To start a cottage food business in Minnesota, you register with the Department of Agriculture, complete the required food-safety training for your tier, label your products, and start selling — up to $78,000 a year. Registration is free if you sell $7,665 or less, $50 above that. Minnesota even allows some home-canned items. This is the step-by-step playbook; for the full legal detail, see our Minnesota cottage food law guide.
The short version: Minnesota requires registration with the MDA before you sell, tiered by sales volume. If you sell $7,665 or less per year, there's no fee but you take an online training and exam annually. Above that (up to the $78,000 cap), the fee is $50 and you take an approved food-safety course every three years. You can sell non-perishable foods plus home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits that meet pH/water-activity rules. Label products with the "homemade and not subject to state inspection" statement. (In-state shipping is coming under 2025 revisions effective August 1, 2027.) Register, label, and you can start.
Minnesota is inexpensive, especially at the lower tier:
Most Minnesota sellers start for under $150.
Plan for a few days to a couple of weeks, driven by training + registration:
Minnesota allows non-perishable foods (baked goods, jams, candies, dry mixes) plus home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits that meet pH/water-activity rules. The full allowed/prohibited lists and labeling rules are in our Minnesota cottage food law guide and cottage food labeling guide.
Minnesota cottage food is sold direct to consumers:
Because Minnesota allows online ordering with local pickup, a real storefront makes selling far easier — and helps you track sales toward the $78,000 cap. Homegrown gives Minnesota cottage food sellers an online storefront with built-in payments and pickup for $10/month at 0% commission — you keep every dollar except standard card processing. Start a free trial and have a Minnesota-ready storefront live in about 15 minutes.
The cap is $78,000 per individual per year. 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 Minnesota you may also need a sales tax permit from the Department of Revenue depending on what you sell.
You must register with the Department of Agriculture before selling. Registration is free if you sell $7,665 or less per year (with annual online training); above that it's $50 with an approved food-safety course.
$0 registration at the lower tier or $50 above $7,665, plus labels, packaging, and ingredients — most sellers start under $150.
Up to $78,000 in annual sales per individual.
Non-perishable foods plus home-canned pickles, vegetables, or fruits that meet pH/water-activity rules.
In-state shipping is coming under 2025 revisions effective August 1, 2027. Until then, sell direct with local pickup or delivery.
A few days to a couple of weeks, driven by training and MDA registration.
No. Most sellers start as sole proprietors. An LLC is optional and mainly about liability protection if you scale.
Minnesota's tiered system keeps it cheap to start and lets you scale to $78,000. Register, complete your training, label correctly, and set up an easy way for customers to order and pay. Set up a Homegrown storefront to take Minnesota cottage food orders online, read the full Minnesota 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 Minnesota Department of Agriculture before you start selling. Last verified: June 2026.*
