Oregon is one of the best states in the country for home food makers: no sales tax, no cottage food license, and a sales cap that rises with inflation every year. The licensing that exists is product-specific and runs through a few different agencies. Here's how Oregon works.
The short version: Oregon's Domestic Kitchen (cottage food) law lets you sell shelf-stable home foods with no license and no inspection, just a $10 food handler card. The sales cap rises with inflation each year ($51,200 in 2025, $52,700 in 2026), which no other state does. Oregon has no state sales tax, so there's no seller's permit to worry about. Prepared-food vendors get a county Temporary Restaurant License (there's no statewide permit), and processed-food producers may need an Oregon Department of Agriculture license. Three agencies share oversight depending on your product.
The goal is getting cleared to sell. Once you are, a Homegrown storefront ($10/month, 0% commission) makes taking Oregon orders, pickups, and payments easy.
Oregon's Domestic Kitchen exemption is the route most home bakers and jam makers take, and it's unusually friendly. You can sell shelf-stable, non-potentially-hazardous foods with no Oregon Department of Agriculture license and no home inspection. The one requirement is an OHA food handler's card, which costs about $10 and is valid for three years.
The sales cap is what makes Oregon stand out. It's tied to inflation and rises every year: it was raised to $50,000 by SB 643 effective January 1, 2024, then adjusted to $51,200 in 2025 and $52,700 in 2026. Oregon is the only state that indexes its cottage food cap to inflation. You can sell at farmers markets, roadside stands, events, and retail stores, and take online orders, though there's no mail shipping (delivery must be in person). For the full list and labeling rules, see our Oregon cottage food law guide and our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Oregon.
Here's a genuine simplifier: Oregon has no statewide sales tax, so there's no seller's permit to register for and no tax to collect on most sales. A few local jurisdictions have their own taxes, so check locally, but the burden is minimal compared with most states.
If you sell beyond the Domestic Kitchen exemption, Oregon splits oversight by product:
Fresh, uncut produce from your own farm needs no ODA license.
Sampling is handled by county environmental health and is generally covered under a Temporary Restaurant License or a market-specific arrangement. There's no separate statewide sampling permit.
Start at the official sources: the ODA "selling without a license" page for the Domestic Kitchen rules, and the Oregon Farmers Markets Association licenses page for a plain breakdown. Your county environmental health department handles the Temporary Restaurant License.
For shelf-stable home foods under the Domestic Kitchen law, no license is required, just a $10 food handler card. Prepared-food vendors get a county Temporary Restaurant License. Processed-food producers may need an ODA license. There's no state sales tax, so no seller's permit.
It's indexed to inflation and rises every year: $51,200 in 2025 and $52,700 in 2026 (raised to $50,000 by SB 643 effective January 2024). Oregon is the only state that ties its cottage food cap to inflation.
No. The Domestic Kitchen exemption requires no Oregon Department of Agriculture license and no home inspection. You only need an OHA food handler's card (about $10, valid three years).
No. Oregon has no statewide sales tax, so there's no seller's permit and no tax to collect on most sales. A few local jurisdictions have their own taxes, so check locally.
It depends on the product. County environmental health departments issue Temporary Restaurant Licenses for prepared-food booths, the Oregon Department of Agriculture licenses processed foods and animal products, and OLCC handles alcohol. There's no single statewide permit.
Oregon is one of the easiest states going: no cottage food license, no sales tax, and an inflation-indexed cap that rises each year. Prepared-food vendors get a county Temporary Restaurant License, and processed foods may need an ODA license. Just grab the $10 food handler card and you're most of the way there. 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 county requirements vary. Verify current requirements with the Oregon Department of Agriculture and your county environmental health department before selling. Last updated: June 2026.*
