Cottage Food Laws by State
Nebraska Cottage Food Laws
Nebraska lets home cooks sell food made in a private home without a commercial kitchen or routine inspection, but you register with the state agriculture department first and complete a food safety course. Since 2024 the list of eligible foods is broad, including some items that need refrigeration, as long as you follow the handling rules.
Annual sales cap
No cap
Permit
Required
Training
Required
Home inspection
No
Online sales
Allowed
Shipping
Allowed
Wholesale
Not allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Nebraska
You can sell directly to customers at farmers markets, fairs, festivals, and other public events, or from home for pickup or delivery. Shelf-stable items may be mailed; foods that need temperature control must be handed over in person by you. Resale through a cafe or store is not allowed, and a notice about the uninspected kitchen must be posted wherever you sell.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| From home |
Conditions apply
For pickup or delivery sales, post the notice at your home, on your website, and in any advertising. |
| Farmers markets | Allowed |
| Events & festivals |
Conditions apply
Post the notice that the food was made in a kitchen not subject to regulation and inspection, and may contain allergens, at the sales location. |
| Online orders |
Conditions apply
Non-TCS food may be mailed by U.S. mail or a commercial carrier; TCS food must be delivered in person by the producer. |
| Retail stores | Not allowed |
| Wholesale | Not allowed |
| Restaurants | Not allowed |
What You Can Sell in Nebraska
Rather than a short approved list, Nebraska bans specific items: meat and animal products, fluid milk, raw eggs, unpasteurized juice, infused oils and honey, sprouts, most canned low-acid or acidified foods, tofu-type products, and fermented foods like kombucha. Baked goods, pectin jams, and approved-source dairy treats such as cheesecake fit when handled properly.
Any food prepared in a private home except adulterated food and the listed prohibited TCS items; foods needing temperature control are allowed under conditions.
Allowed with conditions
- TCS foods (such as cheesecake, ice cream, cheese) — Must be prepared in a private home, made with approved-source ingredients, kept cold (41F or below) or hot (135F or above), transported no more than two hours, and delivered in person by the producer.
- Jams and jellies — Allowed when made with pectin.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
No cap
- Food must be prepared in a private home; mobile units and trailers do not qualify
- Must be sold directly to the customer; a business such as a coffee shop cannot resell it
- TCS food cannot be mailed and may not be in transport more than two hours
- Register with NDA and complete a food safety course before selling (farmers-market-only exemption for non-TCS food)
- Private well users must provide proof of nitrate and bacteria testing at registration
- State law overrides conflicting local food safety and handling rules
Local rules: State cottage food provisions override conflicting local ordinances on food safety and handling. Farmers markets may set their own vendor requirements.
How to Start Selling in Nebraska
-
1
Take a food safety course
Complete a nationally accredited food safety course, a certified food handler course, or one approved by NDA, and keep the completion date.
-
2
Test your well water if you use one
Private well users must show proof of nitrate and bacteria testing when registering.
-
3
Register with NDA
Submit the Cottage Food Producer form with your name, address, phone, course taken, and completion date. Listing can take up to 10 days to appear.
-
4
Label products
Put your name and mailing address on each label; list ingredients by weight for TCS foods.
-
5
Post the required notice
Display that the food was made in a kitchen not subject to regulation and inspection and may contain allergens, at your sales site, home, website, and ads as applicable.
What a Compliant Nebraska Label Looks Like
Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Sunflower Home Bakery
412 Maple Ave, Springfield, NE
Ingredients:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Corn Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil; Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla; Sugar, Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Confectioner's Glaze, Carnauba Wax, FD&C Colors; Water, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Red 40.
Contains:
This food was prepared in a kitchen that is not subject to regulation and inspection by the regulatory authority and may contain allergens.
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Nebraska must have a label that includes the following.
| Required field |
|---|
| All 9 FDA major allergens present |
| Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight |
| Business name |
| Business address |
| Product name |
| "Not inspected" disclosure statement |
Nebraska Labeling Notes
- A clear, visible notice must say the food was prepared in a kitchen not subject to regulation and inspection and may contain allergens.
- At events post the notice at the sales location; for pickup or delivery post it at your home, on your website, and in advertising.
Required Label Disclosure
This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Nebraska.
This food was prepared in a kitchen that is not subject to regulation and inspection by the regulatory authority and may contain allergens.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically.
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Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Nebraska Cottage Food — Common Questions
Register once with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture before selling; no fee is listed. Sellers who only sell non-TCS food directly to consumers at farmers markets are exempt.
Nebraska does not set a dollar cap on cottage food sales.
Complete a nationally accredited food safety course, a certified food handler course, or a department-approved course before selling; farmers-market-only sellers of non-TCS food are exempt.
Online sales are allowed. Shipping is allowed. Non-TCS food may be mailed by U.S. mail or a commercial carrier; TCS food must be delivered in person by the producer.
Not allowed: Any part of an animal or animal byproduct (meat, lard, tallow, bone broth); Fluid milk and Grade A milk products; Raw eggs; Unpasteurized juice; Infused oils and infused honey; Sprouts; Low-acid canned foods and hermetically sealed acidified foods; Tofu, tempeh, and similar meat substitutes; Kimchi, kombucha, and similar fermented foods.
Resources and Law History
Who to contact
Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Consumer Protection
402-471-3422
Agency website2019
LB 304 allowed sale of non-TCS homemade foods from home, events, and online within the state.
2024
LB 262, effective July 19, 2024, expanded allowed foods to include some TCS foods, required private-home preparation, and set the registration, training, and notice rules.
Law reference: Nebraska Cottage Food Law (Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-2,280 (cottage food provisions)) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
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