Farmington Hills, MI Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

Michigan's Cottage Food Law, codified at MCL 333.12601-12605, exempts qualifying home food producers from licensure and inspection under the Michigan Food Law when they (1) produce only non-potentially hazardous foods (breads, cookies, cakes, jams, jellies, dried herbs, honey, popcorn, fudge, candies, dry mixes, and similar shelf-stable items); (2) sell directly to the end consumer at the producer's home, farmer's markets, roadside stands, or similar venues — no wholesale, no internet sales requiring shipping, no third-party retailers; and (3) earn no more than $25,000 in gross annual sales. Each package must be labeled with the producer's name, home address, product common name, ingredient list, allergen disclosure, net weight/volume, and the statutory disclaimer: 'Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.' Local governments cannot require a separate cottage food license. However, Farmington Hills still treats the operation as a home occupation under Sec. 34-4.15 of the Zoning Ordinance, so the producer must file a Home Occupation Registration with Planning ($150 + $75 annual renewal), keep the activity unnoticeable from the exterior, serve no more than one customer at a time on-site, and not exceed 15% of the dwelling's floor area. Pickup-only direct sales fit well; running it as a retail storefront does not.