Home Kitchen Laws in Iowa

The plain-English guide to selling food from home in Iowa.

Which laws apply

Cottage food law
Home food processing establishment license

Allowed foods

Allowed (cottage food, no license): non-TCS foods made in a private residence — baked goods, jams/jellies, candies, dried herbs/spices, popcorn, granola, etc.; home-processed and home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits with finished equilibrium pH ≤ 4.6 or water activity ≤ 0.85, with every batch measured by pH or aw meter and the processing/canning date on each container. Allowed (HFPE license, broader): all of the above plus certain refrigerated TCS foods and made-to-order food for immediate consumption (takeout style); also limited meat/poultry sold directly to the end consumer — poultry you raised under the federal ≤1,000-bird exemption (9 CFR 381.10(c)(1)), poultry from an inspected source (9 CFR 381.10(d)), or custom-exempt meat (9 CFR 303.1(d)). Not allowed (both tracks): milk or milk products (Iowa Code ch. 192/194), meat/poultry products regulated under ch. 189A (beyond the narrow exemptions), unpasteurized fruit/vegetable juice, raw sprout seeds, game animals, fish/shellfish, alcoholic beverages, bottled water, packaged ice, consumable hemp products, ROP-packaged TCS foods, food to be further processed by a food processing plant. HFPE 'produce' methods exclude low-acid canning, low-acid fermentation, acidification, curing, and smoking for preservation (curing/smoking for flavor is allowed).

Cottage track — shelf-stable foods in Iowa

🥧 Cottage Food — Shelf-Stable Cottage food law — the shelf-stable track in Iowa: foods are made at home and sold by preorder / pickup, not as restaurant-style reservations.

✅ No permit required in Iowa for Cottage food law production, per the state's published permit steps. Makers here are not “permitted” — they operate under the cottage food rules, and claims on this site are verified by rule-compliance proof, not a permit.

Allowed foods: Allowed (cottage food, no license): non-TCS foods made in a private residence — baked goods, jams/jellies, candies, dried herbs/spices, popcorn, granola, etc.; home-processed and home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits with finished equilibrium pH ≤ 4.6 or water activity ≤ 0.85, with every batch measured by pH or aw meter and the processing/canning date on each container. Allowed (HFPE license, broader): all of the above plus certain refrigerated TCS foods and made-to-order food for immediate consumption (takeout style); also limited meat/poultry sold directly to the end consumer — poultry you raised under the federal ≤1,000-bird exemption (9 CFR 381.10(c)(1)), poultry from an inspected source (9 CFR 381.10(d)), or custom-exempt meat (9 CFR 303.1(d)). Not allowed (both tracks): milk or milk products (Iowa Code ch. 192/194), meat/poultry products regulated under ch. 189A (beyond the narrow exemptions), unpasteurized fruit/vegetable juice, raw sprout seeds, game animals, fish/shellfish, alcoholic beverages, bottled water, packaged ice, consumable hemp products, ROP-packaged TCS foods, food to be further processed by a food processing plant. HFPE 'produce' methods exclude low-acid canning, low-acid fermentation, acidification, curing, and smoking for preservation (curing/smoking for flavor is allowed).

Sales cap (cottage track): no sales cap in Iowa law. Home Food Processing Establishment license: gross annual sales must be less than $50,000 (Iowa Code §137D.1). No scheduled cap changes — HF2767 (2026), which could have changed sales channels but not the cap, passed the House but died in the Senate and never became law.

Labeling rules (from the published permit steps):

Cottage food: no permit, license, or inspection required — simply meet the food, direct-sale, and labeling rules in Iowa Code §137F.20.
Label each HFPE item: establishment name, common food name, ingredients in descending order, net quantity, expiration date for refrigerated TCS foods, allergen statement, and 'This product was produced at a home food processing establishment.'

Where sales are allowed (from the published rules):

Pick your track: cottage food (no license, direct-to-consumer only, non-TCS foods) or Home Food Processing Establishment license (up to $50,000/yr sales, broader foods, can sell through other businesses)
Sell cottage food only directly to consumers (in person, online, phone, mail) or at temporary food events you operate

Street track — sidewalk & mobile vendors in Iowa

🌮 Street Food — Sidewalk & Mobile

Street and mobile vendors do not cook from home kitchens — they sell in public places under different permits, and on this site they are walk-up only (no bookings).

Sales caps

Cottage food: no sales cap in Iowa law. Home Food Processing Establishment license: gross annual sales must be less than $50,000 (Iowa Code §137D.1). No scheduled cap changes — HF2767 (2026), which could have changed sales channels but not the cap, passed the House but died in the Senate and never became law.

Permit steps

Cottage food: no permit, license, or inspection required — simply meet the food, direct-sale, and labeling rules in Iowa Code §137F.20.
HFPE: apply to the Iowa Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL) on the department's form at least 30 days before operating; $50 annual license fee; license expires one year from issue and is renewable.
List all homemade food items on the application; update the account when items are added or removed — unlisted items may not be sold.
At least one team member must complete food safety training.
DIAL provides for periodic inspection of the establishment (inspector may enter food-preparation areas at any reasonable hour).
Label each HFPE item: establishment name, common food name, ingredients in descending order, net quantity, expiration date for refrigerated TCS foods, allergen statement, and 'This product was produced at a home food processing establishment.'

How to start in Iowa

1. Pick your track: cottage food (no license, direct-to-consumer only, non-TCS foods) or Home Food Processing Establishment license (up to $50,000/yr sales, broader foods, can sell through other businesses). 2. Make sure your recipes qualify — no TCS foods for cottage food; confirm pH ≤ 4.6 or aw ≤ 0.85 for home-canned pickles/vegetables/fruits. 3. If cottage food: no application — just label each item (producer name + contact, common food name, ingredients in descending order, allergen statement, 'This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection,' plus processing date for home-canned items). 4. If HFPE: apply online through DIAL at least 30 days before opening ($50 annual fee); list every homemade food item on your application and keep it updated. 5. At least one person on your team must complete food safety training. 6. Prepare for a DIAL inspection of the food-preparation areas (periodic inspections continue after licensing). 7. Sell cottage food only directly to consumers (in person, online, phone, mail) or at temporary food events you operate; HFPE items may also be sold wholesale or through stores. 8. Keep sales records and renew your HFPE license annually (up to 90 days early).

Recent changes

HF2767 (91st GA, 2026 — successor to HF2444): would have added new §137F.21 letting food establishments (e.g., grocery stores) sell cottage food if the producer delivers directly to the consumer, items stay separated/packaged/labeled with a posted notice, and created a farm-to-table event license. Passed the Iowa House 89–0 on April 27, 2026, but died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee when the session adjourned — it did NOT become law (no §137F.21 appears in the Iowa Code). HF1006 (2026, introduced; raw milk dairy premises and food processing plant provisions) — final status could not be verified from a primary source. No food-freedom act exists in Iowa: HF319 ('Iowa Food Freedom Act,' 2021) was introduced but never enacted. No MEHKO-style hot/prepared-meal home kitchen program exists. Context: HF2431 (2022) created the current two-track system (cottage-food exemption + HFPE license, cap raised from $35,000 to $50,000); HF661 (2023) expanded 'homemade food item' to include made-to-order food for immediate consumption.

Official sources

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Not legal advice. Rules change — confirm everything with Iowa's health department before selling.