Monroe County cottage food law.
Monroe County is a county in Illinois (pop. 34,905). Illinois's Great-tier law gives home bakers a high or unlimited sales cap and multiple sales channels; Monroe County adds its own permit, inspection, and zoning requirements on top. Monroe County Health Department website confirms registration with local health dept required (Application for Cottage Industry Registration), CFPM cert required, products sold at farmers markets with gross annual sales cap historically noted as $25,000 (pre-2022 amendment language); current state law 410 ILCS 625/4 removed sales caps after 2022 PA 102-0633. State preemption applies; local zoning may regulate signage, parking, and customer counts but cannot prohibit compliant cottage food operations. Source: monroecountyhealth.org (cottage food act page, content may reflect pre-2022 amendment language). Defaulting to state baseline per 2022+ law. Use the links below to check current requirements before you bake.
Monroe County cottage food reports
Full statute, all counties in Illinois, and authoritative source URLs.
State PDF
Zoning, permits, health department rules, and local sources for Monroe County.
County PDFTier: Great
Illinois's cottage food law is permissive (Great tier) — high or no sales cap, broad product list, and multiple sales channels allowed. The state baseline is workable for full-time operations; the county still controls zoning and inspection.
View state law →Health department
Many states delegate cottage food registration and inspection to the county health department. Contact theirs for the local process.
Home occupation rules
The county or city zoning code governs whether you can run a home-based food business — customer visits, signage, employees, floor area.
Home kitchen, inspection, and zoning rules for Monroe County
Monroe County Health Department website confirms registration with local health dept required (Application for Cottage Industry Registration), CFPM cert required, products sold at farmers markets with gross annual sales cap historically noted as $25,000 (pre-2022 amendment language); current state law 410 ILCS 625/4 removed sales caps after 2022 PA 102-0633. State preemption applies; local zoning may regulate signage, parking, and customer counts but cannot prohibit compliant cottage food operations. Source: monroecountyhealth.org (cottage food act page, content may reflect pre-2022 amendment language). Defaulting to state baseline per 2022+ law.
Illinois Compiled Statutes 410 ILCS 625/4, Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, Section 4 (Cottage food operation); as amended by Public Act 102-0633 (SB 2007, eff. January 2022) and Public Act 103-0903 (SB 2617, eff. January 2025)
Full Illinois state report (with PDF download) →Verbatim excerpt(410 ILCS 625/4) Sec. 4. Cottage food operation. (a) For the purpose of this Section: 'Cottage food operation' means an operation conducted by a person who produces or packages food or drink, other than foods and drinks listed as prohibited in paragraph (1.5) of subsection (b) of this Section, in a kitchen located in that person's primary domestic residence or another appropriately designed and equipped kitchen on a farm residential or commercial-style kitchen on that property for direct sale by the owner, a family member, or employee. (b) A cottage food operation may produce homemade food and drink provided that all of the following conditions are met: (1.3) A cottage food operation must register with the local health department for the unit of local government in which it is located, but may sell products outside of the unit of local government where the cottage food operation is located. (1.5) A cottage food operation shall not sell or offer to sell the following food items: (A) meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or shellfish; (B) dairy, except as an ingredient in a non-potentially hazardous baked good or candy; (C) eggs, except as an ingredient in a non-potentially hazardous food; (D) pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies, cheesecakes, custard pies, creme pies, and pastries with potentially hazardous fillings or toppings; (E) garlic in oil or oil infused with garlic, except if acidified; (F) low-acid canned foods; (G) sprouts; (H) cut leafy greens, except dehydrated, acidified, or blanched and frozen; (M) alcoholic beverages; or (N) kombucha.
Source: ilga.gov/Documents/Legislation/PublicActs/102/PDF/102-0633.pdf →
Monroe County cottage food — FAQ
What is the Illinois cottage food sales cap?
Illinois state law caps cottage food sales at None. County rules may add permits or zoning limits on top.
Where to verify Monroe County rules
Compare neighboring counties
Other Illinois counties
Monroe County vs. bordering counties
| Regulation | Monroe County This county | Randolph County | St. Clair County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home kitchen allowed | — | — | Yes |
| Separate dedicated kitchen | — | — | No |
| Pets allowed | — | — | Not specified in state statute; sanitary production required |
| Inspection required | — | — | Upon-complaint |
| On-site customer pickup | — | — | Yes |
| On-site signage | — | — | Conditional |
| Delivery / pickup | — | — | Direct in-state sales only; online sales allowed but non-perishable items shipped within Illinois only. Farmers markets, events, home picku… |
| Home occupation permit | — | — | Conditional |
| Local business license | — | — | Varies |
| Restrictions | — | — | Prohibited-list approach — almost anything not on prohibited list allowed. Food Safety Manager certification (CFPM-level) required. Registr… |
| Food storage | — | — | Broad — most non-TCS foods allowed; acidified and fermented foods require additional documentation |
| Population | 34,905 | 30,413 | 256,791 |
Cottage food law and municipal zoning interact in non-obvious ways. Before investing in equipment or marketing, talk to Illinois's department of agriculture, your local health department, and your county or city's planning office. Crosodo is a clothing brand for cottage bakers, not a law firm.