New York: the home-kitchen movement
Full cottage food Cottage food law (home processor exemption)
New York lets you make certain non-potentially hazardous foods (baked goods, jams, candy, snack mixes) in your home kitchen and sell them across the state with no sales cap — you register once (free) with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and get a Home Processor exemption from the Article 20-C food-processing license. There is no MEHKO-style program and no food freedom act; pickles, chocolate-dipped items, dairy, meat, and anything needing refrigeration are off-limits.
Status, history, and administering agency are verified from the state law guide's primary sources. Supporter/opposition research for this state is still in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.
Where it stands
No statutory changes to the Home Processor program were enacted in 2024-2026; the program continues to run on the Article 20-C exemption under NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets rules. The Department published an updated registered home-processor list current as of January 8, 2026. Pending bill: 2025-A5836A, the 'Homegrown Foods Act' (introduced Feb 24, 2025 by M. of A. Gray, amended), would add a new Agriculture and Markets Law § 251-z-13 creating a separate exemption for homegrown foods (fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, baked goods, dried fruits, pickles, honey and similar non-potentially hazardous foods) grown/processed at a private residence and sold direct to consumers, capped at $12,500 total annual income; status is ACTIVE in the Assembly Agriculture Committee and it has not passed (2025-2026 session). A separate 2025-2026 bill, A1330/S3561, would require a study of the economic impact of kitchen incubators. New York has no MEHKO-style program and no food freedom act.
Residents can find and support local kitchens through the New York hub — browse kitchens, read the law guide, and see what is cooking near you.
Cottage food fight in New York
- 2025 — A5836A — 'Homegrown Foods Act' (pending)
2025-A5836A, the 'Homegrown Foods Act' (introduced February 24, 2025 by M. of A. Gray), would create a separate exemption for homegrown foods grown/processed at a private residence and sold direct to consumers, capped at $12,500 total annual income; it remains active in the Assembly Agriculture Committee and has not passed. Source
How we got here
- 2024 — Cottage food law (home processor exemption)
No statutory changes to the Home Processor program were enacted in 2024-2026; the program continues to run on the Article 20-C exemption under NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets rules. Source - 2026 — Cottage food law (home processor exemption)
The Department published an updated registered home-processor list current as of January 8, 2026. Source - 2025 — Cottage food law (home processor exemption) Cottage food fight
Pending bill: 2025-A5836A, the 'Homegrown Foods Act' (introduced Feb 24, 2025 by M. Source - 2025 — Cottage food law (home processor exemption)
Gray, amended), would add a new Agriculture and Markets Law § 251-z-13 creating a separate exemption for homegrown foods (fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, baked goods, dried fruits, pickles, honey and similar non-potentially hazardous foods) grown/processed at a private residence and sold direct to consumers, capped at $12,500 total annual income; status is ACTIVE in the Assembly Agriculture Committee and it has no Source - 2025 — A5836A — 'Homegrown Foods Act' (pending) Cottage food fight
2025-A5836A, the 'Homegrown Foods Act' (introduced February 24, 2025 by M. of A. Gray), would create a separate exemption for homegrown foods grown/processed at a private residence and sold direct to consumers, capped at $12,500 total annual income; it remains active in the Assembly Agriculture Committee and has not passed. Source
Supporters
Supporter research for this state is in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.
Opposition
No on-record opposition has been verified for this state yet.
The deciders
Governor
Office of the Governor of New York (name not yet verified in this research pass)
Contact the deciders
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