Pennsylvania doesn't have a traditional cottage food law. Instead, home food sellers register as a Limited Food Establishment, and which agency you deal with depends on your county. Seven Pennsylvania counties run their own health departments with their own rules, while the rest go through the state. Here's how to figure out your path.
The short version: Pennsylvania uses a Limited Food Establishment (LFE) registration instead of a cottage food law. It costs $35/year, requires applying about 60 days ahead and passing an inspection, and covers shelf-stable home foods with no sales cap. Prepared or temperature-controlled food needs a Retail Food Facility License, and each market stand counts as its own facility. The big wrinkle: seven counties (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery, and Philadelphia) run their own health departments and issue their own licenses, while the rest of the state goes through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Almost everyone needs a state sales tax license.
The goal is getting cleared to sell. Once you are, a Homegrown storefront ($10/month, 0% commission) makes taking Pennsylvania orders, pickups, and payments easy.
Pennsylvania doesn't have a classic "cottage food" exemption. The vehicle for home food sellers is the Limited Food Establishment (LFE) registration, regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA).
Unlike a pure exemption, the LFE is a registration you have to earn. It costs $35/year, you apply about 60 days before you start operating, and an inspector collects the fee at the time of inspection. It covers shelf-stable foods made in a home or home-style kitchen, with no revenue cap. Note that pets aren't allowed in the home during production. For the full rules, see our Pennsylvania cottage food guide and our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Pennsylvania.
This is the part that confuses Pennsylvania vendors. Most of the state is regulated by the PDA, but seven counties run their own health departments and issue their own licenses: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery, and Philadelphia.
If your market is in one of those seven counties, you apply to the county, not the state, and the rules and fees can differ. If you're anywhere else in Pennsylvania, you go through the PDA. Confirm which applies before you submit anything.
If you sell prepared, temperature-controlled, or otherwise non-exempt food, you need a Retail Food Facility License. Important detail: each market stand is treated as a separate facility and needs its own license, so if you sell at multiple markets, factor that in.
Raw produce and pre-packaged non-temperature-controlled items from a licensed or registered kitchen are generally exempt from a separate retail license.
Separate from any food registration, if you make taxable sales you need a Pennsylvania Sales Tax License from the PA Department of Revenue. Most food is actually exempt from Pennsylvania sales tax, but you still need the license. LFE operators need it too, since it's separate from the food rules.
There's no separate statewide sampling permit in Pennsylvania. Individual markets and the seven county health departments may have their own sampling rules, so check with whichever authority covers your market.
Start at the official sources: the PDA Limited Food Establishment page for the home-food path (or your county health department if you're in one of the seven). Penn State Extension also publishes a clear guide to farmers market licensing requirements.
Most home food sellers register as a Limited Food Establishment ($35/year, with an inspection). Prepared or temperature-controlled food needs a Retail Food Facility License, with each stand counting as its own facility. Almost everyone needs a state sales tax license.
Not a traditional one. Pennsylvania uses the Limited Food Establishment (LFE) registration instead. It costs $35/year, requires applying about 60 days ahead and passing an inspection, and has no sales cap.
Seven: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery, and Philadelphia. If your market is in one of these, you apply to the county rather than the state Department of Agriculture.
$35 per year. You apply about 60 days before operating, and an inspector collects the fee at the time of inspection.
Yes, if you make taxable sales, though most food is exempt from Pennsylvania sales tax. The license is free from the PA Department of Revenue and separate from any food registration.
Pennsylvania routes home food sellers through a Limited Food Establishment registration ($35/year with an inspection) instead of a cottage food law, and prepared food needs a Retail Food Facility License per stand. The key thing to confirm is whether your county is one of the seven that run their own health departments. Get the sales tax license 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, and seven Pennsylvania counties regulate separately. Verify current requirements with the PA Department of Agriculture or your county health department before selling. Last updated: June 2026.*
