To start a cottage food business in Indiana, you get an ANSI food handler certificate, confirm your product is non-perishable, label it correctly, and start selling as a Home Based Vendor — there's no license, no registration, no inspection, and no sales cap, and you can even take orders online and ship within Indiana. This is the step-by-step playbook; for the full legal detail, see our Indiana cottage food law guide.
The short version: Indiana's Home Based Vendor (HBV) law has no revenue cap and no permit, registration, or kitchen inspection — the one requirement is an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate (via Purdue Extension or ServSafe). You can sell non-perishable baked goods, candies, and traditional high-sugar jams (the only home-canned food allowed). You can advertise, take orders online, and ship to consumers within Indiana. Every label needs the "home produced… NOT FOR RESALE" statement in 10-point type. Get the certificate, label correctly, and you can start.
Indiana is inexpensive aside from the certificate:
Most Indiana sellers start for under $150.
Plan for just a few days — the only gating step is the certificate:
Indiana allows non-perishable baked goods, candies, and traditional high-sugar jams (the only home-canned food permitted). Anything needing refrigeration is off-limits. The full allowed/prohibited lists and labeling rules are in our Indiana cottage food law guide and cottage food labeling guide.
Indiana is unusually flexible for a no-permit state:
Because Indiana allows online orders + in-state shipping, a real storefront makes selling far easier than juggling DMs. Homegrown gives Indiana cottage food sellers an online storefront with built-in payments and pickup or shipping for $10/month at 0% commission — you keep every dollar except standard card processing. Start a free trial and have an Indiana-ready storefront live in about 15 minutes.
There's no cap — you can earn as much as demand allows. To get the most out of it:
Starting a cottage food business doesn't require an LLC, but it's worth understanding the basics: see whether you need an LLC to sell food from home and how cottage food taxes work on Schedule C. In Indiana you may also need a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate to collect sales tax depending on what you sell.
No license, registration, or inspection — but you must have an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate (via Purdue Extension or ServSafe) to operate as a Home Based Vendor.
Often under $150 — a ~$15–$25 food handler certificate plus labels, packaging, and ingredients. An online storefront adds $10/month.
There's no revenue cap for home-based vendors — you can sell an unlimited amount.
Non-perishable baked goods, candies, and traditional high-sugar jams (the only home-canned food allowed).
Yes — you can take orders online and ship to consumers within Indiana (third-party shipping is allowed). Out-of-state shipping isn't covered.
Just a few days — the only gating step is getting the food handler certificate.
No. Most sellers start as sole proprietors. An LLC is optional and mainly about liability protection if you scale.
Indiana is low-friction with a nice bonus — in-state shipping. Get your food handler certificate, label correctly, and set up an easy way for customers to order and pay. Set up a Homegrown storefront to take Indiana cottage food orders online, see the best platform to sell food from home, read the full Indiana cottage food law, and compare other states on our cottage food laws by state hub.
*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change — verify current requirements with the Indiana State Department of Health before you start selling. Last verified: June 2026.*
Selling at farmers markets? See our Indiana farmers market vendor permit guide for the permits you need on market day.
