South Carolina Home Food Seller Guide

South Carolina's Home-Based Food Production Law — codified at SC Code § 44-1-143 — is widely considered one of the most producer-friendly cottage food frameworks in the United States. First enacted on June 7, 2012, the law was significantly expanded by Senate Bill 506, which took effect on May 23, 2022. That landmark amendment removed the annual sales cap entirely, added dozens of new allowed food categories, and opened the door to online sales and retail store placements — a combination almost no other state allows.

Home food sellers in South Carolina can sell directly to customers at farmers markets, roadside stands, fairs, events, and from their own homes. They can also take orders online and ship within the state, and — uniquely — stock their products on the shelves of retail stores and grocery shops (as pre-packaged, labeled goods). There is no state permit required, no home kitchen inspection, and no food handler certification mandated by law. The path to your first sale is genuinely short.

The one significant trade-off: sales and shipping are limited to South Carolina residents. Interstate commerce requires a different licensing pathway. And as with every state, products that require refrigeration to stay safe — meats, cream-filled pastries, fresh dairy — fall outside the cottage food umbrella. But for baked goods, jams, candies, dry goods, and acidified preserves, South Carolina opens more doors than almost any other state in the country.