How to label cottage food in Georgia (2026 guide)

If you sell baked goods from your home in Georgia, every item you sell has to be labeled correctly. Georgia's cottage food law — O.C.G.A. §26-2-470 et seq. (eff. July 2025); prior: GA R&R 40-7-19 — is a workable but more limited law, but the labeling rules are specific, and getting them wrong means you lose the protection the law gives you.

This guide walks through exactly what goes on a Georgia cottage food label, gives you a copy-paste template, and covers the edge cases that trip people up. It mirrors our most popular label walkthrough — how to label cottage food in Texas — adapted to Georgia's rules.

Not legal advice. We're a small apparel brand that cares about home bakers. For anything serious, read the law directly or call Georgia Department of Agriculture.

What every label must include

Per Georgia's cottage food labeling rules, every product label must include:

1. Your business name and home address — or a state-issued ID / registration / permit number in place of your address (most home bakers use the ID to keep their home address off every package).
2. Allergen disclosure for any of the 9 federal major allergens present.
3. The state's required disclaimer statement, verbatim (exact wording below).

What Georgia law actually says

Labels must include the business name, address or GDA-issued identification number, phone number, and the statement 'This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.' in at least 10-point type. Operators may obtain a GDA identifier in lieu of a home address.

The 9 federal major allergens you must disclose

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Tree nuts
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soy
• Sesame (added federally in 2023 — frequently missed)

You don't have to list every ingredient in most states, but you must explicitly name any of these allergens that are present. “May contain” hedging isn't a substitute — if it's in there, name it. Sesame became the 9th federal major allergen in 2023 and is the one most older label templates miss.

The required disclaimer

Georgia requires this statement, word for word, on the label: It must appear in at least 10-point type.

This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.

Copy-paste label template

Print it on a sticker, put it on the bag. Adjust the ingredient and allergen lines for each product.

Common labeling mistakes to avoid

1. Forgetting sesame as a major allergen (added federally in 2023 — many older templates list only 8).
2. Using “may contain” when the product actually contains the allergen. Name it if it's present.
3. Leaving off the required disclaimer because you printed small business-card-style labels. The disclaimer is non-negotiable.
4. Handing out unlabeled samples. If you're giving a free taste at a market, the rules still apply.
5. Using a P.O. Box where Georgia requires a physical address (or use your state-issued ID number instead where allowed).

Quick checklist before you print

• Product common name (not just a brand name)
• Business name on label
• Address or state ID number on label
• All 9 major allergens disclosed if present (including sesame)
• Required disclaimer statement, verbatim
• Disclaimer in at least 10-point type
• Packaging prevents contamination

Official sources

• Georgia Department of Agriculture
• Statute: O.C.G.A. §26-2-470 et seq. (eff. July 2025); prior: GA R&R 40-7-19
• State extension guidance
• Forrager — Georgia
• Crosodo Georgia state guide

For the full breakdown of Georgia's rules — sales cap, registration, county zoning — see the Crosodo Georgia state guide. If your Georgia county is missing from our directory, tell us and we'll add it next.