Louisiana cottage food laws
A modest sales cap, but baked goods sell direct-to-consumer with no cap.
Louisiana lets home producers sell low-risk foods from a home kitchen without a retail food permit. Most products fall under a $30,000 gross annual sales cap. Breads, cakes, cookies, and pies are treated as a separate category that must be sold direct-to-consumer but has no statutory cap. Producers register for parish sales tax and follow specific labeling, including a clear statement that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility.
Louisiana cottage food, quick facts.
How the Louisiana cottage food law actually works.
Louisiana's cottage food framework is found in R.S. 40:4.9, the Low-Risk Foods law. It allows individuals to prepare and sell certain low-risk, shelf-stable foods from a home kitchen without obtaining a retail food permit from the Louisiana Department of Health, as long as labeling and sales rules are followed.
The general gross annual sales cap is $30,000, raised by HB 828 in 2022. However, there is an important carve-out: breads, cakes, cookies, and pies are treated separately. Those products may be sold under the cottage exemption with no statutory revenue cap, but they can only be sold direct-to-consumer (no resale through retail stores or restaurants), and producers cannot employ helpers to prepare them without losing the exemption.
Most other low-risk foods (jams, jellies, candies, cane syrup, dried mixes, honey, pickles and acidified foods, sauces and syrups, spices) can be sold direct to consumers and through retail outlets. Producers must register for parish sales and use tax and follow specific labeling that clearly states the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility.
Out-of-state sales are not allowed under cottage exemption. Sales must occur within Louisiana, and you must be physically present at point of sale or arrange for direct delivery to the consumer.
Allowed and prohibited foods.
- Breads, rolls, biscuits, focaccia
- Cakes, cupcakes, muffins, scones
- Cookies, brownies, bars, biscotti
- Pies including fruit, nut, cream, custard, chess, and sweet potato pies (cream and custard products must use pasteurized milk)
- Pastries, donuts, cream puffs, eclairs
- Candies, fudge, caramels, pralines, chocolates
- Jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters
- Cane syrup and syrups
- Honey (raw honey has a label exception)
- Dried mixes and dry herbs
- Pickles and acidified foods (per recipe rules)
- Sauces and spice blends
- Meat, poultry, seafood, fish
- Raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw dairy
- Time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods that need refrigeration to stay safe
- Low-acid canned vegetables and canned salsas
- Alcoholic beverages
Cream pies, custard pies, and similar baked items are allowed in Louisiana under the baked-goods carve-out, provided cream and custard components use pasteurized milk. This is unusual nationally and is one of the more permissive parts of Louisiana's law.
Sales channels for Louisiana cottage bakers.
- Breads, cakes, cookies, and pies have no revenue cap but must be sold direct-to-consumer. Hiring helpers to prepare them can void the cottage exemption.
- All other low-risk foods are subject to the $30,000 gross annual cap.
Label every product, exactly like this.
Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Louisiana's food safety regulations.
- Raw honey has an exception to the disclaimer requirement under the statute.
- If you sell at a farmers market or unpackaged at point of sale, display a placard with the same disclaimer.
- Online listings should include the same disclaimer near the product description.
How much can you earn under Louisiana cottage law?
Most low-risk cottage foods are limited to $30,000 in gross annual sales (raised by HB 828 in 2022). Breads, cakes, cookies, and pies are treated as a separate category and have no statutory sales cap, but they must be sold direct-to-consumer only, and the producer cannot hire helpers to prepare them without losing the exemption. If your sales exceed the cap or you want to wholesale baked goods, you need a permitted commercial facility.
Food safety training in Louisiana
Louisiana does not require food safety training for cottage producers. Many bakers complete a low-cost food handler course as a personal credibility step or because a market or event requires it.
Registration, permits, and inspections in Louisiana
There is no state cottage food registration. You do need to register for parish sales and use tax in any parish where you sell. The exact filing depends on your parish; many parishes use the Louisiana Department of Revenue's online portal.
How to start a cottage bakery in Louisiana.
- 01Pick allowed low-risk productsStick to the low-risk foods list. Note the special baked-goods carve-out for breads, cakes, cookies, and pies, which has no revenue cap but is direct-to-consumer only.Louisiana statute (R.S. 40:4.9) →
- 02Register for parish sales and use taxObtain the appropriate sales tax certificate where your sales occur. Many parishes use the Louisiana Department of Revenue portal.Louisiana Department of Revenue: Sales Tax →
- 03Build your label templateProducer name and address, product name, net weight, ingredients by weight, allergen statement, and the required disclaimer.
- 04Set up your storefrontCakery gives you a free bakery page at cakerybakeries.com/your-bakery. Add menu, prices, lead times, and pickup or delivery zones.Create a free Cakery page →
- 05Track sales toward the $30,000 capTag baked-goods sales (no cap) separately from other low-risk foods (capped at $30,000 gross). When you approach the cap, plan a move to a permitted commercial kitchen for non-baked products.
- 06Confirm local zoning and home-business rulesSome parishes and cities have their own home-business or vendor rules. Confirm before you start selling.
A few things Louisiana bakers should know.
- Out-of-state shipping is not allowed under the cottage exemption. Sales must occur within Louisiana with in-person handoff or in-state delivery.
- If you produce breads, cakes, cookies, or pies under the exemption, employing helpers to make them can void the exemption for those products.
- Cream pies, custard pies, and other dairy-rich baked goods are allowed in Louisiana provided cream and custard components use pasteurized milk. This is broader than most states.
- Sales tax is collected at the parish level. Confirm filings with each parish where you sell, not just the state.
- Raw honey has a labeling exception under the statute. The standard disclaimer is not required for raw honey alone.
Bookmark these for Louisiana baking.
Official agency resources
Statute and rules text
Helpful resources for bakers
Recent and upcoming changes in Louisiana.
- August 1, 2022HB 828 raised the cottage food sales cap from $20,000 to $30,000 gross annual sales for most low-risk foods.
Louisiana cottage food FAQ.
What is Louisiana's cottage food sales cap?
Where can Louisiana cottage bakers sell?
What is the required label disclaimer?
Do I need a sales tax certificate?
Can I sell custard pies and cream pies?
Can I hire help?
Can I ship out of state?
You bake. We handle the tech.
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