Very permissive

Wyoming cottage food laws

The original food freedom law: almost no rules for direct sales to informed consumers.

The Wyoming Food Freedom Act, passed in 2015 and amended several times since, exempts almost all homemade food sales from state and local licensure, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling rules when the food is sold directly to an informed end consumer. Wyoming was the first state to pass a true food freedom law and remains one of the most permissive jurisdictions in the country.

Last verified May 2, 2026•Wyoming Food Freedom Act (W.S. 11-49-101 through 11-49-103)

At a glance

Wyoming cottage food, quick facts.

📋

Permit

Not required

💰

Sales cap

None

🌐

Online sales

Order-taking allowed. Sale must be completed in Wyoming.

📦

Shipping in-state

Allowed for non-perishable foods within Wyoming

✈️

Shipping out-of-state

Not allowed under the Act

🎓

Training

Not required by state law

🏠

Inspection

Not required

How it works

How the Wyoming cottage food law actually works.

The Wyoming Food Freedom Act lives at W.S. 11-49-101 through 11-49-103. The Act was passed in 2015 (HB 56), expanded in 2017 to cover home-raised poultry and additional foods, and amended again in 2020 (SF 102) to add designated agents and broaden retail-shop participation. It is the law that inspired similar food freedom laws in North Dakota, Maine, Utah, and Montana.

The Act exempts homemade food, eggs, dairy products, and (within limits) home-raised poultry from state licensure, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling requirements when sold directly to an informed end consumer. The seller may be the producer, a designated agent of the producer, or in some cases a third-party retail shop or grocery store, as long as the consumer is informed that the food is not certified, labeled, licensed, packaged, regulated, or inspected.

There is no permit, no inspection, no fee, and no annual sales cap. The Act preempts local rules: cities and counties cannot impose their own permits or fees on transactions covered by the Act. Wyoming also allows raw milk and raw-milk products from a small herd, with disclosure rules.

The biggest restriction is jurisdictional. The Act only covers transactions that occur in Wyoming. Out-of-state shipping is interstate commerce and is regulated by federal law, so cottage producers cannot legally ship to other states under the Act. Within Wyoming, sales can occur at farms, ranches, the producer's home or office, farmers markets, the retail location of a third-party seller of non-potentially-hazardous foods, eggs, and dairy products, or any location where the producer and informed end consumer agree to meet.

What you can sell

Allowed and prohibited foods.

✓Allowed

Cookies, brownies, biscotti, bars
Cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cream pies, custard pies
Breads, rolls, pastries, scones, muffins
Candies, fudge, caramels, chocolates, brittles
Jams, jellies, fruit preserves, fruit butters
Acidified canned goods (pickles, salsas) when recipe rules are met
Granola, cereal, popcorn, snack mixes
Dehydrated fruits, vegetables, herbs, jerky
Eggs (with safe-handling instructions)
Raw milk and raw-milk products from a small herd (with disclosure)
Home-raised poultry under the Act (capped at 1,000 birds per producer per year)
Frostings of any kind, including cream cheese

✕Prohibited

Commercial meat from livestock the producer did not raise themselves
Federally regulated meat or poultry beyond the 1,000-bird limit
Sales through restaurants or as ingredients in a restaurant menu item
Out-of-state shipping or interstate sales under the Act

Wyoming flips the cottage food model: instead of a narrow allowed list, almost any homemade food is allowed when sold directly to an informed end consumer in Wyoming. The Act always carries an assumption of risk by the consumer.

Where you can sell

Sales channels for Wyoming cottage bakers.

🤝

In-person / pickup

Allowed statewide. Farms, ranches, producer's home or office, farmers markets, designated agent locations, or any location the producer and consumer agree to.

🌐

Online sales

Order-taking is allowed. The transaction must occur in Wyoming, with the producer or a designated agent.

📦

Shipping in-state

Allowed for non-perishable foods within Wyoming. The producer should still verify any specific destination before shipping perishables.

✈️

Shipping out-of-state

Not allowed under the Act. Out-of-state sales are interstate commerce and are excluded.

🥕

Farmers markets

Allowed. No special cottage food permit required.

🏪

Retail stores

Allowed only for third-party sales of non-potentially-hazardous foods, eggs, and dairy products under the Act, with consumer notice.

🍽️

Restaurants

Not allowed for resale or as menu ingredients under the Act.

A designated agent of the producer can sell on behalf of the producer at any allowed location.
Third-party retail shops or grocery stores can sell non-potentially-hazardous homemade foods, eggs, and dairy under defined notice rules.
The Act explicitly limits transactions to Wyoming.

Labels

Label every product, exactly like this.

Producer name

The legal name of the homemade food producer.

Producer address or contact

Address, phone, or email so the consumer can reach the producer.

Common name of the food

For example, "Cheesecake" or "Sourdough Bread".

Ingredients in descending order by weight

Standard FDA-style ingredient declaration.

Allergen statement

Identify the major allergens: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.

Consumer-notice statement

The Act requires the buyer to be informed that the food is not certified, labeled, licensed, packaged, regulated, or inspected. Use the disclaimer below.

