Montana cottage food laws
Rules change, so always confirm with the official Montana source.
The law: Montana cottage food registration law and Montana Local Food Choice Act
What you can sell
Registered cottage foods include approved shelf-stable baked goods and other approved non-potentially hazardous recipes. The separate Local Food Choice Act provides a broader route for qualifying homemade food sold to informed end consumers.
What you can't sell
Registered cottage foods cannot require temperature control for safety. Do not assume the broader Act removes meat, alcohol, or other separately regulated product restrictions.
Do you need a license or permit?
Registered cottage food operations pay $40 once, with a new registration and fee for relocation or additional recipes/labels. The separate Local Food Choice Act exempts qualifying transactions from licensing, certification, labeling, and inspection.
Sales limits
No dollar cap was confirmed in the official material reviewed.
Where you can sell
Registered cottage foods are sold directly to consumers, not restaurants or grocery stores; online advertising and sales coordination are allowed. The Local Food Choice Act permits only Montana transactions for home consumption or traditional community events and prohibits cross-state sales; shipping details remain unconfirmed.
Label requirements
Registered cottage foods require identifying information, ingredients/allergens, net quantity, and the home-kitchen disclosure; exact wording needs direct official-text verification. Qualifying Local Food Choice Act transactions are exempt from labeling requirements but require an informed end consumer.
Good to know
The registered cottage-food route and Local Food Choice Act are distinct. Official search results were available, but the state server timed out during direct retrieval. Some details on this page could not be fully confirmed from official sources, so check with the state agency before you sell.
Pricing your products
Knowing your real cost per item matters as much as following the law.
Try Oven Elf free →Source: https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/publichealth/FCS/CottageFood/cottagefoodfrequentlyaskedquestions2024.pdf
General summary, not legal advice.
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