Can I sell honey from home? A 50-state guide.
Honey under US cottage food law: 45 states allow it outright, 6 allow it with conditions, 0 prohibit it. Full national breakdown with statute links and the food-safety reasoning behind each verdict.
Every cottage food question comes down to two things: what's your state's tier, and does the food you want to sell fit inside it. Honey is a good example because even though nearly every state permits it, the labeling, cap, and sales-channel rules still vary in ways that catch new bakers off guard.
honey is sellable in every US jurisdiction we track — outright in 45 states and conditionally in the other 6 (usually with a pH, water-activity, or process requirement).
Why the law treats it this way
Low water activity (aw < 0.85) or high sugar concentration (> 65% by weight) prevents microbial growth. Honey, chocolate, roasted nuts, and dry mixes are inherently self-preserving. No refrigeration or pH control needed.
What can go wrong in a home kitchen
Moisture ingress if poorly packaged (mold on granola, staleness). Cross-contamination in a home kitchen shared with fresh produce. Allergen labeling for tree nuts / peanuts / soy.
Where honey is a straightforward yes
45 jurisdictions allow honey outright: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, and 35 others. In each of these states you can sell direct-to-consumer without a scheduled process, acidified-foods license, or commercial-kitchen requirement — just the standard cottage food label and (in most states) a sales cap.
Where honey is conditional
6 of 51 jurisdictions treat honey as conditional — usually because the food needs a pH test, a scheduled process, a water-activity check, or acidified-foods training before you can sell it under the cottage food exemption. A few examples:
- Wisconsin
- Wisconsin DATCP allows sales of honey from your own hives with minimal processing (straining only) as a small-scale exemption; more processing, blending, or higher volumes require a food processing plant license.
- New Jersey
- New Jersey Department of Health's approved cottage food list covers processed honey products only. Raw unprocessed honey is regulated separately under state apiary rules and is not a cottage food.
- Georgia
- Georgia Department of Agriculture's Cottage Food FAQ states honey is NOT sold under the cottage food license — honey producers register separately under Georgia's honey/apiary rules.
- Maine
- Maine requires a Home Food Manufacturer license ($20/year) for honey sold beyond a small direct-farm exemption. Honey is not covered by Maine's Home Food Sovereignty Act by default.
- Maryland
- Maryland cottage food regulations only allow 'unflavored honey.' Flavored, infused, or creamed honey products are excluded and require a commercial food processor license.
The full breakdown for all 6 conditional states is in the state-by-state table — every state's note is different.
What to do next
- Check your state's tier. State cottage food law is the floor; find your state on the state directory and confirm the tier plus the sales cap.
- Read your specific verdict. The honey state-by-state table tells you exactly what your state allows and links to the statute.
- Verify with your local health department. Even in states that allow honey outright, county zoning and city home-occupation rules can add a permit or restriction. State law rarely preempts local zoning.
- Label correctly. Every cottage food state requires a labeled product: business name, address, ingredient list, allergen disclosure, and a "made in a home kitchen" disclaimer. Exact wording varies — see our state labeling breakdown for your state.
- Stay under the cap. Most states cap annual gross sales under the cottage food exemption. Track revenue from day one; graduating to a licensed kitchen is a real cost and a real transition, not something to trip into.
Crosodo Journal entries are recipe, craft, and cottage-food notes for home bakers. Recipes assume an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — start with the free state directory, check a product with Can I sell this?, or grab a label template. Not legal advice.
