Where to sell baked goods in Michigan: every legal option compared
Where to sell baked goods in Michigan: farmers markets, home pickup, online, shipping and more compared, plus the places cottage food law doesn't allow.
By the Ajinto teamUpdated Facts checked against MCL 289.4102 and MDARD on 9 min read
The short answer
- Michigan cottage food can be sold anywhere you sell directly to the consumer: home pickup, farmers markets, craft shows, roadside stands, online, delivery and shipping within Michigan.
- Selling to cafés, coffee shops or stores for resale is wholesale or consignment, which the law prohibits.
- Farmers markets can require a license or other conditions even though the cottage food law doesn't, so ask the market manager first.
- Online, mail-order and delivery sales must go only to Michigan buyers who had a chance to talk with you in person or by live video.
- Farm stops and retail markets can't act as pickup points for pre-sold cottage food, but you can hand pre-orders over at your own market stall.
In Michigan you can sell home-baked goods anywhere you sell directly to the person who will eat them: from home for pickup, at farmers markets, craft shows and roadside stands, through your own online store or social media, by delivery, and by shipping within Michigan. What you can't do is sell through someone else: no cafés, coffee shops or grocery stores reselling your food.
That one rule, direct to consumer, decides almost every "can I sell there?" question. Below is each legal channel, what it costs you, who it suits, and the places that look like channels but aren't.
What rule decides where you can sell?
Michigan's cottage food law says a cottage food product must be sold directly from the cottage food operation to the consumer. The law says consignment and wholesale are prohibited. Everything else follows from that:
- Allowed: any sale where you (the cottage food operator) sell to the end customer, in person or online.
- Not allowed: any sale where a business buys your food to resell it, or holds and sells it for you on commission.
Two more rules shape the online channels. Online, mail-order and third-party delivery sales must go only to consumers in Michigan, and you must give the buyer an opportunity to directly interact with you before the sale. The law says that includes a face-to-face meeting or a virtual meeting where both sides can see and hear each other, which in practice means in person or live video.
The full rulebook, including what you can make and the label every product needs, is in our Michigan cottage food law guide.
Which selling channels are legal in Michigan?
From your home, for pickup
The simplest channel. Customers order by message, phone or an online form and pick up at your door. There's no booth fee and no travel, and you control the schedule.
Two things to check first. The cottage food exemption doesn't override local ordinances, so a city or township can have zoning rules about home businesses, customer traffic or signs. Call your city or township office if you expect regular pickups. And your products must be stored only in your primary residence, which pickup from home handles naturally.
Pickup windows (say, Friday 4 to 7 p.m.) keep a steady stream of customers from turning into all-week interruptions.
Farmers markets
Markets bring you buyers who already came to shop for local food. The law allows you to sell there, but a market can set its own rules. MDARD's guidance notes that a farmers market may require vendors to hold a food establishment license or meet other requirements, even though the cottage food law doesn't.
So before you apply, ask the market manager:
- Do you accept cottage food vendors, or do you require a licensed kitchen?
- What's the vendor fee, and is it per day or per season?
- Do you need proof of liability insurance?
- Is there a limit on how many bakers you accept?
The Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) is the statewide association for markets and is a good place to start finding markets near you.
Craft shows, festivals and community events
Holiday craft shows, church bazaars, school fairs and summer festivals are direct sales to consumers, so they fit the law. Like markets, each organizer sets its own vendor rules, fees and application deadlines, and popular holiday shows often fill early. Ask the organizer the same questions you'd ask a market manager.
Every product must still be prepackaged and labeled before sale. You can't cut slices from an unlabeled cake at the table.
Roadside stands
A table at the end of your driveway is a direct sale and legal under the cottage food law. Whether it's allowed at your address is a local zoning question, so check with your township or city. Labels still go on every item, and an unattended honor-box stand still needs every package labeled.
Your own online storefront
The 2026 amendment made online sales clearly legal, with two conditions: buyers must be in Michigan, and they must have a chance to talk with you (in person or by live video) before they buy. A storefront gives you a menu with prices and a checkout, so you stop taking orders through a dozen message threads.
What matters in a storefront for a Michigan cottage food seller:
- Checkout that only accepts Michigan addresses for delivery and shipping.
- A visible way for buyers to reach you, including an option to meet in person or on a video call before ordering.
- Pickup, local delivery and in-state shipping options you can turn on or off.
Our guide to selling baked goods online in Michigan walks through the setup.
Social media and direct messages
Facebook, Instagram and neighborhood groups are where many Michigan home bakers get their first customers. Selling through posts and DMs is still an online sale, so the same conditions apply: Michigan buyers only, and an opportunity to meet or video-chat first.
The limit of DMs is organization. Orders, dates, allergy notes and payments scatter across threads. Many bakers use social media to find customers and a storefront link to take orders.
Individual platforms also have their own policies on selling food; check them before you post.
Third-party delivery platforms
The law allows third-party delivery, again only to Michigan consumers and only if the buyer can interact with you before the sale. Whether a particular delivery app accepts home-kitchen sellers is up to that company, so check its seller terms. If you run your own local delivery, you're simply the seller delivering to your customer.
Shipping within Michigan
Mail order is allowed to buyers in Michigan. Shipping opens the whole state: a baker in Marquette can sell to a customer in Detroit. Choose products that travel well (cookies, bars, granola, fruit jam, candy) and pack them so labels arrive intact. Details on carriers and packaging are in our shipping and delivery guide.
