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Cottage Food Label Requirements in Georgia (2026)

Selling homemade food in Georgia means your label has to follow the Georgia Cottage Food Operation. Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and the verbatim disclaimer and its font size — sourced to the statute and dated.

In brief — Georgia

Required disclaimer: “MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS”
Minimum font size: 10-point minimum
Permit number on label: No
Sales cap: No cap
Program: Georgia Cottage Food Operation
Last verified: 2026-06-15

What must be on a Georgia cottage food label

Product name — the common name of the food
Your business / producer name
The address of the cottage food operation
A complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included)
An allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line
Net weight, in US customary and metric units
The state's required disclaimer at a minimum of 10-point type (see below)

The disclaimer Georgia requires

Print this statement on the label, word for word:

“MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS”

Statement in UPPERCASE, set in Times New Roman or Arial, at least 10-point, in a color contrasting with the background. Handwritten labels are allowed if legible, in permanent ink, at an equivalent size. Since HB 398 (July 1, 2025) no state registration or license is required; an optional state ID number may replace the address. ANAB-accredited food-handler training is still required.

Cottage food rules in Georgia — the whole program

Who can sell homemade food in Georgia

Georgia's cottage food programme was rewritten by House Bill 398, signed by Governor Brian Kemp on May 13, 2025 and effective July 1, 2025, which added a new Article 19 to Chapter 2 of Title 26 (O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 through 26-2-478). A 'cottage food operator' is a person who produces cottage food items at a residential property for sale to consumers or to sellers under the article; a 'cottage food item' is a non-potentially hazardous food or nonalcoholic beverage intended for human consumption that is produced and, if packaged, packaged at the residential property of the producer. 'Produce' is defined broadly as preparing a food item by cooking, baking, drying, mixing, cutting, dehydrating, growing, raising, or other process, and 'home kitchen' means a kitchen primarily intended for use by the residents of a home. Since July 1, 2025 there is no state cottage food licence, no state licensing fee, no state application and no pre-operational inspection of the kitchen: the Georgia Department of Agriculture states plainly that cottage food operators no longer need to obtain a licence from the Department or pay a licensing fee to the state. It is unlawful to operate as a cottage food operator not in compliance with the article (O.C.G.A. 26-2-471(a)), so the obligations that remain are the product limits, the consumer disclosure and label, and the third-party display rules rather than a permit. The article does not apply at all to a person who sells non-potentially hazardous foods at a bake sale affiliated with a nonprofit, charitable, or religious organization (O.C.G.A. 26-2-471(b)). Cottage food operators are expressly carved out of the definitions of 'food sales establishment' (O.C.G.A. 26-2-21(a)(5)(F)), 'meat, poultry, or dairy processing plant' (O.C.G.A. 26-2-200(3)) and 'food service establishment' (O.C.G.A. 26-2-370(2)(G)), which is what removes them from the licensed-establishment system.

What you may and may not sell

Allowed:

Baked goods such as loaf breads, rolls, biscuits and cakes, except those whose fillings require refrigeration or have high moisture content
Jams, jellies and preserves
Uncut fruits and vegetables
Dried fruits
Dry herbs, seasonings and mixtures
Cereals, trail mixes and granola
Coated and uncoated nuts
Vinegars and flavored vinegars
Dill pickles
Confections
Fudge
Dry soup mixes
Roasted coffee beans
Dry pasta
Popcorn, popcorn balls and cotton candy
Non-alcoholic beverages that are non-potentially hazardous (the statutory definition of a cottage food item covers a non-potentially hazardous food or nonalcoholic beverage)
Any other food that meets the statutory test of a non-potentially hazardous food: the list in O.C.G.A. 26-2-470(7) is expressly 'includes, but is not limited to'

Not allowed under the program:

Potentially hazardous foods, meaning items requiring temperature control for safety because they can support rapid growth of pathogenic or toxigenic microorganisms or the growth and toxin production of Clostridium botulinum (O.C.G.A. 26-2-470(8))
Alcoholic beverages
Foods containing cannabis
Raw milk
Cakes and baked goods whose fillings require refrigeration
Baked goods with high moisture content (the statute excludes them from the non-potentially hazardous list)
Fruit butters when their commercial sterility may be affected by reduced sugar or pectin levels
Any food item whose sale is barred by federal law, including federal law prohibiting the sale of certain food items in interstate commerce, which the article does not waive (O.C.G.A. 26-2-477(1))
Any food item whose production or sale would breach fishing or hunting law, which the article also does not waive (O.C.G.A. 26-2-477(6))
Products that are not food for humans, such as pet food and pet treats, which the Department directs to its Agricultural Inputs feed licence instead of the cottage food programme

How much you may sell

No cap. O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 through 26-2-478, as enacted by HB 398, contains no annual sales limit, no revenue limit and no unit limit, and the Department's cottage food FAQ states that it does not have any limits on gross sales or on the number of units that can be produced.

