Seminole County, FL Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- FS 500.80 (statewide)
- Sales cap
- $250,000 annual gross
- State permit
- Not required
- Local ban
- Preempted by state law
- Sales channels
- Direct, mail order, online
Summary
Florida's Cottage Food law (FS 500.80) lets you make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from your home kitchen without a state permit, up to $250,000 in annual gross sales. It applies statewide, so Seminole County cannot separately license it.
A cottage food operation must comply with the applicable requirements of this chapter but is exempt from the permitting requirements of s. 500.12 if the cottage food operation complies with this section and has annual gross sales of cottage food products that do not exceed $250,000.
Full Breakdown
Under FS 500.80, a cottage food operation may produce approved shelf-stable foods (baked goods, jams, candies, dried mixes, and similar) in an unlicensed home kitchen and sell them directly to consumers, including by mail order and online. The operation is exempt from the Department of Agriculture permitting requirements of FS 500.12 as long as annual gross sales stay at or under $250,000 and products are properly labeled. Florida preempts local governments from prohibiting cottage food operations or regulating them beyond state law, so Seminole County does not issue a separate cottage-food license. Zoning still treats the activity as a home occupation, and a county Business Tax Receipt may apply.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the $250,000 sales cap or selling prohibited (potentially hazardous) foods loses the exemption and subjects the operation to FS 500 licensing and Department of Agriculture enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to sell homemade food in Florida?
Can Seminole County ban my cottage food business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida home business overview
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