Cottage Food Laws by State

Wisconsin Cottage Food Laws

Wisconsin allows home food producers to sell shelf-stable products without a permit. Baked goods have no cap following a 2017 court ruling. Home-canned goods are capped at $5,000.

Annual cap

No cap (baked goods) / $5,000 (canned goods)

Permit required

No

Venues

3

Last updated

2026

What You Can Sell

The following product types are permitted under the Wisconsin cottage food law.

Baked Goods

Permitted
  • Cakes and cupcakes
  • Cookies and brownies
  • Muffins and quick breads
  • Yeast breads and rolls
  • Fruit pies (cream and custard pies require refrigeration and are not permitted)
  • Cake pops and dipped treats
  • Donuts and pastries

Candies and Confections

Permitted
  • Chocolates and fudge
  • Hard candies and lollipops
  • Toffee and caramel (shelf-stable)
  • Cake truffles

Preserved and Dry Goods

Permitted
  • Jams, jellies, and preserves
  • Honey and honeycomb
  • Dried herbs and spices
  • Roasted nuts and trail mix
  • Granola and cereal
  • Popcorn and flavored popcorn
  • Dried pasta (no egg)
Note: Items must be shelf-stable.

Beverages

Permitted
  • Coffee (roasted or ground, not brewed)
  • Dry tea blends
Note: Brewed beverages and juices are not permitted.

What You Cannot Sell

These product types are not covered by the Wisconsin cottage food law and require a commercial kitchen license.

  • Meat, poultry, and seafood products
  • Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter)
  • Items requiring refrigeration (cream pies, cheesecakes)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Fruit and vegetable juices
  • Canned low-acid vegetables

Where You Can Sell

Wisconsin permits cottage food sales at the following venues.

Direct from your home

Farmers markets

Roadside stands

Annual Sales Cap

No cap (baked goods) / $5,000 (canned goods)

Baked goods have no cap following a 2017 court ruling. Home-canned goods are capped at $5,000.

Permit and Registration

No permit or registration required

No permit or license is required for cottage food operations in Wisconsin.

What a Compliant Wisconsin Label Looks Like

Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.

Product

Chocolate Cake Pops

Ingredients

Devil's Food Cake Mix Betty Crocker
Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers Ghirardelli
Rainbow Jimmies Sprinkles Wilton
Red Food Color McCormick

Chocolate Cake Pops

Produced: August 23, 2026

Sunflower Home Bakery

412 Maple Ave, Springfield, WI

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:

Wheat Milk Soy

This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection.

Label Requirements

Every cottage food product sold in Wisconsin 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
Date of production
"Not inspected" disclosure statement

Required Label Disclosure

This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Wisconsin.

This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection.

Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically.

Generate your Wisconsin label in minutes

Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.

Wisconsin Cottage Food — Common Questions

No. Wisconsin does not require any permit or license for cottage food producers.

Wisconsin's annual cap is $20,000 in gross revenue, which is lower than many other states.

Yes. Farmers markets are a permitted venue for Wisconsin cottage food sellers.

You can accept orders online, but transactions must be completed in person at a permitted venue. Carrier shipping is not allowed.

Law reference: Wisconsin Cottage Food Law (Wisconsin Statutes, Section 97.29) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.

Generate your Wisconsin labels in minutes

Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list from the brands you actually use, and generates a label with the Wisconsin-required disclosure already included. Start free.