Rules checked against official Missouri sources as of September 23, 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and cities and counties add their own rules. Confirm with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and your city or county before you sell.
The short version: Missouri lets you bake at home and sell directly to the people who eat it. You don't need a permit, a registration or a training certificate, and there is no dollar cap. The law covers baked goods, canned jam or jelly, and dried herbs. Online orders are fine when you and your buyer are both in Missouri. Your label needs your name and address and a line saying the food isn't inspected.
The law
Missouri's rules for home kitchens are in RSMo § 196.298, which covers a "cottage food production operation" [1]. It was created by SB 525 in 2014 and last changed by HB 1697, which took effect August 28, 2022 [1][2].
Under this section, a cottage food operation "is not a food service establishment". It doesn't fall under other state health or food code laws beyond § 196.298 itself [1]. Local health departments may not regulate home production. They do keep a record of complaints, and the state and local health departments can still investigate a foodborne illness [1].
A bill to expand the law in 2026 (HB 3108) never got out of committee, so the 2022 text still applies [3].
What you can sell
The statute allows three kinds of food: "a baked good, a canned jam or jelly, or a dried herb or herb mix" [1].
It defines baked goods as "cookies, cakes, breads, danish, donuts, pastries, pies, and other items that are prepared by baking the item in an oven" [1].
What you can't sell
A baked good "does not include a potentially hazardous food item as defined by department rule" [1]. We couldn't find a DHSS rule written for cottage food that spells out that list (see What we couldn't confirm). In general food-safety terms, "potentially hazardous" means food that needs refrigeration to stay safe. That usually covers cream, custard or cheesecake fillings and cream-cheese frostings. Treat that as a working reading, not a ruling.
Anything outside the three categories isn't covered by § 196.298. That includes candy, granola, meals, meat, dairy products, pickles and salsas.
Sales cap
None. The 2014 version of the law capped gross income at $50,000 a year. HB 1697 removed the cap in 2022 [1][4].
Where and how you can sell
Directly to consumers only. The operation "sells the food produced ... only directly to consumers" [1]. That rules out selling wholesale or through stores, cafés or restaurants.
Online orders are allowed inside Missouri. You "shall not sell ... through the internet unless both the cottage food production operation and the purchaser are located in this state" [1]. Before 2022 the law banned internet sales outright [4].
Delivery and shipping aren't mentioned. The statute doesn't say whether you can deliver or mail an order within Missouri. Some websites say in-state shipping is allowed, but we couldn't find that in any official text.
Markets and events are unclear under § 196.298. The law describes food made "for sale at the individual's home" [1], and it doesn't address farmers markets. For market stands, DHSS points to a separate exception in the Missouri Food Code (see the next section).
A second path: "individual stands" at markets
DHSS's own FAQ answers "Is there a Cottage Food Rule for Missouri?" by pointing to the Missouri Food Code's exception for individual stands. It doesn't mention § 196.298 at all [5]. Under that exception, "where local codes allow", the person who makes the food, or a family member in their household, can sell non-potentially hazardous food directly to the end consumer at a stand [5]. The Food Code is adopted by rule 19 CSR 20-1.025 [6].
This path has stricter label rules (below) and depends on local codes. If you sell at a farmers market, ask the market and your local health department which path they expect you to follow.
Labels
Under § 196.298, the label must include [1]:
The name and address of the cottage food operation
A statement that the food is not inspected by the department or the local health department
The law requires the substance of that statement but doesn't fix its wording. It sets no font size and no rule for online listings.
Under the individual-stands path, DHSS lists these label items [5]:
Name and address of the person who made the food
The common name of the food
All ingredients, in order of predominance
Net weight, in English or metric units
A statement that the product was made in a kitchen that isn't inspected by the department
If you sell unpackaged single portions at a stand, DHSS also calls for a "clearly visible placard" saying the food comes from an uninspected kitchen [5].
