Iowa's Cottage Food Law

Iowa's cottage food law allows individuals to produce and sell certain homemade food products directly to consumers without operating under a licensed food establishment. The law applies to home-based producers making non-potentially-hazardous foods, meaning products that don't require refrigeration to stay safe. Covered products include baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and similar shelf-stable items made in your residential kitchen.

You can sell your cottage food products at farmers markets, roadside stands, and other direct-to-consumer venues. Iowa also permits online sales, so you can take orders through a website or social media. However, shipping is not allowed, meaning all transactions must result in in-person pickup or local delivery. You cannot sell through retail stores or wholesale channels under the cottage food exemption.

Your annual gross revenue must stay at or below $35,000. No permit, license, or registration is required before you start selling, which makes Iowa relatively low-barrier compared to many other states. All products must be properly labeled with required information, including a disclosure that the food was made in an uninspected home kitchen. That straightforward framework gives you a clear path to building a real home-based food business.