Where you may sell

Direct to consumers, including online and by mail order (O.C.G.A. 26-2-470(4) and 26-2-472)
To retail food sales establishments, including grocery stores and restaurants; food produced by a compliant cottage food production operation counts as coming from an approved source for those establishments (O.C.G.A. 26-2-472)
Through third-party vendors, defined as a retail store, grocery store, restaurant or other similar store, subject to the separate-display rule below
A retail food sales establishment that sells cottage food products must post signage, to Department specifications, indicating that cottage food products are not subject to commercial food regulations or inspection
Where a third-party vendor sells the item, it must be displayed in a separate section of the store or a separate display case from non-cottage food items, and that section or case must be conspicuously labelled as containing cottage food items exempt from state inspection (O.C.G.A. 26-2-473(d))
Commercial delivery companies may deliver cottage food items; no county or municipality may prohibit them from doing so (O.C.G.A. 36-60-33)
Farmers markets and similar venues are open in principle, but the market operator or the venue may impose its own conditions
Sales into another state are not exempted from that state's law or from federal interstate commerce restrictions (O.C.G.A. 26-2-477(1) and (7))

Permit, registration and fees

Georgia requires no state permit or registration for a cottage food operation.

No state licence, registration or application is required to start: since July 1, 2025 the Department no longer issues cottage food licences and charges no state licensing fee
Produce the items at a residential property, and package them there if they are packaged, keeping to non-potentially hazardous foods only
Give consumers the business name, address and telephone number of the cottage food operator; an operator who prefers not to publish a home address may instead request an identification number from the Department in writing, using the Identification Number Registration Form on the Department's cottage food page, and use that number in place of the address
Carry the statutory statement in at least 10 point font: 'This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.'
Place that information on a label affixed to the package; or on a label on the bulk container; or on a placard at the point of sale where the item is neither packaged nor sold from a bulk container; or on the web page where the item is offered for sale online (O.C.G.A. 26-2-473(b))
For telephone or custom orders, the seller may skip the display but must disclose to the consumer that the item is produced at a residential property exempt from state inspection and may contain allergens, and must keep the full information readily available and give it on request
If selling through a grocery store, restaurant or other third-party vendor, arrange with the vendor for the separate, conspicuously labelled section or display case required by O.C.G.A. 26-2-473(d)
Check with the city or county: a local governing authority may adopt an ordinance prohibiting sales through third-party vendors in its jurisdiction, and ordinary local business licensing and zoning rules still apply

Fee: None to the state. The former $100.00 annual Cottage Food Licence fee set by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.04(2), with a 50% reduction for new applicants registering after June 30, was ended in practice by HB 398: the Department states that cottage food operators no longer need to obtain a licence or pay a licensing fee to the state. Requesting an identification number in place of a home address is a written request to the Department, and no fee for it is stated in the statute or on the Department's cottage food page.

Renewal: None. There is no state licence to renew and no annual state registration in O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 through 26-2-478. The former requirement that registration be completed annually by calendar year came from Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.04(2), the licensing rule that HB 398 superseded.

Food safety training

The statute enacted by HB 398 sets no food safety training requirement: nothing in O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 through 26-2-478 mentions a course, a certificate or an accreditation. The obligation came from the old licensing rule, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.03(4), which required the applicant to have attended and passed a Food Safety training class accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and to attach the certificate to a registration form that no longer exists. The Department's cottage food web page still tells operators to complete an ANSI-accredited food safety training programme, noting that a Food Handler certification satisfies it and that Certified Food Manager training is also acceptable, and it links the ANSI directory of accredited programmes. Taking an ANSI-accredited food handler course is therefore the safe course of action, and it is inexpensive, but whether it is still enforceable as a legal condition is genuinely open while the rules are being rewritten.

