Michigan Cottage Food Law

Created by 2025 PA 51. A cottage food operation may register with the MSU Product Center, which may collect a one-time registration fee of up to $50 and issues a unique registration number (MCL 289.4102(8)). A registered operation prints its name, telephone number, and registration number on the label in place of its name and address, and must include the registration number (MCL 289.4102(3)(a)(ii), (9)). MDARD's sample label shows the number in the format C-000000000. Registration information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act ((10)). It is not a license and does not change what may be made or where it may be sold.

MCL 289.4102(5) sets the $50,000 and $75,000 limits "until October 1, 2026." Beginning October 1, 2026, and by each October 1 after that, MDARD may adjust both amounts by an inflation factor based on the 3-year average July-June Detroit Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest whole dollar; the factor may not be less than 1. The adjustment is discretionary, and the $250 per-unit price is not an adjusted amount. Check the MDARD cottage food page after October 1 each year for the figures in effect.

Under MCL 289.4102(4), as amended by 2025 PA 51, a cottage food product may be sold by internet or mail order, or delivered through a third-party food delivery platform, only if the operation provides an opportunity for the consumer to directly interact with it before the sale. "Directly interact with" includes a face-to-face meeting or a virtual meeting with two-way communication in which participants can see and hear each other. These sales may be made or delivered only to consumers in Michigan. MDARD says a retail market or farm stop may not hold pre-sold cottage food for customer pickup.

What is the revenue cap on Michigan cottage food sales?

Under MCL 289.4102(5), as amended by 2025 PA 51 (effective March 24, 2026), gross sales of cottage food products may not exceed $50,000 a year. If the operation sells cottage food products at a price of $250 or more per unit, the limit is $75,000. This is a higher ceiling, not a second $75,000 allowance added to the $50,000. The statute does not say how the higher limit applies to an operation that sells both lower- and higher-priced items, so a producer with mixed sales between $50,000 and $75,000 should confirm with MDARD before relying on it. Gross sales are counted per person: MDARD says two operators in the same household each get their own limit. Beginning October 1, 2026, MDARD may adjust both limits for inflation.

How does the $250 per-unit price work?

The $75,000 limit applies "if the cottage food operation sells cottage food products at a price of $250.00 or more per unit" (MCL 289.4102(5)). MDARD repeats that wording and does not publish further guidance on counting units. A producer whose products are all priced at $250 or more per unit, such as wedding cakes, falls within the $75,000 limit. Neither the statute nor MDARD explains how the limit applies when only some items reach $250, or whether a unit is a cake, a slice, or an order. Keep sales records that show the price of each unit, and email MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov with your specific product mix before counting on more than $50,000.

Do I need to register with the State of Michigan to sell cottage food?

No. MDARD says there are no application forms, no registration process, and no food license or permit for cottage food operations. The only registration is optional: since 2025 PA 51, an operation may register with the MSU Product Center, which may charge a one-time fee of up to $50 and issues a registration number. A registered operation prints its name, telephone number, and registration number on labels in place of its address. It is not a license.

Can I sell Michigan cottage food online or ship to other states?

Online and mail order, yes, within Michigan and with a condition. Since March 24, 2026, MCL 289.4102(4) allows sales by internet or mail order and delivery through a third-party food delivery platform only if the operation gives the consumer an opportunity to directly interact with it before the sale, through a face-to-face meeting or a two-way virtual meeting. These products may be sold or delivered only to consumers in Michigan. Wholesale, consignment, and sales to restaurants or grocery stores are prohibited. For a sale into another state, MDARD says to check that state's requirements.

Can I make hot sauce, salsa, pickles, or fermented foods under Michigan cottage food?

No. The definition of a cottage food product in MCL 289.1105(1)(k) excludes foods regulated under 21 CFR parts 108, 113, and 114, including salsa; canned low-acid fruits or acidified vegetables; other canned foods except standardized jams, jellies, and preserves; meat and poultry products; milk products; and bottled water and other beverages. MDARD's allowable foods list also excludes pickled and fermented foods, sauces and condiments, salad dressings, fruit butters, and kombucha. Vinegar and flavored vinegar are allowed.

What goes on a Michigan cottage food label?

Under MCL 289.4102(3): the name and address of the cottage food operation (or, if registered with the MSU Product Center, its name, telephone number, and registration number); the product name; ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight; net weight or net volume (MDARD adds the metric equivalent); federal allergen labeling; federal labeling for any nutritional claim; and "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development." in at least the equivalent of 11-point type, in a color that clearly contrasts with the background. Products must be prepackaged and labeled before sale; MDARD lets specialty cakes that cannot be easily packaged carry the label information on an invoice delivered with the cake.

What did 2025 Public Act 51 change?

2025 PA 51 (House Bill 4122) was approved December 23, 2025 and took effect March 24, 2026. It raised the gross sales limit from $25,000 to $50,000, set a $75,000 limit for an operation that sells products priced at $250 or more per unit, let MDARD adjust the limits for inflation beginning October 1, 2026, counted gross sales per person within a residence, allowed internet, mail-order, and third-party delivery-platform sales within Michigan when the consumer can interact with the operation before the sale, and created the optional MSU Product Center registration that allows a registration number and telephone number on labels in place of an address.

Will the $50,000 and $75,000 limits change for inflation?

They may. MCL 289.4102(5) sets the limits "until October 1, 2026" and says that beginning October 1, 2026, and by each October 1 after that, MDARD may adjust them using the 3-year average July-June Detroit Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest whole dollar. The adjustment is not automatic, and the statute adjusts only the gross sales amounts. Check the MDARD cottage food page after October 1 each year for the limits in effect.