Davenport follows Iowa's permissive cottage food law. Shelf-stable home-kitchen items like baked goods and jams can be sold directly to consumers with proper labeling and no license, while refrigerated foods need a state home food processing establishment license.
Cottage food is governed by state law, not a Davenport ordinance. Under Iowa Code Ch. 137D, non-time/temperature-controlled foods — baked goods, jams, candies, dried mixes — may be made in a home kitchen and sold directly to consumers without a license, provided each item is labeled with the producer, ingredients, allergens, and a made-in-a-home-kitchen statement. Time/temperature-controlled (refrigerated) foods require a home food processing establishment license from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — roughly $50 per year, with a sales cap near $50,000 and periodic inspection. Home food sales must still respect residential zoning limits.
Selling licensable refrigerated foods without the state home food processing establishment license, or mislabeling products, can bring cease-and-desist action and penalties from the state licensing agency.
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See how Davenport's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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