Rhode Island cottage food laws
Rhode Island finally has a cottage food law: baked goods only, $50,000 cap, $65 a year.
Rhode Island was the last state in the country to pass a cottage food law. The current program (effective 2022, updated 2024) lets home bakers register with the Department of Health for $65 a year, sell up to $50,000 of shelf-stable baked goods, and operate from a home kitchen with a food handler card. The product list is narrow: only baked goods.
Rhode Island cottage food, quick facts.
How the Rhode Island cottage food law actually works.
Rhode Island used to ban most home-based baking outright. That changed in 2022 when the General Assembly passed a cottage food bill, making Rhode Island the final state in the United States to authorize cottage food sales. The law was updated in 2024 and now sits at RIGL §21-27-6.2 (Cottage food manufacture), administered by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) Center for Food Protection.
The program is narrowly tailored. Only baked goods that do not require refrigeration or time/temperature control for safety are allowed. That means cookies, cakes, pies (non-TCS), breads, brownies, muffins, biscuits, granola, crackers, and pretzels. Jams, jellies, candies, sauces, and pickled or fermented items are not covered and still require a commercial license. Operators must be Rhode Island residents producing food in their own home.
To register, you complete an ANAB-accredited food handler training course, submit the cottage food manufacture registration to RIDOH, and pay a $65 annual fee. Renew yearly. Re-take the food handler training every three years. Sales are capped at $50,000 in gross annual revenue, must be direct to consumers in Rhode Island, and must be in person. Online ordering is permitted as a marketing channel, but sales themselves cannot be shipped or mailed; they must be transferred to the buyer in person.
Many Rhode Island bakers also work out of shared commercial kitchens or commissaries when they want a broader product list (jams, candies, sauces) or want to ship. The state has a strong professional baking community, including Providence-based CakeSafe, which makes cake transport boxes used by bakers nationwide.
Allowed and prohibited foods.
- Cookies, brownies, biscotti, bars
- Cakes and cupcakes (without cream or cream-cheese fillings)
- Yeast breads, biscuits, rolls, muffins
- Double-crust fruit pies and other non-TCS pies
- Pretzels and crackers
- Granola
- Quick breads and loaf cakes
- Pastries that are shelf stable
- Cheesecakes, custard pies, cream pies, meringue pies
- Cream cheese frostings and refrigerated fillings
- Jams, jellies, fruit butters, preserves (require a commercial license in Rhode Island)
- Candies, fudge, chocolates (not on Rhode Island's cottage list)
- Sauces, hot sauces, salsas, ketchups
- Pickles, fermented foods, low-acid canned foods
- Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish products
- Beverages, including coffee and tea drinks
Rhode Island's cottage food law is unusually narrow: it only covers shelf-stable baked goods. If you want to make jams, candies, or sauces from home, you need to use a licensed commercial kitchen rather than the cottage program.
Sales channels for Rhode Island cottage bakers.
- Sales must be direct to a Rhode Island consumer and transferred face-to-face.
- You may advertise and accept orders online, but you cannot ship cottage food by USPS, UPS, FedEx, or any other carrier.
- Wholesale to stores and restaurants is not allowed under the cottage program.
Label every product, exactly like this.
This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state inspection.
- The disclaimer wording above reflects the substance of RIDOH's required statement; check current RIDOH guidance for exact phrasing on your specific labels.
- Labels must be clearly legible. The Department of Health may review labels at registration or in response to complaints.
- Display your RIDOH registration certificate at any in-person sales location.
How much can you earn under Rhode Island cottage law?
Rhode Island caps cottage food manufacture at $50,000 in gross annual sales. Track your revenue carefully because the $50,000 cap applies per registered cottage food manufacturer. If you cross the cap or want to add categories outside baked goods, you need to register as a commercial food business and produce from a licensed kitchen.
Food safety training in Rhode Island
Every Rhode Island cottage food manufacturer must complete an ANAB-accredited food handler training course before registering. You submit a copy of the certificate with your application. The certification is valid for three years and must be renewed by retaking the course. Common low-cost ANAB-accredited providers include StateFoodSafety and Learn2Serve.
Registration, permits, and inspections in Rhode Island
Apply to RIDOH's Center for Food Protection by completing the Cottage Food Manufacture registration form, attaching your ANAB-accredited food handler certificate, sample labels, and a list of products. Pay the $65 annual registration fee. Registration is valid for one year from issuance and must be renewed annually. RIDOH does not generally inspect cottage food kitchens unless a complaint is filed.
How to start a cottage bakery in Rhode Island.
- 01Confirm your products are eligibleRhode Island only allows shelf-stable baked goods under cottage food manufacture. Cookies, breads, non-TCS cakes and pies, pretzels, crackers, and granola are in. Jams, candies, sauces, and pickles are out and require a commercial license.RIDOH: Cottage Foods →
- 02Take an ANAB-accredited food handler courseComplete an ANSI-National Accreditation Board accredited food handler course. Save your certificate. Renew every three years.StateFoodSafety: ANAB-accredited food handler →
- 03Register with RIDOHSubmit the Cottage Food Manufacture registration with your food handler certificate, sample labels, and product list. Pay the $65 annual fee.RIDOH Cottage Food FAQ (PDF) →
- 04Build a compliant label templateInclude the business name, address, phone number, product name, ingredients, allergens, and the home-kitchen disclaimer. Keep one reusable template per product.
- 05Set up your storefront and pickup workflowCakery gives you a free bakery page at cakerybakeries.com/your-bakery. Add menu, pricing, lead times, and pickup details. Remember Rhode Island requires the actual transfer of product to be in person.Create a free Cakery page →
- 06Track sales toward the $50,000 capKeep clean records. As you approach $50,000, plan whether to scale back, move into a shared commercial kitchen, or upgrade to a commercial food license.
A few things Rhode Island bakers should know.
- Rhode Island was the last state in the United States to enact a cottage food law (effective 2022). The product list is intentionally narrow.
- Only baked goods are covered. Jams, candies, sauces, pickles, and fermented foods are not part of cottage food manufacture and need a commercial license.
- Online order-taking is allowed, but the product must be handed off in person within Rhode Island. No shipping by USPS, UPS, FedEx, or any common carrier under the cottage program.
- Rhode Island sales tax applies to candy and prepared individual servings; most bakery items sold for off-premises consumption are exempt as groceries. Confirm with the Rhode Island Division of Taxation.
- Rhode Island also offers a separate Farm Home Food Manufacture program for farms; that is different from cottage food manufacture and has its own rules.
Bookmark these for Rhode Island baking.
Official agency resources
Statute and rules text
Helpful resources for bakers
Recent and upcoming changes in Rhode Island.
- January 1, 2024Rhode Island updated the cottage food manufacture statute and RIDOH refreshed the Cottage Food Manufacturing FAQ. The current program: $50,000 cap, $65 annual fee, ANAB-accredited food handler training every three years, baked goods only.
- November 1, 2022Rhode Island became the final state in the United States to enact a cottage food law, allowing in-state direct sales of shelf-stable baked goods from registered home kitchens.
Rhode Island cottage food FAQ.
Do I need to register to bake from home in Rhode Island?
What can I sell under Rhode Island cottage food?
Can I ship Rhode Island cottage food?
How much can I earn?
Do I need an inspection?
Can I sell to a Rhode Island coffee shop?
You bake. We handle the tech.
Get your own bakery link, take custom orders without the DM chaos, and get found by customers in Rhode Island searching for local bakers.
cakerybakeries.com/your-bakery