Paulding County, GA Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)
Key Facts
- State license
- Not required (HB 398)
- Revenue cap
- None
- Foods
- Non-hazardous, shelf-stable
- Sales
- Direct to consumer only
- Regulator
- GA Dept. of Agriculture
Summary
Georgia dropped its statewide cottage food license, so you can bake and sell non-hazardous foods from a Paulding County home kitchen with no state permit and no revenue cap. Sales must go straight to the end consumer.
Sale of cottage food products must be to the end consumer. No distribution or wholesale is allowed, including to hotels, restaurants, or institutions.
Full Breakdown
Georgia runs cottage food through the Department of Agriculture under Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 40-7-19, not through Paulding County. After House Bill 398, cottage food operators no longer need a state license, and the rules set no cap on sales. Permitted items are non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods: breads, cakes, cookies, candies, jams, jellies, and dried herbs. Foods needing refrigeration are excluded. Products are made in a home kitchen, labeled with the required cottage food statement and allergens, and sold directly to the end consumer. Wholesale to restaurants or retailers is not allowed. A county occupation tax certificate still applies.
Violations & Fines
Selling potentially hazardous foods that need refrigeration, or selling wholesale to restaurants or stores, falls outside the cottage food exemption and pulls the operation under full Georgia food service permitting, with stop-sale orders possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to sell homemade baked goods in Paulding County?
Can I sell my cottage foods to a local restaurant or store?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paulding County
Compare Paulding County to another location·View the Georgia home business overview
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