Indiana operates one of the most business-friendly home food seller programs in the Midwest. Under the Indiana Home-Based Vendor (HBV) Program — codified as IC 16-42-5.3 — you can make and sell non-perishable foods directly to customers with no permit, no registration fee, no government inspection, and no cap on how much you can earn.
The program started in 2009 with HEA 1309, but a landmark 2022 reform (HB 1149) transformed it. Before July 2022, home food sellers could only sell at farmers markets and roadside stands. The reform blew those doors open: you can now sell online, by phone, and ship anywhere within Indiana. Your kitchen, your schedule, your customers — the state largely stays out of the way.
Indiana's only ongoing requirement is a valid ANSI/ANAB-accredited food handler certificate, available online for as little as $8–$25 and renewed every three years. You label your products correctly, follow the rules on what you can and can't sell, and you're in business. No inspectors. No permits. No caps.
This guide walks through every detail — what you can sell, how to label it, what (little) paperwork exists, and how to structure your business for the long run.
Unlike most states, Indiana places no limit on how much you can earn as a Home-Based Vendor. Whether you make $500 or $50,000 selling from your home kitchen, the HBV rules apply the same. The only time you'd need to move beyond HBV is if you want to sell wholesale to stores or restaurants — those channels require a licensed commercial kitchen regardless of your revenue.
1. Sell only non-TCS foods — nothing that requires refrigeration for safety.
2. Hold a current ANSI/ANAB food handler certificate (renew every 3 years).
3. Label every product with the required Indiana disclaimer statement in 10pt type.
4. Sell only to end consumers — no wholesale to stores or restaurants.
5. Ship within Indiana only — no interstate delivery.
Indiana Compliance Score
Answer 10 questions about your product and sales setup and get a personalized Indiana compliance score with action items specific to your situation.
Create Free Account to Use This Tool →Long before Indiana was a state, the Miami, Potawatomi, Lenape, and Shawnee nations cultivated the land using the "Three Sisters" system — corn, beans, and squash grown together in symbiotic mounds. Corn became so embedded in Indiana's soil and identity that nearly half of the state's 12 million acres of farmland is still dedicated to it today.
Early settlers from the Upland South brought their foodways north — smoking and curing pork, putting up fruit jams, drying herbs — establishing the home preservation culture that underpins Indiana's cottage food tradition. German and Irish immigrants added their own flavors: the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is widely believed to be a Hoosier cousin of the German schnitzel.
Indiana's artisan food identity is anchored by iconic products: sugar cream pie (the official state pie since 2009), persimmon pudding (a fall tradition in southern Indiana), and popcorn — the state ranks second nationally in production, a legacy of Purdue grad Orville Redenbacher's work developing a hybrid that popped 40 times its original size.
Indiana's farmers market culture runs deep: the Indianapolis City Market traces its roots to 1821, and the Broad Ripple Farmers Market — the state's largest — has operated year-round since 1994. These markets were the lifeblood of cottage food sellers before 2022, and they remain vibrant community anchors for home food businesses today.