Lincoln, NE Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

Nebraska Revised Statute 81-2,280 (the Nebraska Cottage Food Act, signed into law May 2019 via LB 304) permits home-based food production and direct-to-consumer sales with no annual revenue limit. Allowed products include baked goods, jams, jellies, pickles, candy, honey, granola, dried fruit, and pasteurized juices. Prohibited items include meat, unpasteurized dairy, fermented foods like kimchi, kombucha, low-acid canned goods, and infused oils. Producers must register free through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, complete an accredited food safety course, and label products with business name, address, and a disclosure that the food was prepared in a kitchen not subject to regulatory inspection. Direct sales are permitted at farmers markets, events, from home, and online. Perishable items cannot be shipped, but non-perishable goods may be mailed. Lincoln zoning requires that cottage food operations remain secondary to residential use under LMC 27.70.010 home occupation standards.