Fla. Stat. §500.80 lets Charlotte County residents sell homemade, shelf-stable foods direct to consumers, and ship them, earning up to $250,000 a year with no state food permit. Local governments cannot prohibit it.
Florida's cottage food law, §500.80, allows production of non-hazardous foods such as baked goods, jams, candies, and dried goods in a home kitchen without a permit or inspection from the Department of Agriculture, so long as annual gross sales stay at or below $250,000. Since 2021 operators may sell in person and ship within Florida. Products must be labeled with the operator's name and address, ingredients, allergens, net weight, and a statement that the food is made in an unlicensed home kitchen. Charlotte County and Punta Gorda cannot ban cottage food operations, though zoning still treats them as home occupations.
Selling potentially hazardous foods, misbranding products, or exceeding the $250,000 cap ends the exemption and can trigger Department of Agriculture enforcement and a requirement to move to a licensed facility.
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See how Charlotte County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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