Safe-handling instructions for perishable items

Include refrigeration or temperature instructions for TCS, raw-milk, egg, or poultry products.

Required disclaimer (copy verbatim)

This product is homemade and is not certified, labeled, licensed, packaged, regulated, or inspected by the State of Wyoming or the federal government.

The Act technically exempts producers from labeling requirements, but the consumer-notice statement is required and is a labeling-style disclosure in practice.
Raw-milk and home-raised poultry have specific disclosure requirements set by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and Department of Livestock.
If you sell unpackaged items at a market table, the disclaimer must be displayed at the point of sale.

Sales cap

How much can you earn under Wyoming cottage law?

Wyoming does not impose any annual sales cap on Food Freedom Act producers. SF 102 (2020) clarified the law's scope and removed any practical limit on what a producer can earn under the Act.

Training

Food safety training in Wyoming

Wyoming does not require state food safety training for Food Freedom Act producers. The Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Casper Public Health, and Teton County publish helpful Q&A documents covering the Act's scope and obligations. Some farmers markets may ask for a food handler card on their own.

Registration

Registration, permits, and inspections in Wyoming

There is no state registration step under the Food Freedom Act. You do not file paperwork with the Department of Agriculture, do not pay a fee, and do not receive a permit number. Local rules around business registration, zoning, and sales tax still apply. Dairy and poultry producers should follow the specific Act disclosure rules for those products.

Step-by-step

How to start a cottage bakery in Wyoming.

01
Read the Wyoming Food Freedom Act
Start with the statute and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and Casper Public Health Q&A documents. Understand who counts as an informed end consumer, what counts as homemade, and the rules for designated agents and third-party sellers.
Casper Public Health: Wyoming Food Freedom Act Q&A →
02
Decide your product list
Wyoming allows almost any homemade food. Decide what you want to make, how you will keep perishables safe, and whether you want to take on raw-milk, egg, or poultry disclosure rules.
03
Build your label template
Even though the Act exempts producers from many labeling requirements, you still need to inform the buyer. Include producer name, contact info, ingredients, allergens, and the consumer-notice statement.
04
Plan in-person sales channels
Plan ranch and home pickup, farmers markets, and any traditional community events. If you want a third-party retail shop to sell your non-potentially-hazardous foods, eggs, or dairy, set up a written agreement that follows the Act.
05
Set up your storefront on Cakery
Cakery gives you a free bakery page at cakerybakeries.com/your-bakery. Add your menu, prices, lead times, and pickup or delivery zones so Wyoming customers can request quotes in one place.
Create a free Cakery page →
06
Handle business and tax basics
Register a business name with the Secretary of State if you operate under a name that is not your own. Register with the Wyoming Department of Revenue for sales tax if your products are taxable, and check local zoning rules.

Worth knowing

A few things Wyoming bakers should know.

The Food Freedom Act is broader than most cottage food laws and allows perishable, raw-milk, and home-raised poultry products under defined conditions.
Out-of-state shipping is not authorized under the Act. Transactions must occur in Wyoming.
Designated agents and qualifying third-party retail shops can sell certain homemade foods, eggs, and dairy on behalf of producers.
Local cities and counties are preempted from imposing extra permits on Act-covered transactions.
The 2020 SF 102 amendments expanded the law and clarified the role of designated agents.

Resources

Bookmark these for Wyoming baking.

FAQ

Wyoming cottage food FAQ.

Do Wyoming cottage bakers need a permit or license?

No. The Food Freedom Act exempts producers from state and local licensure, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws when selling directly to informed end consumers in Wyoming.

Is there a sales cap on Wyoming homemade food?

No. The Act does not impose any annual sales cap.

Can I ship Wyoming homemade food to other states?

No. The Act limits transactions to Wyoming. Out-of-state shipping is interstate commerce and is excluded.

Can I sell cheesecakes, cream pies, or raw milk?

Yes. The Act covers perishable items like cheesecakes and cream pies, and it allows raw milk and raw-milk products from a small herd with disclosure rules. Use proper temperature handling for all perishable items.

Can a third-party shop sell my homemade food?

Yes for non-potentially-hazardous foods, eggs, and dairy products, where the third-party shop follows the Act's consumer-notice rules. Restaurant resale is not authorized.

Can I sell home-raised poultry?

Yes, capped at 1,000 birds per producer per year, with the Act's slaughter and processing rules. Commercial meat from livestock you did not raise yourself is excluded.

What disclaimer must appear on the label or at the point of sale?

This product is homemade and is not certified, labeled, licensed, packaged, regulated, or inspected by the State of Wyoming or the federal government. The Act requires the buyer to be informed that the food was not produced under government oversight.

Run your Wyoming bakery on Cakery

You bake. We handle the tech.

Get your own bakery link, take custom orders without the DM chaos, and get found by customers in Wyoming searching for local bakers.

Create your free bakery page See pricing

Your link will look like cakerybakeries.com/your-bakery

Last verified May 2, 2026. This page is a plain-English summary of Wyoming cottage food laws and is not legal advice. Cottage food rules change, and local health departments often add their own requirements. Always confirm the current rules with the Wyoming agency listed in the official resources above before you sell, ship, or label a product.