Ohio Cottage Food Law
Tier: Good. Solid baseline with moderate restrictions — typically a high cap (often $50K+) and standard direct-to-consumer rules. Workable for most home bakers.
None
Approved cottage food products (per Ohio Admin. Code 901:3-20-04) include non-potentially hazardous bakery products, candy (not dipped fresh fruit), flavored honey, fruit butters, granola/granola bars, maple sugar, popcorn and related products, unfilled baked donuts, waffle cones, pizzelles, dry cereal and nut snack mixes, roasted coffee beans, dry baking mixes in a jar, dry herbs, and spice mixes with commercially dried ingredients.
Registration: No. Food handler cert: No.
Ohio Revised Code §3715.023 (Labels for cottage food production operation); §3715.025 (Restrictions on cottage food production operation); Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 (Cottage Food Production)
Verbatim excerptSection 3715.025 | Restrictions on cottage food production operation. (A) A cottage food production operation shall not process acidified foods, low acid canned foods, or potentially hazardous foods. (B) The director of agriculture shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code specifying the food items a cottage food production operation may produce that are in addition to the food items identified by name in division (A)(19) of section 3715.01 of the Revised Code. The director shall not adopt rules that permit a cottage food production operation to produce any food that is a potentially hazardous food. Section 3715.023 | Labels for cottage food production operation, processor, or beekeeper. (A) A cottage food production operation...shall label each of their food products and include the following information on the label: (1) The name and address of the business; (2) The name of the food product; (3) The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight; (4) The net weight and volume of the food product; (5) In the case of a cottage food production operation, the following statement in ten-point type: 'This product is home produced.'
Source: codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3715.025 →
Ohio Cottage Food Law — Full PDF report
A comprehensive report covering the Ohio statute, every county we've researched, and authoritative source URLs.
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Ohio Cottage Food Law — Official Guidance Summary
Official agency guidance changes without notice. The text below is reproduced for reference only — always confirm current rules on the agency website before relying on it.
- Ohio Department of Agriculturehttps://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/food-safety/cottage-foods
Ohio's cottage food rules are set by O.R.C. §3715.023; §3715.025; Ohio Admin. Code Ch. 901:3-20. The summary below is drawn from Crosodo's verified statute research and official agency guidance. Always confirm current requirements on the state agency website before you sell.
Program basics
- Ohio Revised Code §3715.023 (Labels for cottage food production operation); §3715.025 (Restrictions on cottage food production operation); Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 (Cottage Food Production)
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- No
- No
- No
Allowed products and sales channels
- Approved cottage food products (per Ohio Admin.
- Code 901:3-20-04) include non-potentially hazardous bakery products, candy (not dipped fresh fruit), flavored honey, fruit butters, granola/granola bars, maple sugar, popcorn and related products, unfilled baked donuts, waffle cones, pizzelles, dry cereal and nut snack mixes, roasted coffee beans, dry baking mixes in a jar, dry herbs, and spice mixes with commercially dried ingredients.
- Acidified foods, low-acid canned foods, and potentially hazardous foods are expressly prohibited. Cottage food products may not be sold outside Ohio, may not be packed using reduced oxygen packaging, and may not include fresh-fruit-dipped candies.
- Food items not expressly listed in the approved product list (OAC 901:3-20-04) are also prohibited.
- Labeled cottage food products may be sold to or used by retail food establishments and food service operations licensed under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3717. This enables indirect/wholesale sales within Ohio. Products may not be sold outside the state of Ohio.
Labeling
- Labels must include: business name and address, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight and volume, and the statement 'This product is home produced.' in 10-point type. Labels must also comply with 21 CFR Part 101 federal labeling requirements (per OAC 901:3-20-02).
Statute excerpt
- Section 3715.025 | Restrictions on cottage food production operation. (A) A cottage food production operation shall not process acidified foods, low acid canned foods, or potentially hazardous foods. (B) The director of agriculture shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code specifying the food items a cottage food production operation may produce that are in addition to the food items identified by name in division (A)(19) of section 3715.01 of the Revised Code.
- The director shall not adopt rules that permit a cottage food production operation to produce any food that is a potentially hazardous food. Section 3715.023 | Labels for cottage food production operation, processor, or beekeeper.
- (A) A cottage food production operation...shall label each of their food products and include the following information on the label: (1) The name and address of the business; (2) The name of the food product; (3) The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight; (4) The net weight and volume of the food product; (5) In the case of a cottage food production operation, the following statement in ten-point type: 'This product is home produced.'
Official sources
- State agency cottage food page: https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/food-safety/cottage-foods
- Statute: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3715.025
Summarized from official Ohio cottage food statute research and agency guidance. Agency rules change — verify on the official site before relying on this information.
Ohio Counties
88 counties tracked. Pick yours for the local zoning + health department links.
View all 88 counties →City zoning rules in Ohio
City zoning rules apply on top of the state cottage food law — home occupation, customer pickup, signage, and employees.
The Cottage Baker's Field Guide (PDF)
A 6-page reference covering all 51 jurisdictions with methodology and tier explainers — same data as this directory, ready to print and tape to your wall.
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Ohio cottage food law — FAQ
Do I need a license or permit to sell homemade food in Ohio?
Yes — No. Food handler certification: No.
What foods can I sell under the Ohio cottage food law?
Approved cottage food products (per Ohio Admin. Code 901:3-20-04) include non-potentially hazardous bakery products, candy (not dipped fresh fruit), flavored honey, fruit butters, granola/granola bars, maple sugar, popcorn and related products, unfilled baked donuts, waffle cones, pizzelles, dry cereal and nut snack mixes, roasted coffee beans, dry baking mixes in a jar, dry herbs, and spice mixes with commercially dried ingredients.
Is there a sales cap for cottage food in Ohio?
None
How good is Ohio's cottage food law?
Ohio is a Good-tier cottage food state by Crosodo's rating criteria. Solid baseline with moderate restrictions — typically a high cap (often $50K+) and standard direct-to-consumer rules. Workable for most home bakers.
Cottage food laws are amended every year. This is a starting reference, not legal advice. Verify with Ohio Department of Agriculture and your local health department before relying on this data.