Nebraska: the home-kitchen movement
Full cottage food Cottage food law
Nebraska's cottage food law (Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2,280, part of the Nebraska Pure Food Act) lets producers make and sell foods directly to consumers from a private home after registering with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and completing a food-safety course. Since LB262 (2024), most perishable foods (e.g., cheesecake, ice cream) are allowed in person alongside shelf-stable goods, there is no sales cap, and state law preempts local food-safety permitting rules.
Where it stands
LB262 (2024) — omnibus agriculture bill, approved by the Governor April 16, 2024, cottage-food provisions operative three calendar months after the 2024 session adjourned (commonly cited as July 19, 2024). Big change: producers may now sell certain time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods (e.g., cheesecake, cream-filled pastries, ice cream made with approved dairy) in person, with ingredient labeling, temperature control, and a 2-hour delivery limit; added statewide preemption of local food-safety ordinances (ending local permitting/inspection add-ons like Lincoln's/Lancaster County's); clarified products must be prepared in a private home and that non-TCS foods may ship by mail. LB245 (2025) — Pure Food Act technical update approved by the Governor April 29, 2025, effective immediately: adopted the 2022 FDA Food Code by reference, extended single-event vendor window from 2 to 4 days, and revised NDA inspection fee schedule; did not substantively change the cottage-food section (81-2,280). 2026: no cottage-food-specific bills located on the Nebraska Legislature site during this research.
Cottage food fight in Nebraska
1 supporter(s) and 0 opposition entr(ies) on this page carry this track tag — see Supporters / Opposition below.
- 2024 — Cottage food law
LB262 (2024) — omnibus agriculture bill, approved by the Governor April 16, 2024, cottage-food provisions operative three calendar months after the 2024 session adjourned (commonly cited as July 19, 2024). Source
How we got here
- 2024 — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
LB262 (2024) — omnibus agriculture bill, approved by the Governor April 16, 2024, cottage-food provisions operative three calendar months after the 2024 session adjourned (commonly cited as July 19, 2024). Source - — Cottage food law
Big change: producers may now sell certain time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods (e.g., cheesecake, cream-filled pastries, ice cream made with approved dairy) in person, with ingredient labeling, temperature control, and a 2-hour delivery limit; added statewide preemption of local food-safety ordinances (ending local permitting/inspection add-ons like Lincoln's/Lancaster County's); clarified products must b Source - 2025 — Cottage food law
LB245 (2025) — Pure Food Act technical update approved by the Governor April 29, 2025, effective immediately: adopted the 2022 FDA Food Code by reference, extended single-event vendor window from 2 to 4 days, and revised NDA inspection fee schedule; did not substantively change the cottage-food section (81-2,280). Source - 2026 — Cottage food law
2026: no cottage-food-specific bills located on the Nebraska Legislature site during this research. Source
Supporters
On the public record supporting home kitchens in Nebraska.
Institute for Justice Cottage food fight
Backed the Lincoln home baker whose successful challenge led the city to ease its cottage food ordinance
Opposition
No on-record opposition has been verified for this state yet.
The deciders
Governor
Office of the Governor of Nebraska (name not yet verified in this research pass)
Contact the deciders
A pre-written letter in Nebraska's own terminology. The buttons open it in your email — addressed by you to the office above. Nothing sends until you press send.