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Selling food made at home in New Hampshire

Sources last read Oct 24, 2026

What New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Its own page for the Homestead Food Operation:

RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required (NH General Court)

What may I make at home in New Hampshire?

Each sentence below is quoted from New Hampshire's own pages as ShelfStep read them on October 24, 2026, with a link to where it is written.

  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: what may be made at homeRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(a) "Homestead food operation" means a person who produces homestead food products, excluding potentially hazardous food, only in the home kitchen of that person's primary residence in New Hampshire or a food production area in the person's primary residence that has handwashing, equipment and food storage, food contact surfaces, general sanitation, and pet exclusion areas.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: what may be made at homeRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(c) "Homestead food products" means all food except potentially hazardous food, and as defined in rule by the commissioner of the department of health and human services through rulemaking under RSA 143-A:13.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: what may be made at homeRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(2) A homestead food operation may use commercial kitchen equipment so long as the equipment is able to be cleaned and sanitized in the processing area.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026

What may I not make at home in New Hampshire?

  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: what may not be made at homeRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(b) "Potentially hazardous food" means foods requiring temperature control for safety because they are capable of supporting the rapid growth of pathogenic or toxigenic microorganisms, and the growth of toxin production of clostridium botulinum. Potentially hazardous foods also include low acid canned foods.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026

What must a home-made label say in New Hampshire?

  • New Hampshire, homestead food operations without a license: the home-made labelRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(c)(1) Products made by homestead food operations exempt from licensure shall also be clearly labeled with the following statement: "This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection."”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire, licensed homestead food operations: the home-made labelRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(2) Products made by nonexempt homestead food operations shall also be clearly labeled with the following statement: "This product is made in a residential food production area licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services."”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: the home-made labelRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“V. (a) All homestead food products sold in packages from the home or farm stand of a homestead food operation shall have one of the following individual labels on each package containing the following information: (1) Name, physical or e-mail address, and phone number of the homestead food operation; name of the homestead food product; the ingredients of the homestead product, in descending order of predominance by weight; and allergy information.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: the home-made labelRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(2) Name, physical or e-mail address, and phone number of the homestead food operation; name of the homestead food product; allergy information as established in rules; and a QR code or website where the ingredients of the homestead product, in descending order of predominance by weight, are listed and must be accompanied by a physical sign at the display location where the ingredients of the homestead product, in descending order of predominance by weight are listed.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: the home-made labelRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“(b) All homestead food products sold in packages from farmers' markets or to restaurants or other retail food establishments, over the Internet, by mail order, or to wholesalers, brokers, or other food distributors who will resell the homestead product shall have individual labels on each package containing the following information: name, physical or e-mail address, and phone number of the homestead food operation; name of the homestead food product; the ingredients of the homestead product, in descending order of predominance by weight; and allergy information.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026

Where may I sell food made at home in New Hampshire?

  • New Hampshire, homestead food operations without a license: where it may be soldRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“II. Homestead food operations selling food, excluding potentially hazardous food, from the homestead residence, at the owner's own farm stand, at farmers' markets, or at retail food stores are exempt from licensure and departmental inspection under this subdivision, except that the department may inspect when the department has reason to suspect an imminent health hazard as defined in RSA 143-A:3, IV-b.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026

What do I do before I start in New Hampshire?

  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: what comes before the first saleSB 418, Chapter 246 (2026), final version (NH General Court) says:“Neither the governing body of a municipality nor the health officers of a town or city under RSA 47:12 shall make regulations requiring licenses, restrictions, or exclusions for activities or products that are exempt under RSA 143‑A:12 or RSA 143-A:5, VII.”SB 418, Chapter 246 (2026), final version (NH General Court) · Read Oct 24, 2026

What happens when I outgrow New Hampshire's home-kitchen rules?

  • New Hampshire's Homestead Food Operation rules: what applies beyond the home-kitchen rulesRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“III. Homestead food operations that wish to sell food products, excluding potentially hazardous food, to restaurants or other retail food establishments, over the Internet, by mail order, or to wholesalers, brokers, or other food distributors who will resell the homestead product shall be licensed under RSA 143-A:13.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 2026
  • New Hampshire, freeze-dried homestead foods: what applies beyond the home-kitchen rulesRSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required says:“IV. Homestead food operations processing and selling freeze dried foods, from the homestead residence, at the owner's own farm stand, at farmers' markets, or at retail food stores shall be licensed under RSA 143-A:4. For the purposes of this section, freeze dried foods means fruits, vegetables, and commercially prepared dairy products.”RSA 143-A:12, Homestead Food License Required · Read Oct 24, 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.

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 New Hampshire?

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

  5. 5.

    Get a Process Authority's letter on how it is made safe

    Ask a qualified reviewer which process and storage conditions your product needs. This is where you ask someone qualified, a Process Authority, to put in writing how the product is made safe. Buyers, insurers and inspectors may ask for that document, and it cannot be obtained after the fact for product you have already sold.

    In the plan: Needs the pH first. Their letter sets out the process they ask you to hold to, and the storage line for your label.

  6. 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 New Hampshire 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 New Hampshire?

Each product page below shows which of New Hampshire'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 New HampshireSalsa in New HampshireBarbecue sauce in New HampshirePickles in New HampshireSalad dressing in New HampshirePasta sauce in New HampshireJam in New HampshirePepper jelly in New HampshireCookies in New HampshireCrackers in New HampshireBread in New HampshireGranola in New HampshireSpice rubs and blends in New HampshireCandy in New HampshirePopcorn in New HampshireDried fruit in New HampshireBaking mixes in New HampshirePeanut butter in New HampshireCold brew coffee in New HampshireRoasted coffee beans in New HampshireJuice in New HampshireKombucha in New HampshireHummus and dips in New HampshirePesto in New HampshireOlive tapenade in New HampshireFresh pasta in New HampshireBeef jerky in New HampshireSausage in New HampshireCanned soup in New Hampshire

What should I read next?

Can I sell food made in my home kitchen?5 min readDo I need to register with the FDA to sell my food product?4 min readDoes my sauce or salsa need a scheduled process?5 min readWhat does a retail buyer actually ask for?4 min read

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.

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Something here out of date, or a state we should write up next? Email hello@shelfstep.com.