Inspection

There is no routine inspection and no pre-operational kitchen inspection. The Department confirms that, with no licensing requirement, it no longer conducts pre-licensing inspections at a cottage food operator's residence. What remains is complaint-driven: under O.C.G.A. 26-2-476 the Department may inspect the residence of a cottage food operator to investigate a consumer complaint, a report of foodborne illness, or other public health emergency; the inspection is limited to the areas of the residence used by the cottage food operator; and, except in emergency situations, the Department must schedule the inspection with the operator in advance. The operator may request an administrative warrant before an inspection. Nothing in the article prevents the Department from investigating a reported foodborne illness (O.C.G.A. 26-2-474). Enforcement is graduated: a person who wilfully fails to comply with the article or with a rule adopted under it is given a written warning, and on a second or subsequent violation is assessed a civil penalty of not more than $75.00 per violation (O.C.G.A. 26-2-475). The Commissioner of Agriculture is authorised to enforce the article and to adopt the rules needed to do so.

What your city or county may add

HB 398 narrowed local power sharply and then left one door open. O.C.G.A. 36-60-33 provides that, except as authorised under O.C.G.A. 26-2-478, no county or municipality may prohibit or regulate cottage food items, and no county or municipality may prohibit commercial delivery companies from delivering them. The single exception is the opt-out: under O.C.G.A. 26-2-478 the governing authority of any county or municipality may adopt an ordinance prohibiting cottage food operators from selling through third-party vendors within its jurisdiction. Such an ordinance may only be adopted at a hearing held at least 15 but not more than 45 days after notice of the hearing is published in a newspaper of general circulation in the local government's territory, the county or municipality may use its local board of health to assist, and the ordinance does not take effect until the county or municipality notifies the Commissioner and the Department before its effective date. Neither the Commissioner nor the Department is responsible or liable for a prohibition enacted that way. General local requirements are untouched: the Department notes that HB 398 does not affect ordinary local business licensing or zoning, so home occupation permits, trade name registration and market rules still need to be checked with the city or county.

Program sources: Georgia House Bill 398 (2025-2026 session), 25 LC 44 2976/AP, AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE — enrolled Act text published by the Office of the Governor of Georgia, adding O.C.G.A. 26-2-470 to 26-2-478 and O.C.G.A. 36-60-33 — https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2025-signed-legislation/hb-398/download · Georgia Department of Agriculture, 'Cottage Food Update: House Bill 398 & Frequently Asked Questions' (signed May 13, 2025; effective July 1, 2025; removed licensing requirement, expanded sales, fewer inspections, identification number, local opt-out) — https://agr.state.ga.us/sites/default/files/documents/assets/Cottage-Food-Update-HB398-Frequently-Asked-Questions.pdf · Georgia Department of Agriculture, 'Cottage Food' programme page (identification number registration form, ANSI-accredited food safety training, allowed products, sales channels, contact cottagefoodinfo@agr.georgia.gov and (404) 656-3627) — https://www.agr.georgia.gov/cottage-food · Georgia Department of Agriculture, 'Cottage Food FAQ' (no state licence required; no limits on gross sales or number of units; potable water and well testing; local zoning) — https://www.agr.georgia.gov/cottage-food-faq · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Subject 40-7-19, Cottage Food Regulations, rules 40-7-19-.01 through -.10, as published by the Georgia Secretary of State (still showing the pre-HB 398 text) — https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/40-7-19 · Georgia Department of Agriculture, full marked text of Subject 40-7-19 as amended (filed February 24, 2021; effective March 16, 2021), source for the $100.00 licence fee at 40-7-19-.04(2), the ANSI training condition at 40-7-19-.03(4), the private water supply testing at 40-7-19-.04(3), the pre-operational inspection at 40-7-19-.06 and -.07, and the label statement at 40-7-19-.09 — https://agr.georgia.gov/sites/default/files/documents/assets/legal/2021/Subject-40-7-19-(Marked).pdf · Georgia Department of Agriculture, 'Notice of Intent to Amend Subject 40-7-19 entitled Cottage Food Regulations', dated January 22, 2021, comment period to February 23, 2021 — https://agr.georgia.gov/legal/action-notice-intent-amend-subject-40-7-19-entitled-cottage-food-regulations · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.05, Cottage Food Limitations, with authority O.C.G.A. 26-2-34 and history (adopted August 7, 2012, effective August 27, 2012; amended filed February 24, 2021, effective March 16, 2021) — https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/georgia/Ga-Comp-R-Regs-R-40-7-19-.05 · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.09, Product Labels, with the pre-HB 398 cottage food statement and the same authority and history — https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/georgia/Ga-Comp-R-Regs-R-40-7-19-.09

