Michigan keeps farmers market food permits unusually centralized: one state agency, MDARD, handles licensing statewide instead of a patchwork of county health departments. Whether you need a license comes down to whether you're a cottage food maker or a fuller food operation. Here's how Michigan's system works.
The short version: Michigan regulates market food through one agency, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), which is more centralized than most states. Whole produce is exempt. Cottage food (baked goods, jams, candy) is exempt from licensing, with a $50,000 annual cap, and is direct-to-consumer only. Other vendors need an MDARD food establishment license, and a mobile prep unit carries a $197 plan review fee plus inspection fees. Cottage food vendors can sample under MDARD's market-sample guidelines with no separate permit. Almost everyone needs a free Michigan sales tax license.
The goal is getting cleared to sell. Once you are, a Homegrown storefront ($10/month, 0% commission) makes taking Michigan orders, pickups, and payments easy.
Most states route farmers market food through county health departments. Michigan is notably more centralized: the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is the primary licensing authority statewide. That means one set of rules and one agency to deal with, rather than county-by-county variation.
If you sell whole, uncut fresh produce, you're exempt from licensing in Michigan. No permit needed to sell it at a farmers market.
Michigan's cottage food law exempts home food makers from licensing for a defined list: baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, muffins, fruit pies), jams and jellies, candies (no alcohol), granola, dry herbs, dry baking mixes, dry soup and dip mixes, popcorn, and cotton candy.
The sales cap is $50,000/year (raised as of March 2026), and sales are direct-to-consumer only, which fits farmers markets, craft shows, and roadside stands perfectly. For the full list and labeling rules, see our Michigan cottage food law guide and our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Michigan.
If you sell beyond the cottage food list (prepared foods, temperature-controlled items, and so on), you need a food establishment license from MDARD. The license year runs May 1 through April 30.
If you use a mobile prep unit (a Transitory Food Unit), there's a one-time $197 plan review fee plus two $90 inspection fees per year. Meat or poultry from your own animals requires both an MDARD food license and product from a USDA-inspected facility.
Good news for cottage food vendors: you can sample your products following MDARD's "Guidelines for Providing Safe Food Samples at Farmers Markets." There's no separate sampling permit required. The guidelines apply to both licensed vendors and cottage food vendors, so review them before market day.
Separate from any food rules, if you make taxable sales you need a Michigan Sales Tax License from the Michigan Department of Treasury. It's free. Cottage food vendors need it too, since tax registration is separate from the food exemption.
Start at the official sources: MDARD's cottage food page for the home-food path, and MDARD food establishment licensing if you need a license. The Michigan Farmers Market Association also publishes a helpful product licensing guide.
Whole produce and cottage food are exempt from licensing. Other vendors need an MDARD food establishment license, and a mobile prep unit carries a $197 plan review fee plus inspection fees. Almost everyone needs a free Michigan sales tax license.
No. Michigan's cottage food law exempts home food makers from licensing, with a $50,000 annual cap (as of March 2026) and direct-to-consumer sales only. You can sell at farmers markets, craft shows, and roadside stands.
State-regulated. Michigan is more centralized than most states, with MDARD as the primary licensing authority. Local health departments play a smaller role for market food licensing than in most states.
Yes. You can sample under MDARD's guidelines for providing safe food samples at farmers markets, with no separate sampling permit required. The guidelines apply to both cottage food and licensed vendors.
Yes, if you make taxable sales. The Michigan Sales Tax License from the Department of Treasury is free and separate from any food rules, so cottage food vendors need it too.
Michigan keeps it centralized under MDARD: whole produce and cottage food are exempt from licensing (cottage food up to $50,000 a year), and fuller operations get an MDARD license. You can sample without a separate permit, and you'll want the free sales tax license. 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 MDARD and the Michigan Department of Treasury before selling. Last updated: June 2026.*
