Cottage Food Law Map › State guides › Oregon

Home food business guide · Last reviewed October 2026

Cottage Food Laws in Oregon

Oregon caps home food sales at $51,200 (2025), adjusted yearly. Getting started: No license for exempt foods; food handler cards. Foods that need refrigeration have to be made in a commercial kitchen. Of the 40 common products in our finder, 13 can be made in a home kitchen in Oregon, many with conditions, and 10 more with a special license or program.

Created by Mendocino Food Consulting · Book a Call

Quick facts

Sales cap: $51,200 (2025), adjusted yearly
Permit or registration: No license for exempt foods; food handler cards
Online & shipping: Online and mail sales in Oregon
Sell through stores: Stores with a separate-display agreement; no restaurants
Refrigerated & TCS foods: No; a domestic kitchen license covers more

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.

Check a product in the interactive map Print a one-page handout

Oregon ranks 29th of 51 in our Cottage Food State Rankings, with a score of 56 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 Oregon?

How 40 common products are treated in Oregon, 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. Bread, cakes, pies, cookies, and pastries are on the list.
Cookies & brownies. Bread, cakes, pies, cookies, and pastries are on the list.
Fruit pie. Pies are on the list.
Strawberry jam. Jams, jellies, and fruit butters from fruits with natural pH of 4.6 or below are allowed.
Granola. Repackaged commercial seasonings and nut mixes are allowed.
Spice rubs & seasoning blends. Repackaged commercial seasonings and nut mixes are allowed.
Roasted coffee. Roasted coffee beans are allowed.
Loose-leaf tea blends. Repackaged commercial tea blends are allowed.
Freeze-dried candy. Freeze-dried candies are allowed.
Chocolates & truffles. Candies are allowed.
Toffee, fudge & caramels. Candies like salted caramels are allowed.
Marshmallows. Marshmallow bars are on the list.
Pure honey. Honey products are allowed.

Home kitchen, with a special license or program

Pumpkin pie. Custard, cream, and meringue items are excluded from the exemption; a domestic kitchen license may cover them.
Cheesecake. Cream cheese fillings are excluded from the exemption.
Cake with cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese icings are excluded from the exemption.
Pepper jelly. Spreads with low-acid vegetables are excluded from the exemption.
Shelf-stable salsa. Acidified foods aren't in the exemption; they need a license.
Hot sauce. Acidified foods aren't in the exemption; they need a license.
Canned pickles. Acidified foods aren't in the exemption; they need a license.
Sauerkraut & kimchi. Not in the exemption.
Canned tomato sauce. Tomato jam and similar low-acid spreads are excluded.
Dried fruit & fruit leather. Foods dried at home are excluded; only repackaged commercial dried foods are allowed.

Needs a commercial kitchen

Meat tamales. Anything with meat is excluded.
Fresh salsa (refrigerated). TCS foods are excluded.
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

Cake with buttercream. Cream and cream cheese icings are excluded; shelf-stable buttercream may qualify.
Macarons. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Fruit tamales. Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.
Low-sugar or freezer jam. Only jams from naturally acidic fruits are listed.
Nut butter. Nut mixes are listed; nut butters aren't.
Infused honey. Added ingredients must come from a licensed food establishment.
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.
Mustard (no egg). Not clearly addressed in the state's guidance; ask the agency.

How to start selling from home

Check that the product is on Oregon's exemption list and doesn't need refrigeration.
Everyone who helps make the food needs a food handler card. No license is required; ODA encourages you to contact your local inspector first.
Sell directly to consumers from home, online, by mail, or at events. Stores can carry your products with a written agreement to display them separately; restaurants and caterers can't.
Keep sales records for three years, and label every product (see the checklist below).

Legal paths

Cottage food exemption

Where: Your home
Sell: Directly from home, online, by mail, and at events in Oregon; stores with a written separate-display agreement. No restaurants or caterers.
Sales cap: $51,200 (2025), adjusted yearly
Paperwork: No license; food handler cards

Domestic kitchen license

Where: Your home kitchen, inspected by ODA
Sell: Foods outside the exemption, under ODA licensing
Sales cap: None stated
Paperwork: ODA domestic kitchen license

Commercial kitchen

Where: A licensed commercial kitchen
Sell: Restaurants, wholesale, and refrigerated foods
Sales cap: None
Paperwork: ODA food processor license; usually FDA registration

Commercial canning

Where: Licensed commercial facility
Sell: Acidified and low-acid canned foods
Sales cap: None
Paperwork: ODA license, process authority review, FDA scheduled-process filing

Label requirements

Required by ODA on exempt cottage foods, on the principal display panel.

“This product is homemade, is not prepared in an inspected food establishment and must be stored and displayed separately if merchandised by a retailer.”
Name of the food
Ingredients and sub-ingredients in descending order
Net weight or volume in US and metric units
Business name and phone number
Address or ODA unique ID number
The nine major allergens. In parentheses or a “Contains” statement.
If pets were present, say so and name the animal

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.

Book a call Open Oregon in the map

Sources

OSU Extension · Oregon's Cottage Food Exemption (EM 9192, 2026)

Based on: OSU Extension EM 9192 (Mar 2026). Reviewed October 2026; rules may have changed since.

Other states: Oklahoma · Pennsylvania · all 50 states + DC