To start a cottage food business in New Hampshire, you pick your tier — sell unlicensed at farmers markets and from home, or get a $150 Homestead License to sell online, ship, and wholesale — confirm your product, label it, and start selling, with no sales cap. New Hampshire even allows properly acidified foods like pickles and salsa. This is the step-by-step playbook; for the full legal detail, see our New Hampshire cottage food law guide.
The short version: New Hampshire removed all revenue caps. As an unlicensed operator you can sell shelf-stable foods at farmers markets, from home, or at your own farm stand. With a Class H Homestead License ($150) you can sell almost anywhere — online, shipped, wholesale, and to retail stores. The allowed list includes properly acidified foods (pickles, salsas, relishes). Labels differ by tier: unlicensed products say "exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection"; licensed products say "made in a residential kitchen licensed by NH DHHS." Pick your tier, label correctly, and you can start.
Costs depend on your tier:
Unlicensed sellers can start for under $150; the license adds $150 for the broader channels.
On the unlicensed tier you can start the same day. The licensed tier adds the time to obtain the $150 Homestead License:
New Hampshire allows shelf-stable foods (baked goods, jams, candies, dry mixes) plus properly acidified items like pickles, salsas, and relishes. The full allowed/prohibited lists and labeling rules are in our New Hampshire cottage food law guide and cottage food labeling guide.
Your channels depend on your tier:
Because the licensed tier opens online, shipping, and wholesale, a real storefront pays off quickly. Homegrown gives New Hampshire 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 a New Hampshire-ready storefront live in about 15 minutes.
There's no cap on either tier — 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. New Hampshire has no general sales tax, which keeps things simple.
Not for the unlicensed tier (farmers markets, home, your own farm stand). A Class H Homestead License ($150) is required to sell online, shipped, wholesale, or to retail stores.
The unlicensed tier is free; the Class H Homestead License is $150. Plus labels, packaging, and ingredients — unlicensed sellers start under $150.
There's no revenue cap on either tier — New Hampshire removed all caps.
Shelf-stable foods plus properly acidified items like pickles, salsas, and relishes.
Yes, with the $150 Class H Homestead License — which also allows shipping, wholesale, and retail. The unlicensed tier is markets/home/farm stand only.
The same day on the unlicensed tier; the licensed tier adds the time to obtain the $150 license.
No. Most sellers start as sole proprietors. An LLC is optional and mainly about liability protection if you scale.
New Hampshire's two-tier system lets you start free at markets and upgrade to sell almost anywhere — all with no cap. Pick your tier, label correctly, and set up an easy way for customers to order and pay. Set up a Homegrown storefront to take New Hampshire cottage food orders online, see the best platform to sell food from home, read the full New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services before you start selling. Last verified: June 2026.*
