Cottage Food Laws in Louisiana

Louisiana caps home food sales at $100,000 (from Aug 2026). Getting started: No health permit; sales tax certificates. A limited set of refrigerated foods is allowed, with conditions. Of the 40 common products in our finder, 17 can be made in a home kitchen in Louisiana, many with conditions.

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Limited sources. The detailed rules for Louisiana rely on the statute digest plus a secondary summary (Forrager). They may be out of date or incomplete, so confirm with the state agency before relying on them.

Quick facts

Sales cap: $100,000 (from Aug 2026)
Permit or registration: No health permit; sales tax certificates
Online & shipping: Online sales in Louisiana
Sell through stores: Stores and restaurants, except breads, cakes, cookies, and pies
Refrigerated & TCS foods: Custard and cream items with pasteurized dairy

Quick facts are summarized from 50-state trackers (Ardent Seller, reviewed October 1, 2026, cross-checked with PermitDeck and Food Business Pros). Where the details below differ, follow the state sources listed at the bottom of this page and confirm with the agency.

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Louisiana ranks 23rd of 51 in our Cottage Food State Rankings, with a score of 62 out of 100.

To see how many items you can sell before the cap, try the pricing and sales cap calculator. When you're ready to grow, read Outgrowing cottage food.

What can you make at home in Louisiana?

How 40 common products are treated in Louisiana, with the condition or reason for each. Items marked "general rule" weren't specifically addressed in the state's guidance.

Allowed from a home kitchen

Sourdough bread. Breads, cakes, cookies, and similar baked goods are covered, sold directly only.
Cookies & brownies. Breads, cakes, cookies, and similar baked goods are covered, sold directly only.
Fruit pie. Pies are covered, sold directly only.
Cake with buttercream. Covered as part of baked goods.
Macarons. Macarons are covered.
Strawberry jam. Jams, jellies, and preserves are covered.
Pepper jelly. Preserves and sauces are covered. Use a tested recipe.
Shelf-stable salsa. Salsas and sauces are covered. Use a tested recipe.
Hot sauce. Salsas and sauces are covered. Use a tested recipe.
Canned pickles. Pickles are covered.
Granola. Cereals, mixes, spices, and granola are covered.
Spice rubs & seasoning blends. Cereals, mixes, spices, and granola are covered.
Freeze-dried candy. Candies are covered.
Chocolates & truffles. Chocolate and truffles are covered.
Toffee, fudge & caramels. Fudge, brittles, and candies are covered.
Pure honey. Honey is covered.
Mustard (no egg). Mustards are covered.

Needs a commercial kitchen

Meat tamales. Meat products aren't low-risk foods.
Garlic or herb-infused oil. General rule, not specifically addressed in this state's guidance; ask the agency to confirm. Garlic or herbs in oil carry a botulism risk and need a validated commercial process.
Home-cooked meals. General rule, not specifically addressed in this state's guidance; ask the agency to confirm. Prepared meals need refrigeration, so they're made in a permitted commercial kitchen.
Kombucha. General rule, not specifically addressed in this state's guidance; ask the agency to confirm. Fermented beverages need a commercial kitchen, and producers monitor alcohol, since at 0.5% ABV or more it is treated as an alcoholic beverage.

Regulated separately

Beef jerky. General rule, not specifically addressed in this state's guidance; ask the agency to confirm. Meat products need USDA or state meat inspection, regardless of kitchen.
Cheese & yogurt. General rule, not specifically addressed in this state's guidance; ask the agency to confirm. Dairy products are licensed separately, through the state's dairy program.
Cold-pressed juice. General rule, not specifically addressed in this state's guidance; ask the agency to confirm. Juices aren't home-kitchen foods. Wholesale juice needs a Juice HACCP plan with a 5-log pathogen reduction.

Ask the agency first

Pumpkin pie. Custard and cream-filled bakery products are allowed only with pasteurized dairy; pumpkin pie isn't addressed.
Cheesecake. Cream-filled bakery products are allowed only with pasteurized dairy.
Cake with cream cheese frosting. Allowed only with pasteurized dairy products.
Fruit tamales. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Low-sugar or freezer jam. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Fresh salsa (refrigerated). Salsas are covered, but refrigerated foods aren't addressed.
Sauerkraut & kimchi. Sources conflict on fermented foods.
Canned tomato sauce. Sauces are covered, but low-acid canned foods are excluded; tomato products need acidification.
Roasted coffee. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Loose-leaf tea blends. Not specifically listed.
Dried fruit & fruit leather. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Marshmallows. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Nut butter. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Infused honey. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Vanilla extract. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Fruit-infused vinegar. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.

How to start selling from home

Check that the product is a low-risk homemade food covered by R.S. 40:4.9. Low-acid canned foods are excluded.
Get a Louisiana sales tax certificate and local sales tax certificates where you sell. No health permit is needed.
Sell in Louisiana from home, at markets and events, or online. Breads, cakes, cookies, and pies must be sold directly; other cottage foods can also go through stores and restaurants.
For breads, cakes, cookies, and pies: no employees in production, no pets in the kitchen, and refrigerated ingredients at 45°F or below.
Label every product (see the checklist below).

Legal paths

Cottage food exemption

Where: Your home
Sell: In Louisiana: from home, events, farmers markets, roadside stands, and online. Stores and restaurants for items other than breads, cakes, cookies, and pies.
Sales cap: $100,000 a year (from Aug 1, 2026)
Paperwork: No health permit; state and local sales tax certificates

Commercial kitchen

Where: A permitted commercial kitchen
Sell: Wholesale and anything outside the exemption
Sales cap: None
Paperwork: LDH permit; usually FDA registration

Commercial canning

Where: Licensed commercial facility
Sell: Low-acid canned foods
Sales cap: None
Paperwork: LDH permit, process authority review, FDA scheduled-process filing

Label requirements

Louisiana requires cottage food labels to state that the food wasn't made in a licensed or regulated facility. The statute doesn't set exact wording.

A statement that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility
Product name and ingredients. Recommended, with allergens.
Your name and contact information. Recommended.

Turning a recipe into a product?

Mendocino Food Consulting helps food entrepreneurs with food science, formulation, and process questions. We are food scientists, not attorneys, and we don't provide legal advice.

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Sources

Based on: R.S. 40:4.9 (Act 801 of 2026 digest) and Forrager's statute summary. Reviewed October 2026; rules may have changed since.

Other states: Kentucky · Maine · all 50 states + DC