Where can't you sell cottage food in Michigan?
| Place or arrangement | Why it's not allowed |
|---|---|
| A café, coffee shop, restaurant or grocery store buying your cookies to resell | That's wholesale, which the law prohibits |
| A shop selling your goods on commission ("we'll sell them and keep a cut") | That's consignment, also prohibited |
| A farm stop or retail market holding pre-ordered items for customers to collect | MDARD says a retail location can't act as a pickup point or third-party delivery platform for pre-sold cottage food |
| Shipping, online or delivery sales to buyers in Ohio, Indiana or any other state | Online, mail-order and delivery sales must go only to consumers in Michigan |
| Selling at markets or events in another state | Michigan's exemption is Michigan law; another state's rules apply there |
| Selling from a rented commercial kitchen under the cottage food exemption | Cottage food must be made in your home kitchen; a commercial kitchen means you need a food establishment license |
If a café owner loves your scones and wants them in the pastry case, that requires a license, not the cottage food exemption. Some bakers take that step later using a licensed shared kitchen. MSU keeps a map of Michigan incubator kitchens.
Pop-ups where you sell in person inside someone else's business sit in a gray area: you're selling directly, but you're on a retail premises. If you're considering one, confirm with MDARD at MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov before you book it.
How do the channels compare?
| Channel | Reach | Effort | Cost type | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home pickup | Neighbors and repeat customers | Low | None | Starting out; steady weekly regulars |
| Farmers market | Local shoppers who came for food | High (setup, a full day on your feet) | Vendor fee set by the market | Bakers who enjoy face time and have a steady weekly product |
| Craft shows and events | Big seasonal crowds | High, but occasional | Booth fee set by the organizer | Holiday cookies, candy, gift jars |
| Roadside stand | Passing traffic | Low to medium | Minimal | Rural and high-traffic addresses where zoning allows |
| Online storefront | Anyone in Michigan | Medium to set up, low per order | Flat subscription or per-order fees, depending on platform; card processing | Pre-orders, custom cakes, sellers who want fewer message threads |
| Social media and DMs | Your followers and local groups | Medium, rises with volume | Free, paid in time | Finding customers; small volume |
| Third-party delivery | App users near you | Low per order once set up | Platform commission or fees (check terms) | Ready-made items with steady demand |
| Shipping within Michigan | Statewide | Medium (packing, postage) | Postage and packaging | Shelf-stable items that travel: cookies, jam, granola, candy |
How should you combine channels?
A common approach is one channel for finding customers and one for taking orders.
Market plus online pre-orders. Post your menu online during the week, let customers pre-order, and hand their orders over yourself at your market stall on Saturday. That's still a direct sale from you to the customer. The line is the farm stop scenario above: a retail business holding your pre-sold items for pickup isn't allowed. You hand them over.
Social plus storefront. Post photos of this week's bake on Instagram and link to your storefront. Customers order and pay there, and you stop tracking orders in DMs.
Home pickup plus holiday events. Run weekly pickup year-round and add two or three craft shows in November and December for your holiday boxes.
As an example, picture a Grand Rapids sourdough baker. She sells at a Saturday market from May to October, takes online pre-orders for pickup at her stall, and switches to Friday home pickup through the winter. One set of customers, three channels, no reseller involved.
What do you need before you sell anywhere?
The channel changes, the basics don't:
- Make only allowed foods. Shelf-stable items, nothing needing refrigeration. See what you can sell under Michigan cottage food law.
- Label every product before sale, including the required statement
Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
. Our label requirements guide covers every field. - Keep sales records. Gross sales can't exceed $50,000 a year ($75,000 if you sell products priced at $250 or more per unit), and MDARD may ask for documentation. Count every channel together. More in our sales limit guide.
- Check local rules for home pickup and roadside stands, and each market's or event's vendor rules.
No MDARD license, permit or registration is required to start.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell baked goods at a farmers market in Michigan without a license?
The cottage food law doesn't require a license to sell at a farmers market, but each market can set its own rules and some require a licensed kitchen. Ask the market manager before you apply.
Can I sell my cookies to a coffee shop?
No. A coffee shop buying your cookies to resell is wholesale, and leaving them on consignment is also prohibited. Selling to businesses requires a food establishment license.
Can I sell cottage food on Facebook in Michigan?
Yes, to Michigan buyers, as long as they have an opportunity to talk with you in person or by live video before the sale. Check Facebook's own rules on selling food, too.
Can I ship baked goods to other states from Michigan?
No. Under the cottage food law, mail-order, online and delivery sales must go only to consumers in Michigan. Shipping anywhere in Michigan is fine.
Do sales from different channels count toward one limit?
Yes. The annual gross-sales limit covers all your cottage food sales combined, whether they happen at a market, from home or online.
Can a store be a pickup point for my online orders?
No. MDARD says farm stops and retail markets can't act as pickup points for pre-sold cottage food. Handing orders over yourself, at your home or your own market stall, is fine.
This is general information, not legal advice. For edge cases, email MDARD at MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov and include your ZIP code.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change; confirm anything you're unsure about with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov). Ajinto is not affiliated with MDARD or MSU. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at hello@ajinto.com.