This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Permit and tax rules change, and your situation may differ. Always confirm current requirements with the official state agency linked in this guide, and consult a licensed attorney or tax professional for advice about your specific business.Last verified against official state sources: 2026-06-12
Yes: a $65/year Cottage Food Manufacture registration with RIDOH, open to any resident since 2022. You submit an application, a notarized affidavit that your kitchen meets statutory specs (two-compartment sink or 150F dishwasher plus sink), product recipes and labels, proof of food safety training, and annual well water tests if applicable; no routine pre-approval inspection, but RIDOH may inspect anytime. The event-vendor catch: selling at farmers markets or temporary events like craft fairs also requires a $100/year retail food peddler license covering all events statewide. Farmers can use the older $65 Farm Home Food registration instead.
Yes for the cottage path: a Food Safety Manager course, any ANSI-accredited food handler course, or another RIDOH-approved course before initial registration.
Cottage path (non-farmers) is the narrowest in the country: BAKED GOODS ONLY, and only those needing no refrigeration: double-crust or single-crust fruit pies, yeast breads, biscuits, brownies, cookies, muffins, and shelf-stable cakes. The farm path adds jams and jellies from locally grown produce, vinegars, maple syrup, candies, fudge, and dried herbs.
For non-farmers, everything that is not a shelf-stable baked good: no jams, jellies, pickles, candies, syrups, or dried herbs at home (those are farm-path or licensed-facility products), and no sales to resellers, care facilities, daycares, or schools.
Cottage path: direct to consumers only, by pickup or in-person delivery within Rhode Island; online and phone orders are fine but no shipping, wholesale, or resellers, and events require the additional peddler license. Farm path: farmers markets, farmstands, and farmer-operated markets.
Annual sales cap: $50,000 per calendar year on the cottage path (early bill drafts said $25,000 and that figure still circulates, but the enacted statute says $50,000); no cap on the farm path.
Cottage labels need: business name, address, and phone, ingredients by weight, federal allergen info, and in at least 10-point type: 'Made by a Cottage Food Business Registrant That is Not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection.' Labels for each product are submitted with the registration.
Rhode Island exempts food from its 7 percent sales tax, and RIDOH's FAQ says typical cottage baked goods sold packaged without utensils are generally exempt; sellers classified as eating establishments would face the 8 percent combined meals tax. Either way, file a Business Application and Registration with the Division of Taxation.
RIDOH advises confirming local zoning for a home business before applying, keeping written approvals, and registering your business locally or with the Secretary of State.
RIDOH can revoke a registration anytime for noncompliance, and chapter violations carry escalating criminal fines from $100 up to $500 or a year for repeat offenses.
Selling non-food crafts too? See the Rhode Island craft fair permit and sales tax guide.
Yes, under Rhode Island Cottage Food Manufacture (R.I. Gen. Laws 21-27-6.2, enacted 2022); the older Farm Home Food Manufacture path (21-27-6.1) remains for farmers. Yes: a $65/year Cottage Food Manufacture registration with RIDOH, open to any resident since 2022. You submit an application, a notarized affidavit that your kitchen meets statutory specs (two-compartment sink or 150F dishwasher plus sink), product recipes and labels, proof of food safety training, and annual well water tests if applicable; no routine pre-approval inspection, but RIDOH may inspect anytime. The event-vendor catch: selling at farmers markets or temporary events like craft fairs also requires a $100/year retail food peddler license covering all events statewide. Farmers can use the older $65 Farm Home Food registration instead.
Cottage path (non-farmers) is the narrowest in the country: BAKED GOODS ONLY, and only those needing no refrigeration: double-crust or single-crust fruit pies, yeast breads, biscuits, brownies, cookies, muffins, and shelf-stable cakes. The farm path adds jams and jellies from locally grown produce, vinegars, maple syrup, candies, fudge, and dried herbs. For non-farmers, everything that is not a shelf-stable baked good: no jams, jellies, pickles, candies, syrups, or dried herbs at home (those are farm-path or licensed-facility products), and no sales to resellers, care facilities, daycares, or schools.
Yes: $50,000 per calendar year on the cottage path (early bill drafts said $25,000 and that figure still circulates, but the enacted statute says $50,000); no cap on the farm path.
Cottage path: direct to consumers only, by pickup or in-person delivery within Rhode Island; online and phone orders are fine but no shipping, wholesale, or resellers, and events require the additional peddler license. Farm path: farmers markets, farmstands, and farmer-operated markets.
Cottage labels need: business name, address, and phone, ingredients by weight, federal allergen info, and in at least 10-point type: 'Made by a Cottage Food Business Registrant That is Not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection.' Labels for each product are submitted with the registration.
Rhode Island exempts food from its 7 percent sales tax, and RIDOH's FAQ says typical cottage baked goods sold packaged without utensils are generally exempt; sellers classified as eating establishments would face the 8 percent combined meals tax. Either way, file a Business Application and Registration with the Division of Taxation.
Browse upcoming craft fairs and markets in Rhode Island with booth fees and application deadlines, and use the booth ROI calculator to plan a profitable season.
Last verified: 2026-06-12. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.