Two Paths to Selling Homemade Food
Montana offers home food sellers something most states don't: a genuine choice between two separate legal frameworks. Your products, your sales channels, and your growth goals will determine which track — or combination — works best for you.
Cottage Food (CFO)
- $40 one-time county registration
- Shelf-stable, non-PHF foods only
- Online ordering + in-person delivery allowed
- Full labeling required on every product
- Products must be pre-approved and listed
- Best for: online sellers, growing businesses
Montana Local Food Choice Act (MLFCA)
- Zero permits, licenses, or inspections
- Broader food types (including perishable)
- Sold at farmers markets, events, home delivery
- No labeling required (informed buyer rule)
- No meat (poultry exception under 1,000 birds/yr)
- Best for: farmers market sellers, low-overhead starts
What Montana Allows
Montana is one of the most welcoming states in the country for home food sellers. In 2015, the Montana Legislature passed HB 478 establishing the Cottage Food Operation (CFO) program under MCA §§ 50-50-101 through 50-50-403 — a structured registration system that lets you sell shelf-stable, non-potentially hazardous foods directly to consumers from home, at farmers markets, online (with in-person delivery), and at events. There is no annual sales cap and no routine home inspection.
Then in 2021, Montana took an even bolder step: the Montana Local Food Choice Act (SB 199) created a "food freedom" framework that exempts home food sellers from virtually all state regulation. Under this track, you need no permit, no registration, no inspection, and no formal labeling — only an honest conversation with your buyer confirming the food was made at home and is not government-regulated. The trade-off is that products must be consumed in a home or at a traditional community event (including farmers markets), and you bear full personal liability for your products.
For most sellers, the two tracks are complementary. Many start under MLFCA to test products at farmers markets with zero overhead, then register under the CFO framework when they want to sell online, expand their product list, or build the documentation that makes it easier to get insurance, grow into wholesale, or eventually license a commercial kitchen. Montana's food culture — rooted in Indigenous traditions, homesteader self-reliance, and a booming modern artisan scene — is the perfect backdrop for building a homemade food business.
Everything You Need, One Page at a Time
The full product list — what's clearly allowed, what requires conditions, and what's off-limits under each legal track.
Read Guide →What counts as shelf-stable, where you can sell it, and the storage and handling requirements under the CFO program.
Read Guide →Temperature-controlled foods, refrigerated items, and prepared meals — what's possible under MLFCA and what requires a licensed kitchen.
Read Guide →Rules for kombucha, cold brew, juice, shrubs, and specialty drinks — plus what requires a separate license for alcoholic beverages.
Read Guide →Step-by-step: how to register as a Cottage Food Operation, what to submit, who to contact, and what's required at the county level.
Read Guide →The complete Montana label checklist — required fields, the exact disclaimer statement, allergen rules, and font size minimums.
Read Guide →Sole proprietor vs LLC, DBA registration, taxes (no sales tax!), pricing your products, and where to sell in Montana.
Read Guide →Meat, dairy, alcohol, fermented foods, and cannabis edibles — what licenses apply and which agencies govern each category.
Read Guide →Montana Compliance Score
Answer a few questions about your products and sales channels and get a personalized compliance checklist for your Montana home food business.
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