Which laws apply

• Cottage food production operations (RSMo 196.298)
• Missouri Food Code exemption for non-potentially-hazardous foods sold direct-to-consumer (local determination)

Allowed foods

Cottage food products allowed under RSMo 196.298 are: baked goods (cookies, cakes, breads, danish, donuts, pastries, pies and other oven-baked items — but no potentially hazardous items such as cream or meringue pies), canned jams and jellies (traditional full-sugar recipes; no-sugar-added, sugar-free, reduced-sugar, low-acid or hot-pepper jams/jellies with altered pH or water activity are excluded), and dried herbs and dried herb mixes. NOT allowed as cottage foods: potentially hazardous foods (anything needing time/temperature control for safety), cut produce, salsa, pickles, sauces (BBQ/hot sauce), sprouts, wild mushrooms, meats, dairy, eggs, pet foods, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, and marijuana-infused products. Raw agricultural commodities (whole uncut fruits and vegetables, pure on-farm honey, etc.) are a separate exemption and may be sold directly to the end consumer without inspection. Freeze-dried non-potentially-hazardous foods (e.g., candy) may fall under the Missouri Food Code exemption only where local law allows, as determined by the local public health agency. Cottage food must be sold directly to the end consumer — wholesaling voids the exemption and triggers manufactured-food inspection requirements.

Sales caps

No sales cap. Missouri removed the $50,000 annual gross-income limit from RSMo 196.298 via HB 1697, effective August 28, 2022 — there is currently no limit on how much a cottage food producer may earn, and no future cap change is scheduled.

Permit steps

1. No food permit or license is required — a cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment and is exempt from state and local health/food code laws beyond RSMo 196.298 (per the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Springfield-Greene County Health Department).
2. Label every product intended for sale with: (a) full name and address of the cottage food production operation; (b) common name of the food; (c) all ingredients in descending order of weight; (d) net weight; (e) any allergens; and (f) a statement that the product is prepared in a kitchen not subject to inspection by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (or local health department).
3. Produce the foods in your primary residence kitchen (a 'home' with a kitchen and appliances designed for common residential usage) — no inspection or registration of the kitchen is required.
4. Sell only directly to end consumers (your home, farmers markets, festivals, events). Internet sales are allowed only if both the producer and the purchaser are located in Missouri. Do not sell across state lines.
5. Do not wholesale — wholesaling removes the exemption and subjects the operation to DHSS manufactured-food program inspection and compliance.
6. Note: DHSS and local health departments retain authority to investigate any foodborne disease or outbreak linked to a cottage food operation.
7. If your product does not fall under the Missouri Cottage Law, contact your local public health agency — production must occur in an approved commercial kitchen subject to routine inspection.

How to start in Missouri

1. Confirm your foods qualify: baked goods (non-potentially-hazardous only), canned jam/jelly (traditional full-sugar recipes), or dried herbs/herb mixes. If they do not qualify, contact your local public health agency about commercial-kitchen and inspection requirements. 2. Produce in your primary-residence kitchen using common residential appliances — no state or local food permit or license is required. 3. Label every product with: full name and address of the cottage food production operation, common name of the food, all ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight, any allergens, and a statement that the product is prepared in a kitchen not subject to inspection by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. 4. Sell only directly to end consumers (your home, farmers markets, events) — sales must be made by you or a household member with extensive knowledge of the food. 5. Online sales are allowed only if both you and the purchaser are in Missouri; no interstate sales. 6. If you receive a complaint, the local and state health departments record it and retain authority to investigate any foodborne illness or outbreak.

Recent changes

Nothing changed in 2024–2026. The most recent amendment to RSMo 196.298 was HB 1697, signed in 2022 and effective August 28, 2022, which removed the $50,000 annual gross-income cap and allowed online sales to Missouri purchasers. In the 2026 session, Rep. Sassmann introduced HB 3108 (103rd General Assembly), which would have replaced the cottage food framework with a broad 'homemade food' food-freedom law — allowing producers to sell eggs, dairy products, non-potentially-hazardous foods through retail shops and grocery stores, and meat under limited conditions (poultry up to 1,000 birds, rabbit, farm-raised fish, animal-share agreements) with consumer disclosure and signage requirements. The bill was referred to the House Government Efficiency Committee on April 16, 2026 and died at sine die adjournment without a vote; the Missouri Revisor of Statutes' current text of section 196.298 confirms it was not enacted and no other 196.298 amendments have passed since 2022. No pending 2024–2026 bills changing the law were enacted.

Official sources

• RSMo 196.298 — Cottage food production operations (Missouri Revisor of Statutes)
• Missouri Home-Based Kitchen Food Protection Guidance (Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services handbook, via Springfield-Greene County Health Department official site)
• HB 3108 (2026) — 'Homemade foods' bill text (Missouri House of Representatives, introduced, not enacted)
• HB 3108 (2026) — official House bill summary