Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
Louisiana lets you sell a defined list of low-risk foods directly to the public with no license, permit, or inspection, as long as gross annual sales stay under $30,000. The label rule is short: the statute requires only a disclaimer that the food wasn’t made in a licensed or regulated facility, with no prescribed wording or type size. A real Nutrition Facts panel only becomes necessary once your product carries a nutrient content or health claim, or your business grows past what the exemption covers.
| Quick facts | Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Revenue cap | $30,000/yr gross annual sales |
| Permit or registration | None; no license, permit, or inspection |
| Sales channels | Direct to consumer; retail/wholesale allowed except breads/cakes/cookies/pies |
| Online sales | Not addressed by statute |
| Required label statement | “A label which clearly indicates that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility.” |
| Nutrition Facts panel | Not required unless you make a nutrient claim or sell outside the exemption |
| Administered by | Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Bureau of Sanitarian Services |
| Governing law | La. R.S. 40:4.9 (Low-Risk Foods Exemption) |
What Louisiana lets you sell from home
La. R.S. 40:4.9(E) defines “low-risk foods” by naming them: baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, and pies), candies, cane syrup, dried mixes, honey and honeycomb products, jams, jellies, and preserves, pickles and acidified foods, sauces and syrups, and spices (Louisiana Revised Statutes; Justia). None of these may contain animal or fish protein, which rules out meat- or seafood-based sauces, dips, or fillings, along with dairy-based items beyond the specific custard and cream-filling allowance below. Breads, cakes, cookies, and pies for sale are a one-person job: R.S. 40:4.9(A)(1)(b) removes the exemption entirely for a preparer who employs help with those items. Custard- and cream-filled bakery products must use pasteurized milk and be cooked to at least 145°F for 30 minutes, domestic pets are excluded from the prep area, and food-contact equipment has to stay clean, sanitary, and free of cracks. The statute doesn’t mention fermented foods (as distinct from pickled and acidified ones) as either allowed or excluded.
Permits, registration, and the revenue cap
There’s no state license, permit, or kitchen inspection for low-risk home food sales: R.S. 40:4.9(A)(1)(a) simply removes the Sanitary Code’s equipment, design, and facility requirements for this category. The one thing the exemption still calls for is a current sales tax certificate from the sales and use tax collector for the parish where you sell, covering local sales and use tax on the transaction (R.S. 40:4.9(D)(2)). The cap itself is $30,000 in gross annual sales from low-risk food; once your sales reach that figure, you fall outside the exemption altogether, not just for the amount over the line (R.S. 40:4.9(B)). That threshold moved from $20,000 to $30,000 under Act 357 of the 2022 Regular Session (House Bill 828), the most recent change to the statute. A 2025 bill (House Bill 150) that would have repealed and replaced the whole section died in a Senate committee, so the current $30,000 figure and structure still govern (legis.la.gov).
Where you can sell
Direct sales to consumers (at the home, farmers markets, roadside stands, and community events) are open under the exemption, and nothing in the statute limits that to Louisiana buyers specifically. What’s unusual here is the retail carve-out: R.S. 40:4.9(C) only bars selling breads, cakes, cookies, and pies to a retail business or to anyone for resale. Candies, jams and jellies, pickles, cane syrup, dried mixes, sauces, and the other listed low-risk foods aren’t covered by that same restriction, so if you make those items, you have more room to sell wholesale than a baker does. Online ordering, mail sales, and delivery aren’t mentioned anywhere in the statute: not authorized in so many words, but not prohibited either, which leaves it to be worked out with a parish sanitarian rather than settled by the text itself.
What has to be on the label
R.S. 40:4.9(D) is narrow. The statute requires:
- A label affixed to the food that clearly indicates it was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility
That’s the entire statutory label requirement: there’s no mandated ingredient list, allergen statement, net weight declaration, or producer name and address, unlike the more detailed label statutes in neighboring states.
“A label which clearly indicates that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility.”
(La. R.S. 40:4.9(D)(1)(a))
The one exception: raw honey that hasn’t been pasteurized, filtered, or otherwise stripped of its natural pollen doesn’t need this label at all (R.S. 40:4.9(D)(1)(b)). Because the statute doesn’t specify wording, capitalization, type size, or placement, the sentence above can be paraphrased slightly and still satisfy the letter of the law, though sticking close to the statutory language is the safer read. Naming ingredients and major allergens isn’t required here, but it’s still worth doing: buyers increasingly expect it on any packaged food, and it’s one less thing to redo if your product later moves into a channel that does require it.
When you need a Nutrition Facts panel
Low-risk food sold under Louisiana’s home-preparation exemption sits outside FDA nutrition labeling until one of two things happens. First, a nutrient content or health claim: the moment a label, a market sign, or an Instagram caption says something like “low sugar” or “high protein,” that claim needs numbers behind it in a format that follows 21 CFR 101.9. The state exemption has nothing to do with federal claim rules, and they apply the moment a claim is made, wherever it’s made. Second, scale or channel: crossing the $30,000 cap, selling wholesale in the categories the statute doesn’t cover for breads/cakes/cookies/pies, or moving into a licensed commercial kitchen’s distribution puts your product under standard food-labeling rules, Nutrition Facts included.
That’s where NutriLabels fits once a claim or a bigger channel is in play, and a panel in hand means a jam or candy wholesale order can go out on the first try. Enter your recipe, then see your label: its shape and calorie count, the claims you qualify for and your allergen line are free, no card required, and every other value and %DV stays hidden until you unlock it. A one-time $29 unlocks every other nutrient value and %DV, every FDA format your product qualifies for, plus the ingredient statement and allergen declaration, ready to print. Start your label, or compare Louisiana with other states’ cottage food laws.
Louisiana cottage food FAQ
Do I need a permit to sell homemade food in Louisiana?
No. La. R.S. 40:4.9(A)(1)(a) exempts home preparation of low-risk foods from the state Sanitary Code's equipment, facility, and permit requirements entirely. There's no license or inspection to get.
What is the Louisiana cottage food revenue cap?
$30,000 in gross annual sales. Once your low-risk food sales reach that figure, the exemption in R.S. 40:4.9(B) no longer applies at all. Act 357 of 2022 raised the cap from its previous $20,000.
What exact wording does my Louisiana home food label need?
The statute requires only that the label 'clearly indicates that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility' (R.S. 40:4.9(D)(1)(a)). It doesn't prescribe an exact sentence or capitalization, unlike some neighboring states.
Can I sell my home-baked goods to a Louisiana grocery store or restaurant?
Only for foods other than breads, cakes, cookies, and pies. R.S. 40:4.9(C) bars selling those specific items to a retail business or for resale, but doesn't restrict candies, jams, pickles, sauces, or the other listed low-risk foods the same way.
Can I sell homemade food online in Louisiana?
The statute doesn't address online orders, mail sales, or delivery one way or the other, so there's no stated permission or prohibition. If you rely on this exemption, confirm with a parish sanitarian before shipping product.
Does Louisiana require an ingredient list or allergen statement on a home food label?
No. R.S. 40:4.9 only mandates the 'not produced in a licensed or regulated facility' disclaimer. It doesn't require an ingredient list, allergen statement, net weight, or the preparer's name and address the way many other states do.
Nearby states
Selling into a neighboring state means that state’s rules apply there: Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi. See the full state-by-state table.