Selling food you made at home in Idaho
Checked against Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Food Protection Program on 2026-07-23.
Do you have to register?
No
No registration required.
Training required?
No
None required by the state.
How much can you sell?
No stated sales limit.
Fee: The state does not publish a fee. Ask your county, because this is usually theirs to set.
Where you may sell
- Direct to the person eating it
- Your own home
- A farm stand, permanent or temporary
- Farms and ranches
- Through a designated agent, including a cooperative or consignment market
Posting it to customers: No. Every part of it, making, packing, selling and delivering, has to happen inside Idaho. The Act says these sales must not involve interstate commerce.
Worth knowing
- Idaho replaced its cottage food rule with the Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act. No licence, no registration, no training and no routine inspection.
- A sign, a label on the product, or a card handed over must say: "This product is not subject to government food safety inspection or licensing requirements. It may contain allergens." Add your name and contact details, and the ingredients if there are two or more.
- Perishable food is allowed, which is unusual. Dairy, eggs, cooked vegetables, pickles and filled or frosted bakes are all in, with handling instructions on them.
- Meat is allowed in specific cases: your own poultry up to 1,000 birds a year, domestic rabbit, farm-raised fish other than catfish, and beef, lamb, pork or goat that has been inspected.
- You must keep a record of every transaction for at least two years. If they are missing during a confirmed foodborne illness investigation, the fine is up to $500.
- A shop selling your food must keep it physically apart from its own, including in coolers, freezers and storage.
- Your council cannot impose rules stricter than the state or federal ones on food this Act covers.
Where to actually sell it in Idaho
83 farmers markets and farm stands, which is one of the few places the rules above allow.
Every state
Source: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Food Protection Program, read 2026-07-23.
This is a plain-English summary and not legal advice. Your city or county can add rules the state
does not, so check locally before you start.
Also read: Senate Bill 1283, the Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act · The bill's progress and status · The superseded cottage food rule, IDAPA 16.02.19
Common questions
Do I need to register to sell food made at home in Idaho?
Idaho does not require registration for cottage foods.
Is there a limit on what I can earn in Idaho?
No stated sales limit.
Where can I sell in Idaho?
Direct to the person eating it. Your own home. A farm stand, permanent or temporary. Farms and ranches. Through a designated agent, including a cooperative or consignment market.
Can I post it to customers?
No. Every part of it, making, packing, selling and delivering, has to happen inside Idaho. The Act says these sales must not involve interstate commerce.