the new hampshire cottage food law, in plain english

what you can sell from your home kitchen in new hampshire, who you register with, where you can sell, and what the label has to say. checked against the state’s own pages on october 14, 2026.

by tommy + omarchecked october 14, 2026

new hampshire: register first, no sales cap, some selling online, limited shipping within the state. tap any state to see its rules.

on this page

1at a glance 2what you can sell 3how to start 4where you can sell 5labels 6what’s changed 7good to know 8questions 9sources

the short answer

yes, you can sell homemade food in new hampshire without a license if you sell shelf-stable foods from your home, your own farm stand, a farmers market or a retail food store, and there’s no sales cap. label everything, including a line saying the product is exempt from new hampshire licensing and inspection. to sell online, by mail, or to restaurants and wholesalers, get a $150 homestead food license from nh dhhs, which comes with an inspection. foods that need refrigeration, like cheesecake or pumpkin pie, aren’t allowed.

new hampshire cottage food rules at a glance

new hampshire cottage food rules at a glance
the law	new hampshire homestead food law (new hampshire rsa 143-a:12 (and rsa 143-a:5, vii))
who runs it	new hampshire department of health and human services (dhhs), food protection section
registration	yes homestead food license (class h) ($150). renewed every year
kitchen inspection	limitedsometimes
training	no
yearly sales cap	no sales cap
selling from your home	yesincluding your own farm stand
selling at farmers markets and events	limitedfarmers markets are allowed; fairs and craft shows aren’t listed in the law
selling online orders	limitedonly with a homestead food license
selling delivering it yourself	unclearthe law doesn’t address delivery; online and mail orders need a license
selling shipping within the state	limitedmail order only with a homestead food license
selling shipping to other states	unclearthe law doesn’t say; ask dhhs food protection
selling to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedretail food stores are ok without a license; restaurants and wholesalers need one

what can you sell from home in new hampshire?

you can sell

breads, rolls, muffins and cakes
cookies and brownies
double-crust fruit pies
candy and fudge
jams and jellies
pickles and other acidified foods
dry mixes, spices and herbs
roasted coffee beans

you can’t sell

cheesecake, pumpkin pie and custards
meat, including jerky
live sourdough starter or raw dough
apple cider and other bottled drinks
home-dehydrated fruits and vegetables
soups and sandwiches
low-acid canned foods, like gravy

these are examples, not the full list. check the new hampshire department of health and human services (dhhs), food protection section before you sell something new.

how do you start a cottage food business in new hampshire?

register if your sales or foods call for it: a homestead food license (class h) from the new hampshire department of health and human services (dhhs), food protection section. it costs $150. you renew it every year. start here.
get your kitchen inspected if the agency asks.
label everything the way the law asks (below).
start selling in the ways new hampshire allows, and keep track of your sales if there’s a cap.

where and how can you sell in new hampshire?

from your home	yesincluding your own farm stand
at farmers markets and events	limitedfarmers markets are allowed; fairs and craft shows aren’t listed in the law
online orders	limitedonly with a homestead food license
delivering it yourself	unclearthe law doesn’t address delivery; online and mail orders need a license
shipping within the state	limitedmail order only with a homestead food license
shipping to other states	unclearthe law doesn’t say; ask dhhs food protection
to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedretail food stores are ok without a license; restaurants and wholesalers need one

on wareby, food is always pickup or delivery by the shop, never a courier and never shipped, which fits the rules in every state. how to sell food online from home.

what goes on a cottage food label in new hampshire?

“This product is exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection.”
the statement new hampshire requires on your label

the label also needs:

your business name
a physical or email address and a phone number
the product name
ingredients, in order by weight (for home and farm stand sales, a qr code or website plus a sign at the display works instead)
allergens
net weight or count
a product code with a batch number or the date made
the statement in at least 10-point type

what’s changed in new hampshire, and what’s coming?

when	what
july 2, 2026	cities and towns can no longer require licenses or extra rules for exempt homestead food sales (senate bill 418)
november 12, 2025	you can sell freeze-dried fruits, vegetables and store-bought dairy products with a homestead license (house bill 505)
july 28, 2025	you can use a separate food production area in your home, not just the kitchen (house bill 307)
july 13, 2025	you can use commercial kitchen equipment (house bill 150), and home and farm stand sales can list ingredients by qr code or website (house bill 304)
august 13, 2024	pickles and other processed acidified foods no longer count as potentially hazardous (house bill 1565)
october 3, 2023	the $35,000 cap on license-free sales was removed (house bill 119)
august 6, 2022	the cap on license-free sales rose from $20,000 to $35,000 (house bill 314)

what else should you know in new hampshire?

since july 2, 2026, cities and towns, including the 15 that do their own food inspections, can’t require licenses or extra rules for license-free homestead sales.
a farmers market can still require its vendors to hold a food license.
with a homestead license, your label says instead that the product is made in a residential food production area licensed by the new hampshire department of health and human services.
honey and maple syrup aren’t homestead foods; the nh department of agriculture, markets and food handles them.
pet treats: pet treats aren’t homestead foods; the nh department of agriculture, markets and food regulates pet food.

questions people ask

do i need a license to sell baked goods from home in new hampshire?

it depends on what and how much you sell. new hampshire’s rules call for a homestead food license (class h) in some cases: check with the new hampshire department of health and human services (dhhs), food protection section.

can i sell cottage food online in new hampshire?

yes, with limits: only with a homestead food license.

can i ship cottage food in new hampshire?

within new hampshire, with limits: mail order only with a homestead food license.

how much can i sell from home in new hampshire?

there’s no yearly sales cap.

can i sell to stores or coffee shops in new hampshire?

with limits: retail food stores are ok without a license; restaurants and wholesalers need one.

what can’t i sell from home in new hampshire?

the usual no’s: cheesecake, pumpkin pie and custards, meat, including jerky, live sourdough starter or raw dough, apple cider and other bottled drinks, home-dehydrated fruits and vegetables. check with the new hampshire department of health and human services (dhhs), food protection section before you sell something new.

sources

this is general information to help you get started, not legal advice. we checked it against new hampshire’s own pages on october 14, 2026, and laws change, so confirm with the new hampshire department of health and human services (dhhs), food protection section (and your city or county) before you sell. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com.

written by tommy + omar

we sold cinnamon rolls from home as minnesota cottage food producers before we opened a licensed kitchen and built wareby. our story