Home food business guide · Last reviewed October 2026
Cottage Food Laws in New York
New York doesn't state a sales cap in its guidance. Getting started: Home Processor registration (no fee). Foods that need refrigeration have to be made in a commercial kitchen. Of the 40 common products in our finder, 8 can be made in a home kitchen in New York, many with conditions.
New York's home processor registration has an unusual benefit. Registered home processors can sell wholesale to local restaurants, cafés, and grocers, which most states don't allow. Registration is free, and no sales cap is stated.
The trade-off is a short list of allowed products and a review that can take up to 16 weeks, so it is worth applying well before the first market. Many products allowed in other states are prohibited here, including roasted coffee, nut butters, tempered chocolate, freeze-dried foods, and buttercream made with dairy or eggs. Checking a product against the allowed list should come before designing a label.
Quick facts
Sales cap
No cap stated
Permit or registration
Home Processor registration (no fee)
Online & shipping
Online with delivery in New York; no out-of-state sales
Sell through stores
Local restaurants, cafés, and grocers in New York
Refrigerated & TCS foods
No
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.
How 40 common products are treated in New York, 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, cookies, cakes, brownies, and similar baked goods are allowed. Vegetables in breads aren't.
Cookies & brownies. Breads, cookies, cakes, brownies, and similar baked goods are allowed. Vegetables in breads aren't.
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.
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
Macarons. Not on the allowed list, and buttercream fillings are prohibited.
Pure honey. Not covered by the home processor list.
Infused honey. Not covered by the home processor list.
How to start selling from home
Check that each product is on Agriculture and Markets' allowed list.
Submit a Home Processor Registration Request. There's no fee, but review can take up to 16 weeks.
If you use a private well, send a certified lab potability test.
Package and label everything at home before it goes to market (see the checklist below).
Legal paths
Home processor
Where
Your home kitchen, with no commercial equipment
Sell
Farm stands, farmers markets, craft fairs, online with delivery in New York, and wholesale to local restaurants, cafés, and grocers. No out-of-state sales.
Sales cap
None stated
Paperwork
Registration with Agriculture and Markets; no fee
Commercial kitchen
Where
A licensed food processing facility
Sell
Wholesale and retail, any properly processed food
Sales cap
None
Paperwork
Article 20-C license; usually FDA registration
Commercial canning
Where
Licensed commercial facility
Sell
Pickles, salsas, sauces, and canned foods
Sales cap
None
Paperwork
20-C license, process authority review, FDA scheduled-process filing
Label requirements
Required by Agriculture and Markets on home-processed foods.
A home-processing phrase. For example, “Made in a Home Kitchen” or “Made at Home by [name],” at least 1/16 inch tall.
Common or usual name of the product
Ingredients by predominance of weight
Allergens clearly identified. Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, sesame. A “Contains:” line works.
Net quantity
Processor name and full address. Street or P.O. box, city, state, and ZIP code.
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.