Missouri's cottage food law is one of the most permissive in the country in one way and one of the most limited in another. There's no permit, no cap, and local governments can't add requirements, but the list of foods you can make is short. Here's how Missouri works for farmers market vendors.
The short version: Missouri lets you sell home-produced baked goods, canned jams and jellies, and dried herbs with no permit, no license, no registration, no inspection, and no sales cap. Local health departments are even barred from adding requirements. The trade-off is a narrow allowed-foods list (just those three categories). Anything beyond that goes through your local public health agency. Almost everyone registers for sales tax. It's a great state if your product fits the list and a limited one if it doesn't.
The goal is getting cleared to sell. Once you are, a Homegrown storefront ($10/month, 0% commission) makes taking Missouri orders, pickups, and payments easy.
Missouri's cottage food law (state statute 196.298) is genuinely hands-off. You can sell home-produced foods with no permit, no license, no registration, no inspection, and no training required. There's no sales cap (it was removed by HB 1697, effective August 28, 2022). And notably, local health departments are expressly barred from adding their own requirements, which isn't true in most states.
The catch is the short list. Missouri cottage food only covers baked goods, canned jams and jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes. That's it. If your product is a baked good or a jam, Missouri is one of the easiest states in the country. If it's candy, granola, or anything else, the cottage food law won't cover you.
You sell direct to consumers at farmers markets, roadside stands, special events, and online within Missouri. Products need a label with your name and address and the statement "This food is not inspected by the department or local health department." For the full rules, see our Missouri cottage food law guide and our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Missouri.
If your product falls outside the three cottage food categories, or you sell prepared or temperature-controlled food, you deal with your local public health agency (LPHA). Missouri has no single statewide farmers market food permit, so you contact the LPHA where the market operates and get a retail food establishment permit (typically with 30 days advance notice). Requirements and fees vary by county.
Missouri also has a separate "Individual Stands" provision for certain non-perishable foods with no cap and no permit, which some vendors find broader than the cottage food law, so it's worth asking your LPHA about.
Separate from any food rules, register with the Missouri Department of Revenue (no fee). Raw, unprocessed farm products may qualify for a sales tax exemption, but cottage food isn't clearly exempt, so confirm your situation with the state.
No separate state sampling permit was identified. For non-cottage-food vendors, defer to your local public health agency.
Start at the official sources: the Missouri DHSS farmers markets page and the cottage food statute (196.298). Your local public health agency handles permits for non-cottage foods.
For baked goods, canned jams and jellies, or dried herbs, no permit, license, registration, or cap applies, and local governments can't add requirements. For anything outside those three categories, you need a permit from your local public health agency. Almost everyone registers for sales tax.
Only baked goods, canned jams and jellies, and dried herbs or herb mixes. The list is narrow, but for those products, there's no permit, no cap, and no inspection. Other foods fall outside the cottage food law.
No. The cap was removed by HB 1697, effective August 28, 2022. There's no sales limit, and local health departments are barred from adding their own requirements.
No, not for cottage food. Missouri's statute expressly bars local health departments from adding requirements to cottage food sales, which is unusual. For non-cottage foods, your local public health agency does set requirements.
Yes, if you make taxable sales. Registration with the Missouri Department of Revenue is free. Raw farm products may qualify for an exemption, but cottage food isn't clearly exempt, so confirm with the state.
Missouri is a study in contrasts: no permit, no cap, and no local rules for cottage food, but only three allowed categories (baked goods, jams, dried herbs). If your product fits, it's one of the easiest states going. If it doesn't, you'll work with your local public health agency. 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 farmers market vendor permits by state guide.
*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules change and vary by local public health agency. Verify current requirements with Missouri DHSS and your local agency before selling. Last updated: June 2026.*
