Cottage food laws in Tom Green County, TX
Tom Green County is a county in Texas (pop. 119,276). Under Texas's Great-tier cottage food law (sales cap: 150000), home bakers must still clear local zoning and health rules in this county. Registration path: No. Start with Texas Department of State Health Services (state cottage food page linked below), then confirm Tom Green County health and planning requirements. Local notes for Tom Green County: home kitchen allowed; inspection not required; home occupation permit not required. State baseline applied (TX tier Great). Texas cottage food law (SB 541, 2025) raised cap to $150,000. Tom Green County includes San Angelo (pop ~100K). Download the free PDF reports below for a portable summary, and always re-check official sources before you sell.
Tom Green County cottage food reports
Zoning, permits, health department rules, and local sources for Tom Green County.
Download county PDF
Tier: Great
Texas'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 Tom Green County
State baseline: Tex. Health & Safety §437.001 et seq.; $150,000 annual sales cap (2025); no registration; no inspection; direct and limited indirect sales; state preempts local health inspections
- Home kitchen allowed
- Yes
- Restrictions
- Texas state law allows cottage food production from a home kitchen. Health departments cannot inspect cottage food operations. Tom Green County follows state baseline.
- Separate dedicated kitchen
- No
- Pet restrictions
- No specific Texas state requirement; standard food safety practices recommended.
- Water supply
- Potable water required per state food safety standards.
- Handwashing
- Standard food safety practices; no mandatory training or certification for Texas cottage food.
- Food storage
- Shelf-stable non-TCS products stored per food safety standards.
- Inspection required
- No
- Inspection trigger
- Texas law explicitly prohibits health departments from inspecting cottage food operations except to prevent immediate and serious threat to human life or health.
- Home occupation permit
- Varies
- Permit details
- Tom Green County and the city of San Angelo may have home occupation permit requirements under local zoning. No specific county-level cottage food permit details found. Texas state law requires compliance with home-based business rules under §559.955.
- Local business license
- Varies
- On-site customer pickup
- Yes
- On-site signage
- Conditional
- Delivery / pickup
- Texas allows direct sales and limited indirect sales. Online sales and delivery allowed. Products may not be sold at wholesale. $150,000 annual cap as of SB 541 (2025).
- Max employees in home
- No specific state limit; local home occupation rules may apply.
- Relevant code section
- Tex. Health & Safety §437.001 et seq.; Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §559.955
State baseline applied (TX tier Great). Texas cottage food law (SB 541, 2025) raised cap to $150,000. Tom Green County includes San Angelo (pop ~100K).
Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 437 – Regulation of Certain Foods, Subchapter A – Cottage Food Production Operations
Full Texas state report (with PDF download) →Verbatim excerpt(2-b) "Cottage food production operation" means an individual, operating out of the individual's home, or a nonprofit organization that: (A) produces at the individual's home or the home of an individual who is a director or officer of the nonprofit organization, as applicable, any food other than: (i) meat, meat products, poultry, or poultry products; (ii) seafood, including seafood products, fish, fish products, shellfish, and shellfish products; (iii) ice or ice products, including shaved ice, ice cream, frozen custard, popsicles, and gelato; (iv) low-acid canned goods; (v) products containing cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol; or (vi) raw milk and raw milk products; (B) has an annual gross income of $150,000 or less from the sale of food described by Paragraph (A), as the department annually adjusts for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U); (C) sells the foods produced under Paragraph (A) directly to consumers or to a cottage food vendor; and (D) delivers products to the consumer or cottage food vendor at the point of sale or another location designated by the consumer or cottage food vendor.
Source: capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00541F.htm →
Tom Green County cottage food — FAQ
Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Tom Green County, Texas?
Home occupation permit: Varies. Tom Green County and the city of San Angelo may have home occupation permit requirements under local zoning. No specific county-level cottage food permit details found. Texas state law requires compliance with home-based business rules under §559.955. State cottage food registration may also apply — check the Texas guide at https://crosodo.com/states/texas.
Is a health inspection required for home bakers in Tom Green County?
Inspection: No. Trigger: Texas law explicitly prohibits health departments from inspecting cottage food operations except to prevent immediate and serious threat to human life or health.. Non-TCS baked goods are often exempt from kitchen inspection under state cottage food law, but local rules can differ.
What foods can I sell under Texas cottage food law in Tom Green County?
Almost all non-TCS (non-temperature-controlled) foods are allowed, including baked goods, candy, jams and jellies, pickles, dried herbs and spices, roasted coffee, granola, vinegar, acidified foods, fermented vegetable products, dried meats, and any food that is not a time-and-temperature control for safety food. Nonprofits may also operate under the cottage food framework as of SB 541 (2025). County zoning does not expand the state product list — if a food is banned by Texas, it stays banned. Verify with the state agency before selling.
What is the sales cap for cottage food in Texas?
Texas state law lists cottage food sales at 150000. There is typically no separate county sales cap, but local permits or zoning can still limit operations.
Do I need a home occupation permit in Tom Green County?
Home occupation permit: Varies. Tom Green County and the city of San Angelo may have home occupation permit requirements under local zoning. No specific county-level cottage food permit details found. Texas state law requires compliance with home-based business rules under §559.955.
Where to verify Tom Green County rules
Tom Green County vs. bordering counties
| Regulation | Tom Green County This county | Coke County | Concho County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home kitchen allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Separate dedicated kitchen | No | No | No |
| Pets allowed | No specific Texas state requirement; standard food safety practices recommended. | No specific pet restriction in state cottage food law. | No specific pet restriction in state cottage food law. |
| Inspection required | No | No | No |
| On-site customer pickup | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-site signage | Conditional | Yes | Yes |
| Delivery / pickup | Texas allows direct sales and limited indirect sales. Online sales and delivery allowed. Products may not be sold at wholesale. $150,000 an… | All channels permitted including direct to consumer, indirect sales, farmers markets, online, delivery, and through a registered cottage fo… | All channels permitted including direct to consumer, indirect sales, farmers markets, online, delivery, and through a registered cottage fo… |
| Home occupation permit | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Local business license | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Restrictions | Texas state law allows cottage food production from a home kitchen. Health departments cannot inspect cottage food operations. Tom Green Co… | Texas cottage food law (SB 541, 2025) is highly permissive. No registration required for most operators (registration optional for address … | Texas cottage food law (SB 541, 2025) is highly permissive. No registration required for most operators (registration optional for address … |
| Food storage | Shelf-stable non-TCS products stored per food safety standards. | Non-TCS foods or TCS foods held at proper temperatures required. No refrigeration mandate for shelf-stable products. | Non-TCS foods or TCS foods held at proper temperatures required. No refrigeration mandate for shelf-stable products. |
| Population | 119,276 | 3,305 | 3,235 |
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