Do You Need a Permit?
No DOH Permit Required
Hawaii's homemade food program is exempt from the state Department of Health food establishment permit. You don't apply for a permit, you don't pay a permit fee, and you don't get a kitchen inspection. You just need food safety training and a GET license — and you're ready to sell.
This is one of the most generous setups in the United States. Most other states require some form of registration, application, or annual renewal to operate as a cottage food seller. Hawaii's homemade food program operates as an exemption — meaning the state has decided that low-risk shelf-stable foods don't pose enough public health risk to justify the bureaucracy. As long as you complete food safety training, label your products correctly, and sell only foods that qualify, you can begin operating immediately.
Note that this exemption applies only to the Department of Health side of things. You still need to register your business activity with the Department of Taxation (the GET license described below), and you may need to handle DBA registration, county business permits, or special event permits depending on how and where you sell.
What You Actually Need
or ANSI provider
Food Safety Branch
Food Safety Branch
How to Get Set Up — Step by Step
Confirm your products qualify
Review the What You Can Sell guide to confirm every item you plan to make falls into the homemade food category. If any product is TCS or requires refrigeration, you'll need a different licensing path.
Complete food safety training
Sign up for a free DOH Food Safety Education Workshop on your island, or take an ANSI/ANAB-accredited food handler course online (about $10–$15, ~90 minutes). Save your certificate — you'll need it for 3 years. DOH Food Safety Education.
Register for your GET license
File Form BB-1 online through Hawaii Tax Online. The one-time fee is $20, and you'll receive your Hawaii Tax ID in about 5–7 days. This is the closest thing Hawaii has to a "business license" for a cottage food seller.
Register a trade name if needed
If you'll operate under a brand name (rather than your legal name), file a Trade Name registration with the DCCA Business Registration Division through Hawaii Business Express. Filing fee is $50.
Check county and zoning rules
Each Hawaii county has its own rules around home occupations, signage, and customer traffic. Contact your county zoning office to confirm your home-based food business complies with local zoning. Most cottage food operations comfortably fit, but it's worth a quick check.
Design your labels
Create a label for each product that includes the required Hawaii disclaimer, ingredients, allergens, and your contact information. Read the Label Requirements guide for the exact wording and elements needed.
Start selling
That's it. With your training certificate, GET license, and properly labeled products, you're legally ready to sell at farmers markets, online, by phone, through retail partners, or directly from your home in Hawaii. Track your sales for GET filing.
Inspection Requirements
Homemade food operations in Hawaii are not subject to routine inspection by the Department of Health. The exemption from the food establishment permit also exempts you from the regular inspection schedule that licensed restaurants and food manufacturers face. However, the DOH retains the right to investigate complaints — if a customer reports illness or contamination from your product, the Food Safety Branch can investigate and take enforcement action.
This is one reason food safety training matters: you're operating without the safety net of inspection, so the responsibility to maintain clean production practices, accurate labeling, and safe handling rests entirely on you.
County and Local Requirements
Hawaii's homemade food program operates statewide and overrides most local regulation, but counties can still impose certain rules around zoning, home occupations, and business operations. Each of Hawaii's four counties — City and County of Honolulu, County of Hawaiʻi (Big Island), County of Maui, and County of Kauaʻi — has its own zoning code and home occupation requirements.
Common county-level concerns include: limits on the number of customers visiting your home each day, restrictions on commercial signage in residential areas, parking requirements for any home-based business, and whether food production qualifies as an allowed home occupation in your specific zoning district. None of these are typically restrictive enough to prevent a cottage food business from operating, but contacting your county planning department before you launch is good practice.
If you plan to participate in farmers markets, fairs, fundraisers, or other temporary events, the venue or organizer may require additional permits. The DOH issues Special Event Food Establishment Permits for temporary food booths, especially when unpackaged samples or on-site preparation is involved. Check with each event organizer before signing up.
Primary Agency Contact
Hawaii Department of Health — Food Safety Branch
Aiea, HI 96701
Kona: (808) 322-1507