The Movement — home kitchens, state by state

Every state decides whether neighbors may cook for neighbors. This is the living record: the law in each state, its history, the supporters and the opposition (described briefly and neutrally), and the officials who decide. We publish positions from the public record only — always linked. Where research is still in progress, the state page says so honestly.

51 jurisdictions: 16 Cottage food (restricted) · 2 County / local opt-in · 10 Food freedom · 16 Full cottage food · 5 Permit program (home meals) · 2 Restricted.

Track board: 37 jurisdictions have a cottage-expansion fight on record (72 tagged history/supporter/opposition items) · 2 jurisdictions have a street-vending fight on record (22 tagged items). Tagged items carry a visible track badge on each state page.

Alabama
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Alaska
Food freedom
Cottage food law
Arizona
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Arkansas
Food freedom
Cottage food law
California
County / local opt-in
Cottage food fight
Street vendor fight
Cottage food law
Colorado
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Connecticut
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Delaware
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
District of Columbia
Permit program (home meals)
Cottage food fight
Street vendor fight
Cottage food law
Florida
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Georgia
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Hawaii
Restricted
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Idaho
Food freedom
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Illinois
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Indiana
Food freedom
Cottage food law
Iowa
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Kansas
Full cottage food
Cottage food law
Kentucky
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Louisiana
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Maine
County / local opt-in
Food sovereignty ordinance (town-level opt-in)
Maryland
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Massachusetts
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Retail Residential Kitchen (permitted as a 'Cottage Food Operation')
Michigan
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Minnesota
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Mississippi
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Missouri
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food production operations (RSMo 196.298)
Montana
Food freedom
Cottage food law
Nebraska
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Nevada
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
New Hampshire
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Exempt Homestead Food Operation (no license required)
New Jersey
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
New Mexico
Permit program (home meals)
Cottage food fight
Homemade Food Act (HB 177, 2021)
New York
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law (home processor exemption)
North Carolina
Cottage food (restricted)
Home Processor Program (NCDA&CS Food and Drug Protection Division)
North Dakota
Food freedom
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Ohio
Permit program (home meals)
Cottage food law
Oklahoma
Food freedom
Homemade Food Freedom Act (current law through October 31, 2026)
Oregon
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law (ORS 616.723)
Pennsylvania
Permit program (home meals)
Limited Food Establishment (LFE) registration
Rhode Island
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
South Carolina
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
South Dakota
Full cottage food
Cottage food law
Tennessee
Food freedom
Food freedom act
Texas
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage food law
Utah
Food freedom
Cottage food law
Vermont
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage food operator exemption
Virginia
Permit program (home meals)
Cottage food fight
Home food processing exemption — low-risk foods (§ 3.2-5130(C)(3))
Washington
Cottage food (restricted)
Cottage food fight
Cottage Food Operations
West Virginia
Full cottage food
Cottage food fight
Cottage foods — nonpotentially hazardous (permit-free)
Wisconsin
Restricted
Cottage food fight
Pickle Bill (2009 Wisconsin Act 101; Wis. Stat. section 97.29(2)(b)2.) - home-canned acidic fruits and pickled vegetables
Wyoming
Food freedom
Food freedom act

National supporters

Organizations working across states to make home kitchens lawful. A national group appears on a state's page only where it genuinely works in that state.

COOK Alliance

National nonprofit legalizing the sale of home-cooked meals; sponsor of California's AB 626 / AB 1325 / AB 2315 and advocate for MEHKO laws in other states.

Source: http://www.cookalliance.org/advancing-advocacy

Institute for Justice

National public-interest law firm; its Food Freedom Initiative has helped secure homemade-food reforms in more than 20 states.

Source: https://ij.org/press-release/new-report-grades-each-states-laws-

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Legal defense fund for direct farm-to-consumer sales; supported the Wyoming Food Freedom Act and Maine food-sovereignty defenses.

Source: https://www.farmtoconsumer.org/blog/2015/06/26/2015-annual-appea