Start a home kitchen in Illinois

The steps, the costs, where to apply, and how to get inspection-ready — in Illinois's own program terms.

Cottage food law

Sales cap: No state-mandated sales cap — earlier $25,000 then $36,000 annual caps were removed by the Home-to-Market Act (P.A. 102-633, effective 1/1/2022), and the 2026 Cottage Food Guide confirms 'those no longer apply.' No scheduled future cap changes found. (Separate legacy provision: the old 'home kitchen operation' track at 410 ILCS 625/3.2 still limits monthly gross sales to $1,000 and applies only to non-potentially-hazardous baked goods.)

Allowed foods: Allowed: nearly everything NOT on the prohibited list — baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, dry mixes, spices, granola, pickles and fermented/acidified foods (with a USDA/extension-tested recipe OR a written food safety plan + pH test every 3 years), canned tomatoes (USDA/extension-tested recipe or commercial lab test), cheese-topped baked goods proven non-TCS, pre-bottled drinks, and more. Not allowed: (1) meat, poultry, fish, seafood, shellfish; (2) dairy except as an ingredient in non-TCS baked goods/candy or frostings like buttercream; (3) eggs except as an ingredient in non-TCS foods or cooked-egg frostings; (4) pumpkin/sweet potato pies, cheesecakes, custard/creme pies, and pastries with TCS fillings or toppings; (5) garlic in oil unless acidified; (6) low-acid canned foods; (7) sprouts; (8) cut leafy greens except dehydrated, acidified, or blanched-and-frozen; (9) cut or pureed fresh tomato or melon; (10) dehydrated tomato or melon; (11) frozen cut melon; (12) wild-harvested mushrooms; (13) alcoholic beverages; (14) kombucha.

The permit steps

1. Complete a Department-approved Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) course and exam — required for anyone preparing or packaging cottage food.
2. Register annually with your county (local) health department: submit the county's registration application, your CFPM certificate, a list of all foods you plan to sell, and product labels; some counties require a Home Self-Certification Checklist.
3. Pay the county registration fee — capped by state law at $50 (varies by county; some charge nothing).
4. If you will sell canned tomatoes: use an exact USDA or cooperative-extension-tested recipe, or have the recipe lab-tested at your expense and submit annual test documentation.
5. If you will sell fermented or acidified foods: use a USDA/extension-tested recipe, or submit a written food safety plan (annually) plus a pH test every 3 years.
6. No routine home-kitchen inspection is required; inspections happen only after a complaint, illness outbreak, or other imminent health hazard.
7. Home-rule cities/counties may not regulate cottage food operations in a way inconsistent with state law.

How it works, start to finish

1. Get your Certified Food Protection Manager certificate (IDPH-approved course + exam).
2. List every food you want to sell, checking each against the 14-category prohibited list — most other foods are allowed.
3. For canned tomatoes or fermented/acidified foods, use a USDA or extension-tested recipe, or budget for a commercial lab test ($ varies) and a written food safety plan.
4. Register with your county health department (annual; fee up to $50) and include your product list, CFPM certificate, and labels — if your county has no health department, it contracts with a neighboring one.
5. Label every product with your operation name and locality, registration number, product name, full ingredient list, allergen info, production date and net weight, and the required home-kitchen disclaimer.
6. Sell direct-to-consumer only: farmers markets, fairs, festivals, public events, online (Illinois customers only), pickup from your home/farm, delivery, or pop-ups on consenting third-party property.
7. Display the home-kitchen placard at your booth or the disclaimer on your online sales page.
8. Re-register every year and keep your CFPM certificate current.

Where to apply in Illinois

Illinois cottage food is administered at the county level: operators register annually with the local health department of the county where the kitchen is located (fee capped by state law at $50; many counties charge less or $0, and rules like self-certification checklists vary by county). Counties with no health department must contract with an adjacent county's health department to handle registration, per P.A. 103-0903 (effective 1/1/2025).

Official sources — start with the agency or department that runs Illinois's program:

• 410 ILCS 625/4 — Cottage food operation (Illinois General Assembly statute)
• Public Act 103-0903 (SB2617) — 2024 cottage food amendments, eff. 1/1/2025
• 2026 Cottage Food Guide (IDPH / University of Illinois Extension)
• Chicago Department of Public Health — Register a Cottage Food Operation

Inspection prep (general)