Business8 min read·Vol. 0

Selling cottage food in Michigan (2026 guide)

A plain-English walkthrough of Michigan's cottage food rules — who needs to register, what you can sell, the labeling requirements, and how the sales cap actually works. Includes the official statute, the state department links, and a county-level companion guide.

If you bake out of your home in Michigan, the rules you live by are set by the state's cottage food law — currently Michigan Compiled Laws §289.4102 - Cottage Food Operation; Exemption from Licensing and Evaluation Provisions; Requirements (Michigan Food Law, Act 92 of 2000). It's a Great-tier law on the Crosodo scale: permissive — a high or no sales cap, broad product list, and multiple sales channels. This post is the plain-English version. The full breakdown — every county-specific zoning rule, the registration link, the latest verified statute citation — lives on the Crosodo Michigan state guide and the downloadable Michigan PDF report.

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

The quick facts

Cottage food tier: Great
Annual sales cap: $50,000 per year
Registration required: No
Kitchen inspection: No
Food handler certification: No
Indirect sales (retail/online): No — direct-to-consumer only.
Statute: MCL §289.4102

What you can sell

Non-potentially hazardous foods produced in a home kitchen, including baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, donuts, macarons), candies (chocolate, fudge, brittles, truffles), condiments (honey, nut butters, syrups, vinegars), dry goods (cereals, coffee, dried fruit/vegetables, herbs, pasta, spices, tea), pastries, preserves (jams, jellies, marmalades), and snacks (granola, popcorn, chocolate-covered items, fruit leathers, vegetable chips).

What's specifically excluded

Perishable baked goods, acidified foods, low-acid canned foods, fruit butters, pickles, fermented foods, salsas, sauces, ketchup, mustards, candied apples, confections with alcohol, meat jerkies, juices, carbonated drinks, kombucha, and pet food. Only two specified buttercream frosting recipes are permitted. Sales by consignment or wholesale are prohibited.

Where you can sell

Michigan is a direct-to-consumer state under cottage food. That means farmers markets, home pickup, delivery you do yourself, roadside stands, and similar in-person channels. Selling through a grocery store, restaurant, or third-party retailer is not covered by the cottage food law — that's a commercial license question. See cottage food vs commercial kitchen for the move-up decision.

Labeling requirements

Labels must include: business name and address (or name, phone, and registration number); product name; ingredients in descending order by weight; net weight or volume; allergen information per federal requirements; nutritional information if any claim is made; and the statement in at least 11-point font: 'Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan department of agriculture and rural development.' An optional registration number (from MSU Product Center, one-time fee up to $50) may replace the home address.

Texas has the most detailed plain-English label walkthrough we've published — the structure translates well to most other states. See how to label cottage food in Texas for a copy-paste template you can adapt for Michigan.

Common questions

Do I need to register before I start?

No — Michigan does not require home bakers to register before selling cottage food. That said, you should still keep clean records, follow the labeling rules, and check whether your county or city imposes its own home-occupation permit or business license. County-level details for Michigan are on the Crosodo Michigan state guide.

Do I need a food handler certification?

No — Michigan does not require a state-level food handler certification for cottage food. Many bakers take ServSafe Food Handler anyway (it's about $15 and takes 90 minutes); it's good practice and useful if a farmers market manager ever asks.

Is my home kitchen inspected?

No — Michigan does not require routine home kitchen inspections for cottage food. That's the whole point of the law: your kitchen isn't a regulated facility.

What's the sales cap?

$50,000 per year. Caps are gross sales, not profit. When you start approaching the cap, that's the signal to read cottage food vs commercial kitchen — it walks through the move-up math.

If you're just starting out

Read your statute. MCL §289.4102 It's shorter than you think.
Check your county. State law is the floor; your county can add zoning rules on top. The Crosodo Michigan state guide lists the top counties with their specific requirements.
Pick what you'll bake. The top selling sourdough loaves and beyond bread (cookies, buns, scones) posts cover what tends to actually sell at farmers markets.
Price it right. The cottage baker pricing post walks through unit economics — most new bakers underprice by 30%.
Label it correctly. Adapt the Texas label template to Michigan's required disclaimer language.
Set up your back office. The cottage baker software stack post covers what we use day-to-day.

Official sources

If your county is missing from our Michigan directory, tell us and we'll add it next. And if you want one of our sourdough varsity shirts while you proof your starter, the shop is here.

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.