-27-6.2, Cottage food manufacture (Rhode Island General Assembly) says:“(6) Total annual gross sales for a cottage food operation shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per calendar year. ... The director of health shall request documentation to verify the annual gross sales figure of any cottage food operation.”R.I. Gen. Laws § 21-27-6.2, Cottage food manufacture (Rhode Island General Assembly) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Texas's Cottage Food Production Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingTexas Health and Safety Code §437.001 says:“(B) has an annual gross income of $150,000 or less from the sale of food described by Paragraph (A), as the department annually adjusts for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics or its successor in function;”Texas Health and Safety Code §437.001 · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Vermont's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingVermont Department of Health, Manufactured Food Rule (effective 1/15/2026) says:“6.1.1 The following food manufacturing establishments are exempt from the requirement to obtain a license: ... 6.1.1.2 A cottage food operation, as defined in this rule, that has gross annual sales of $30,000 or less from the sale of cottage food products.”Vermont Department of Health, Manufactured Food Rule (effective 1/15/2026) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Vermont, food processors with sales of $10,000 or less: a yearly sales ceilingVermont Department of Health, Manufactured Food Rule (effective 1/15/2026) says:“6.1.1 The following food manufacturing establishments are exempt from the requirement to obtain a license: : 6.1.1.1 A non-bakery food manufacturing establishment that has gross annual sales of $10,000 or less; and”Vermont Department of Health, Manufactured Food Rule (effective 1/15/2026) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Washington's Cottage Food Operation rules: a yearly sales ceilingRevised Code of Washington, chapter 69.22 says:“the annual gross sales of cottage food products may not exceed $35,000. The determination of the maximum annual gross sales must be computed on the basis of the amount of gross sales within or at a particular domestic residence and may not be computed on a per person basis within or at an individual domestic residence.”Revised Code of Washington, chapter 69.22 · Read Sep 25, 2026
- Wisconsin, home-canned foods: a yearly sales ceilingWis. Stat. § 97.29(2)(b)2., Food processing plants (home-canned foods) says:“c. The person receives less than $5,000 per year from the sale of the food products.”Wis. Stat. § 97.29(2)(b)2., Food processing plants (home-canned foods) · Read Oct 24, 2026
- Wyoming's Wyoming Food Freedom Act rules: a yearly sales ceilingWyoming Statutes § 11-49-102, Definitions says:“"Producer" means any person who grows, harvests, prepares or processes any food or drink products on the person's owned or leased property, does not produce more than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) individual food or drink products annually and does not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) in gross revenue annually from the food and drink products;”Wyoming Statutes § 11-49-102, Definitions · Read Oct 24, 2026
How do I sell a particular product from Indiana?
Each product page below shows which of Indiana's lines name one kind of product, where the state says you may sell it, and the plan's steps to a store shelf.
Hot sauce in IndianaSalsa in IndianaBarbecue sauce in IndianaPickles in IndianaSalad dressing in IndianaPasta sauce in IndianaJam in IndianaPepper jelly in IndianaCookies in IndianaCrackers in IndianaBread in IndianaGranola in IndianaSpice rubs and blends in IndianaCandy in IndianaPopcorn in IndianaDried fruit in IndianaBaking mixes in IndianaPeanut butter in IndianaCold brew coffee in IndianaRoasted coffee beans in IndianaJuice in IndianaKombucha in IndianaHummus and dips in IndianaPesto in IndianaOlive tapenade in IndianaFresh pasta in IndianaBeef jerky in IndianaSausage in IndianaCanned soup in Indiana
What should I read next?
Check the rules for your own product
The rules check runs the same deterministic engine ShelfStep uses inside the app, on your answers, and quotes the sentences each rule rests on, with their links and the day ShelfStep read them. It does not decide which apply. It is free, needs no account and uses no AI. A ShelfStep workspace then keeps your plan, your records and the dates, free for one product.
Something here out of date, or a state we should write up next? Email hello@shelfstep.com.