In New York, you can sell homemade shelf-stable foods under the state's Home Processor exemption with no sales cap, no license, and no fee — you just register (free) with the Department of Agriculture and Markets. You can sell retail and wholesale, in person and online, anywhere inside New York. This guide covers exactly what you can make, how to register, how to label it, and the one chocolate rule that trips New York sellers up.
The short version: New York's Home Processor exemption is unusual in two great ways — there is no annual sales limit (you can earn as much as you want) and registration is free with no expiration date. You can sell retail and wholesale, in person and online, at farms, markets, and by home delivery. The catches: only specific shelf-stable foods qualify, all sales must happen within New York, and New York is the one state that bans tempered chocolate for dipping or coating (there's no thermal kill step). Register, label correctly, and you can sell freely.
No. New York does not set an annual gross sales cap for registered home processors — you can sell an unlimited amount under the exemption, per the NY Department of Agriculture and Markets. Older guides citing a $50,000 cap or "face-to-face only" rule are out of date.
| New York home processor rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual sales cap | None (unlimited) |
| License | Not required (exempt from Article 20-C) |
| Registration | Required, free, no expiration (re-register if you move) |
| Allowed foods | Specific shelf-stable list (below) |
| Sales allowed | Retail and wholesale |
| Where you can sell | Farms, markets, craft/flea fairs, home delivery, online |
| Shipping | Within New York only |
No license — but you must register for the Home Processor exemption with the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Registration is free, has no expiration date, and exempts you from Article 20-C food-processing licensing. Because the exemption is tied to your location, you must re-register if you relocate. The state may inspect a home-processing kitchen, but routine inspection is not part of the exemption.
The exemption covers specific shelf-stable foods. Commonly allowed items include:
Prohibited items:
When in doubt, the food must be shelf-stable and on the approved list — confirm with the Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Every New York home-processed product must include:
A simple compliant label might read: *"Hudson Valley Granola — Made in a Home Kitchen by [Your Name], [Address]. Ingredients: oats, honey, almonds (contains tree nuts)... Net wt. 10 oz."* See our cottage food labeling guide for templates.
New York is generous on sales channels. You can sell retail and wholesale at:
The one geographic rule: all home-processed foods must be sold within New York State — no shipping or selling across state lines.
Because online ordering and home delivery are explicitly allowed — and there's no sales cap — a real storefront helps New York sellers scale past DMs and spreadsheets. Homegrown gives you an online storefront with built-in payments and pickup/delivery scheduling for $10/month at 0% commission — you keep every dollar except standard card processing. Start a free trial and have a New York–ready storefront live in about 15 minutes.
Always confirm the current allowed-foods list with the Department of Agriculture and Markets before adding a product.
No. New York's Home Processor exemption has no annual gross sales cap — you can sell an unlimited amount as long as you're registered and follow the rules. Older guides citing a $50,000 limit are outdated.
No license, but you must register (free, no expiration) for the Home Processor exemption with the NY Department of Agriculture and Markets. This exempts you from Article 20-C licensing.
Yes. New York allows internet sales and home delivery, plus retail and wholesale at farms and markets — but every sale must stay within New York. You cannot ship across state lines.
New York is the only state that prohibits tempered chocolate, candy melts, and almond bark used for dipping, coating, or drizzling, because tempering has no thermal kill step. Other shelf-stable confections like fudge are allowed.
Refrigerated items, buttercream/cream cheese frostings with dairy or eggs, tempered chocolate for coating, raw nuts and nut butters, meat, fish, poultry, and beverages. Only approved shelf-stable foods qualify.
Yes. Unlike many states, New York allows both retail and wholesale sales of home-processed foods at agricultural farm venues, as long as sales stay within the state.
Apply for the free Home Processor exemption through the NY Department of Agriculture and Markets. There's no fee and no expiration, though you must re-register if you move.
Routine inspection isn't part of the exemption, but the Department of Agriculture and Markets may inspect a home-processing kitchen. Follow good food-safety and allergen practices.
New York's no-cap, free-registration exemption is one of the most scalable in the country — once you're registered and your labels are right, you can sell retail, wholesale, and online without a revenue ceiling. Set up a Homegrown storefront to take New York cottage food orders with pickup and in-state delivery, then compare the rules in nearby states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, or see the full cottage food laws by state hub.
*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change — verify current requirements with the NY Department of Agriculture and Markets before selling. Last verified: June 2026.*
