Indiana cottage food law
Sell cottage food in Indiana
Indiana cottage food law, label rules, and a free storefront. Indiana's cottage food law lets home bakers sell directly to consumers with no statewide sales cap — provided you sell directly to consumers, label every product correctly, and follow Indiana's rules. CottageOps configures the Indiana label disclosure for you, tracks your sales against the cap, and gives you a free storefront to take orders.
What Indiana's cottage food law says
- Sales cap
- No statewide sales cap — Indiana doesn't set an annual revenue ceiling on cottage food sales.
- Refrigerated (TCS) foods
- Indiana's cottage food path is limited to shelf-stable goods — refrigerated (TCS) items aren't allowed under the exemption.
- Where you can sell
- Direct to Indiana consumers — pickup, in-state delivery, farmers markets, and online sales to in-state customers.
Required label disclosure in Indiana
Every Indiana cottage food label must carry the product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight, a “Contains” allergen statement for any FDA major allergens, your name and address as the producer, and the Indiana-required disclosure below. CottageOps fills the disclosure in for you, verbatim:
This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE.
Before you sell in Indiana
Indiana doesn't require a permit to start.
Indiana lets cottage food bakers start selling without a state permit or inspection — set up your storefront, add your menu, and you can begin taking orders.
Full Indiana cottage-food law
The detail behind the summary above: Indiana's primary statute, the agency that enforces it, the revenue cap, what foods are allowed, refrigerated-food (TCS) rules, labeling notes, and the watch-outs to know before you sell.
- Primary statute
- Ind. Code §16-42-5.3-5 (Indiana home-based vendor law) (Indiana Home-Based Vendor law)
- Enforcing agency
- Indiana Department of Health
- Revenue cap
- No cap.
- Allowed foods
- Non-TCS (shelf-stable) home-produced and processed foods including baked goods.
- Refrigerated (TCS) / prohibited
- Conservative shelf-stable only (engine refuses TCS labels for IN).
- Where you can sell
- Direct to consumer; "NOT FOR RESALE" limits channels. Selling online requires the label also be posted on the vendor's website.
- Labeling notes
- Disclosure "This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE." at ≥10pt.
- Watch-outs
- If selling online, the label must also be posted on the vendor's website (storefront concern).
General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state agency. Last verified 2026-06-15.
Ready to start selling in Indiana?
Make a free Indiana label in seconds, then claim your free CottageOps storefront. Free in 2026 — no card required. $19/mo in 2027, no transaction fees.
Indiana cottage food FAQ
What must a Indiana cottage food label include?
A compliant Indiana cottage food label needs the product name, the ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight (oz and/or grams), the "Contains" allergen statement for any FDA major allergens, the producer's name and address, and the Indiana-required legal disclosure. Our free generator fills in the disclosure for you and lays out the rest automatically as you type.
What is the required cottage food disclosure in Indiana?
Indiana requires this exact disclosure on the label: "This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Indiana Department of Health. NOT FOR RESALE." You never type it — the generator applies the current Indiana disclosure for you the moment you pick your state.
Can I sell TCS or refrigerated cottage food items in Indiana?
No — Indiana's cottage food path is limited to shelf-stable goods, so TCS items that need refrigeration are not allowed under the cottage food exemption. If you toggle "Contains a TCS item" the generator will flag that Indiana doesn't permit it, so you don't print a non-compliant label.
Is this Indiana cottage food label generator really free?
Yes. Building and previewing your Indiana-compliant label is free with no account. CottageOps is free through 2026 — no credit card — and when you're ready to download or print the full-resolution label you just claim your free CottageOps account. In 2027 it's a flat $19/mo (or $190/yr).
More for Indiana bakers, plus our guides for every other state:
Free in 2026 — no card required.
A free Indiana storefront, the Indiana label disclosure configured for you, and sales tracking — built in from day one. Cancel anytime; the most-recent month is refundable.
Start freeThis is general information, not legal advice — confirm with your Indiana cottage food authority before selling. Last verified: 2026-06-13.