This is not legal advice.
Cottage food laws change frequently and vary by county or local health department. Always confirm current requirements with Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) or a local food safety professional before printing labels or selling product. View the official source. Last verified: 2026-08.
The statute requires a "not inspected" disclosure but does not fix its exact wording, and DHSS's own cottage food guidance PDF (health.mo.gov/safety/foodsafety/pdf/home-based-kitchen-food-prod-guidance.pdf) returned a 404 on every attempt during this research, so it could not be directly verified. The commonly cited model sentence above comes from secondary and local-government sources, and wording reportedly varies by locality (e.g., Springfield substitutes its own health department's name). Confirm current model language directly with DHSS or your local health department before printing labels.
Required Label Statement
Exact wording Missouri requires
“Missouri's statute (RSMo § 196.298.4) does not fix one required sentence. It requires the label to include "the name and address of the cottage food production operation and a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department." A commonly used version is "This product is home-produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services," but exact wording is not standardized statewide.”
No statewide font-size or contrast rule is specified in statute, unlike many other states' cottage food laws — only the two content requirements above. Some local health departments (e.g., Springfield-Greene County) reference their own department's name in the statement instead of DHSS, so check local expectations in addition to the state minimum.
Sales Cap & Registration
Annual Sales Cap
Registration & Permitting
Food Safety Course
What You Can (and Can't) Sell
Allowed
Not Allowed
Selling something that needs a full Nutrition Facts panel (like packaged prepared meals) instead of a cottage food disclosure? See our meal prep labeling guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does a Missouri cottage food label need to say?
State law only requires your operation's name and address plus a statement that the food isn't inspected by DHSS or your local health department — it doesn't fix exact wording. A widely used version is "This product is home-produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services," but some localities use their own phrasing, so it's worth confirming locally.
Is there a sales cap for Missouri cottage food producers?
No. Missouri had a $50,000 annual cap until it was repealed in 2022 (HB 1697). There is currently no gross sales limit.
Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Missouri?
No permit, license, registration, or kitchen inspection is required, and state law specifically bars local health departments from regulating cottage food production.
What foods can I sell under Missouri's cottage food law?
Only baked goods, canned jams or jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes — a narrower list than most states. Anything potentially hazardous (like a cream pie) or outside those three categories isn't covered.