Georgia's Cottage Food Law

Georgia's cottage food law allows individuals to produce and sell certain low-risk foods made in a private home kitchen without a commercial license. The law covers non-potentially-hazardous foods, meaning products that don't require refrigeration to stay safe. This includes baked goods, candies, jams, and similar shelf-stable items. If you're operating from your home kitchen and selling directly to consumers, you qualify under this framework.

You can sell your cottage food products through farmers markets, roadside stands, fairs, and other direct-to-consumer venues. Georgia also permits online orders, so you can take sales through a website or social media. However, shipping is not allowed, meaning every transaction must result in an in-person handoff. You cannot mail products to customers or use third-party delivery services to ship across state lines.

Georgia caps annual cottage food revenue at $50,000, which gives your business meaningful room to grow before additional licensing becomes necessary. No permit or registration is required to start selling. Every product must carry the state-mandated label disclaimer identifying your kitchen as a private home not subject to Department of Public Health food service regulations. That straightforward entry point makes Georgia one of the more accessible states for launching a home food business.