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 Blog entries are recipe and craft notes from working cottage bakers. Recipes assume working with an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — see our state directory for legal details.