Our suggestion: even though § 196.298 asks for only two items, listing the ingredients and the major allergens (wheat, milk, eggs, nuts, soy) is what buyers look for, and it also covers you under the stand path.
Permits, registration and training
Under § 196.298: there is no permit, registration, fee or required training [1].
Food handler cards: "There currently is no statewide food handler certification". DHSS notes that some city and county health agencies do require one [5].
Zoning, business licenses and sales tax aren't covered by the cottage food statute. Check your city's home-occupation rules and your sales tax obligations.
Eggs, meat and dairy
Eggs: selling shell eggs falls under Missouri's egg law, run by the Department of Agriculture, and generally needs a license [7][8]. There's an exception for people who sell only eggs from their own flock, as long as they aren't sold at an established place of business away from the farm [7].
Raw milk: only pasteurized milk can be sold to consumers or stores. The one exception is that someone may buy raw milk or cream from a farm for their own use and have it delivered [9].
Meat, poultry and dairy products (cheese, butter and so on) aren't covered by the cottage food law [1].
What we couldn't confirm from an official source
Which foods count as "potentially hazardous." The statute points to a "department rule", and we found no DHSS cottage-food rule in 19 CSR 20-1 [6].
In-state delivery and shipping. They are allowed according to secondary sites, but the statute doesn't say so.
Farmers market sales under § 196.298, given its "at the individual's home" wording.
DHSS's recommended label sentence. The sentence quoted on many websites ("This product is home-produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services") has no official source we could find. Several DHSS guidance pages and PDFs now return "not found".
The Food Code section number for the individual-stands exception (1-201.10(B)) comes from a secondary source. DHSS quotes the text but not the number.
Selling on Coop
Coop is a marketplace for homemade and homegrown goods from sellers near you. Here is how its tools line up with Missouri's rules.
A storefront buyers find nearby. Your shop shows up for buyers around you, and you decide whether your exact pin is public or only your general area. Lesson: Open your storefront.
Pickup or your own delivery, and no shipping. Coop orders are picked up or delivered by you, and Coop has no shipping option. That keeps each sale direct to the buyer, which is what § 196.298 requires. Delivery needs card payments turned on. Lesson: Pickup, delivery, cash and trades.
The not-inspected line on your listings. In the listing wizard, turn on "Cottage food", and Coop shows buyers a line saying the food was made in a home kitchen that isn't licensed or inspected. You can also add ingredients and allergens. Lesson: Ingredients, allergens and meat details.
Labels. With Coop+ or Coop Pro, the Label maker prints labels from a saved recipe, including the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, your shop and your state's line. Under "Address on the label", choose "Street address" if you want the full address the statute asks for, not only your town. Lesson: Print labels with the Label maker.
Pre-orders. Set a weekly pickup rhythm so buyers can reserve from your next bake before you start, or mark a listing made to order. Lessons: Set a weekly pickup rhythm · Made to order: when the card actually charges.
See what Missouri bakers are selling: St. Louis baked goods · St. Louis sourdough · Springfield sourdough · Kansas City
Coop's tools don't make a seller compliant. You're responsible for following Missouri's rules and your local ones.
Not legal advice. This guide summarizes Missouri law as we read it on September 23, 2026. For a decision that matters, confirm with DHSS, your local health department or an attorney.
Sources
All opened on 2026-09-23.
RSMo § 196.298, current text (effective 8/28/2022): https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=196.298
HB 1697 (2022), bill page, signed 6/7/2022, effective 8/28/2022: https://house.mo.gov/BillContent.aspx?bill=HB1697&year=2022&code=R&style=new
HB 3108 (2026), status "In Committee", not heard: https://house.mo.gov/BillContent.aspx?bill=HB3108&year=2026&code=R&style=new
RSMo § 196.298, 2014 version with the $50,000 cap and internet ban: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/PageSelect.aspx?section=196.298&bid=10168