Georgia handles farmers market food permits at the state level through the Department of Agriculture, which makes it simpler than most states. Whether you need a license comes down to one thing: are you a cottage food maker or a fuller food business? Cottage food got much easier in 2025, while other vendors still need a state license. Here's how to tell which applies to you.
The short version: Georgia regulates market food through the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), not your county. Most processed-food vendors need a Food Sales Establishment License, with tiered annual fees from $100 to $300. But as of July 1, 2025, cottage food makers need no state license, fee, or registration at all, just food safety training and proper labeling. Almost everyone needs a free Georgia sales tax registration. Georgia is more centralized than most states, so you deal with the state, not a county health department.
The goal is getting cleared to sell. Once you are, a Homegrown storefront ($10/month, 0% commission) makes taking Georgia orders, pickups, and payments easy.
In most states, farmers market food rules run through county health departments. Georgia is different: the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Division handles food licensing statewide. That means one set of rules across the state, which is a relief compared with the county-by-county patchwork elsewhere.
If you sell processed foods beyond the cottage food list, you need a Food Sales Establishment License from GDA. It's annual, running July 1 through June 30, and the fee is tiered by risk level:
There's a narrow exception: vendors selling only jams, jellies, preserves, and non-refrigerated baked goods at a county or city-sponsored event lasting under 120 hours may operate under a local permit instead.
This is the big recent change. Under HB 398, effective July 1, 2025, Georgia eliminated the licensing requirement for cottage food operations. You no longer need a state license, fee, or registration to make and sell cottage foods (non-refrigerated baked goods, candy, jams, and similar items).
You still have to complete ANSI-accredited food safety training and follow GDA labeling rules, and the same law now lets cottage food makers sell to retail stores in addition to farmers markets, roadside stands, and online. One caveat: an individual market may still ask vendors to show a Food Sales Establishment License as its own policy, even though the state no longer requires one. For the full rules, see our Georgia cottage food law guide and our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Georgia.
Separate from any food license, if you make taxable sales you need to register for sales tax with the Georgia Department of Revenue. It's free. Georgia collects sales tax on most food sold at retail, so plan to collect it. Cottage food makers need this registration too, since it's separate from the food rules.
Cottage food sampling is allowed as long as products are non-perishable. There's no separate state sampling permit for cottage food. Licensed vendors follow standard food safety rules for samples.
Start at the official source: the GDA cottage food FAQ for the home-food path, or the GDA food establishment licenses page for the Food Sales Establishment License.
It depends on your product. As of July 1, 2025, cottage food makers need no state license at all. Other processed-food vendors need a Food Sales Establishment License from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, with tiered fees from $100 to $300. Almost everyone needs a free sales tax registration.
No. As of July 1, 2025 (HB 398), Georgia eliminated the cottage food licensing requirement. You still need ANSI-accredited food safety training and proper labeling, but no state license, fee, or registration. Note that an individual market may still ask for a license as its own policy.
It's tiered by risk level: $100, $150, $200, $250, or $300 per year. The license year runs July 1 through June 30.
State-regulated. The Georgia Department of Agriculture handles food licensing statewide, so you deal with the state rather than a county health department in most cases.
Yes, for most food sold at retail. Register for free with the Georgia Department of Revenue. This is separate from any food license, so cottage food makers need it too.
Georgia keeps it simple and statewide: cottage food makers need no license as of 2025 (just training and labeling), while other processed-food vendors get a Food Sales Establishment License from the state for $100 to $300. Register for sales tax either way. Once you're cleared to sell, a simple storefront makes pickups and payments easy. Set up a Homegrown storefront for $10/month at 0% commission, and check other states on our cottage food laws by state hub, or compare every state in our farmers market vendor permits by state guide.
*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules change. Verify current requirements with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Department of Revenue before selling. Last updated: June 2026.*
