Florida's cottage food law lets you sell certain non-hazardous homemade foods, like baked goods and jams, directly to consumers with no state license or inspection, as long as annual sales stay at or under $250,000. Manatee County cannot require its own permit for this.
FS 500.80 governs cottage food statewide and preempts local regulation, so unincorporated Manatee County cannot impose a separate cottage-food permit or inspection. You may make allowed non-time/temperature-control foods (breads, cookies, cakes without cream fillings, candies, jams) in your home kitchen and sell them directly, including online with in-person or mail delivery, but not at wholesale. Every product must be prepackaged and labeled, including a statement that it was made in an unregulated cottage food operation. A local business tax receipt may still apply. Time/temperature-sensitive foods are not allowed.
Exceeding $250,000 in annual sales, selling prohibited foods, or omitting the required label removes the exemption, subjecting the operation to Chapter 500 permitting and Department of Agriculture enforcement.
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See how Palmetto's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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