What's specific about selling cottage food in Georgia

Georgia is now a true no-license state. HB 398 (effective July 1, 2025) eliminated the former Cottage Food License that the Department of Agriculture used to require, so a Georgia Cottage Food Operation no longer registers with or pays the state to start. There is no annual sales cap and no unit limit. The tradeoff: allowed foods are strictly non-potentially-hazardous shelf-stable items (baked goods, jams/jellies, hard candies, dry mixes, honey), and sales must be direct to the end consumer inside Georgia only — no wholesale, consignment, restaurants, or retail resale, and production must happen in the kitchen of your primary residence.

Common mistakes cottage food sellers make in Georgia

Assuming you can ship across state lines

Georgia's exemption covers direct-to-consumer sales and online orders fulfilled within Georgia; it does not authorize interstate shipping. Selling into another state pulls you under that state's rules and potentially FDA registration. Keep sales in-state under the cottage exemption.

Making a 'refrigerator' food

Salsas, tomato sauces, cooked/canned vegetables, fruit butters, apple cider and other beverages, dairy, and eggs are prohibited as potentially hazardous. Sellers routinely try to add salsa or a low-sugar jam that isn't shelf-stable — these fall outside the exemption entirely.

Getting the mandatory label statement wrong

Every package must carry, in a contrasting color at 10-point minimum (Times New Roman or Arial): 'MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS,' plus name and physical address (no P.O. box), product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight, and federal allergen labeling.

Skipping local zoning / business steps

'No state license' is not 'no rules.' You still must clear city/county zoning for a home food business, may need a DBA, and individual farmers markets can require their own Food Sales Establishment License before letting you sell.

How long it takes and what it costs in Georgia

Timeline: Fast — potentially same-week. There is no state application or waiting period since HB 398 removed the license. Realistic steps: (1) confirm your product is on the allowed list, (2) confirm local zoning permits a home cottage food business and file any DBA, (3) build a compliant label, (4) confirm requirements of any farmers market you'll attend. Most operators can be selling within days.

Cost: $0 — no state permit or license required as of HB 398 (July 1, 2025). Budget only for label printing and any optional local DBA filing (varies by county — confirm with your city/county clerk).

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Georgia cottage food labels — FAQ

Does Georgia require a “made in a home kitchen” disclaimer?

Georgia requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS.” It must be set at a minimum of 10-point type.

Do I have to print my permit number on the label in Georgia?

No. Georgia does not require a permit or registration number printed on the label.

What has to be on a Georgia cottage food label?

At minimum: product name — the common name of the food; your business / producer name; the address of the cottage food operation; a complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included); an allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line; net weight, in US customary and metric units; the state's required disclaimer at a minimum of 10-point type (see below).

Do I need a license to sell homemade food in Georgia?

No. Georgia requires no state cottage food permit or registration. None to the state. The former $100.00 annual Cottage Food Licence fee set by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.04(2), with a 50% reduction for new applicants registering after June 30, was ended in practice by HB 398: the Department states that cottage food operators no longer need to obtain a licence or pay a licensing fee to the state. Requesting an identification number in place of a home address is a written request to the Department, and no fee for it is stated in the statute or on the Department's cottage food page.

What foods can I sell under the Georgia cottage food law?

Allowed: Baked goods such as loaf breads, rolls, biscuits and cakes, except those whose fillings require refrigeration or have high moisture content; Jams, jellies and preserves; Uncut fruits and vegetables; Dried fruits; Dry herbs, seasonings and mixtures; Cereals, trail mixes and granola; Coated and uncoated nuts; Vinegars and flavored vinegars; Dill pickles; Confections; Fudge; Dry soup mixes.

How much can I sell in Georgia before I need a commercial licence?

Is this legal advice?

No. CottageCompliance gives general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.

Source: Georgia Comp. R. & Regs. r. 40-7-19-.09 (Product Labels); HB 398 (eff. 2025-07-01). Verified 2026-06-15. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.