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Illinois cottage food label rules

What has to be on the label when you sell homemade baked goods in Illinois, and the limits that matter at a market. Checked September 2026.

Another state Confirmed in official sources

Your label must include

Name of the cottage food operation and unit of local government where it is located
Registration number from the local health department and the municipality/county where registered
Common or usual name of the product
All ingredients incl. colors, artificial flavors and preservatives, in descending order by weight
Required statement
Date the product was processed
Allergen labeling per federal requirements

Required statement

“This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.”

Statute requires the phrase ‘in prominent lettering’; no point size specified. Extension’s 2026 guide also lists net weight and specific tree-nut naming; point-of-sale placard/sign requirements apply (guide cites a minimum 8 in x 10 in sign).

Brown Butter Toffee Cookies

Sunny Crumb Co. · 123 Palm Ave, Your City, IL 00000

Net wt. 4 oz (113 g) · 2 cookies

Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (cream, salt), brown sugar, toffee bits (sugar, butter, almonds, soy lecithin), eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, sea salt.

This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.

Baked on 10/03/2026

Contains: wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts (almond), soy.

Sample label for illustration, made from the checklist above. Your own label has to match your recipe and your state’s exact rules.

Key limits in Illinois

Permit: registration — annual registration with the local health department; fee set locally, capped at $50
Training: Certified Food Protection Manager (ANSI-accredited, proctored exam) required for anyone preparing or packaging; food handler training is NOT sufficient
Sales cap: none
Where you can sell: Direct to consumers only: farmers markets (incl. mobile), fairs, festivals, public events, home/farm pickup, delivery, pickup at third-party private property with consent. No resale to stores, restaurants or wholesale. Home-rule units may add their own rules.
Online & shipping: Online sales and delivery allowed; non-TCS foods may be shipped within Illinois only (tamper-evident packaging). Cottage food ‘shall not be shipped out of State.’
Law: Cottage food operations, Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, 410 ILCS 625/4 (as amended by P.A. 102-633 and P.A. 103-903)

What we could not confirm (2)

Whether net weight is legally required (it’s in the Extension guide, not in the statute’s label list)
Exact current local registration fee varies ($0–$50)

Check with: Local health department where you live (registration), under Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)

Last change to the law: P.A. 103-903, effective 1/1/2025

Sources

Made by BakersKeep

Set up this label once. Print it for every cookie.

BakersKeep builds your Illinois label from each recipe: ingredients in order, allergens and the required statement. Change a recipe and every label updates. It also prices your cookies, takes pre-orders and writes the week’s posts.

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This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and counties can add their own. Confirm with Local health department where you live (registration), under Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) before you print. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Illinois cottage food label rules

Your label must include

Required statement

Set up this label once. Print it for every cookie.

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