Michigan cottage food label requirements
Michigan's cottage food label rule is section 4102(3) of the Michigan Food Law (MCL 289.4102). The current text, as amended by 2025 Public Act 51 (effective March 24, 2026), gives you two options for identifying your business: name and address, or name, phone number and a registration number from the Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) explains the details on its cottage food labeling page.
Required statement (MCL 289.4102(3)(g))
Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Type size: At least the equivalent of 11-point type (about 1/8 inch), in a contrasting color.
Open the Michigan preset in the tool
Last checked October 19, 2026. Sources · Example label · FAQ
What a Michigan cottage food label must show
| Element | What to print | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Name and address, or name + phone + registration number | Name and the physical address of your home kitchen (no P.O. box); or name, telephone number and your MSU Product Center registration number. | MCL 289.4102(3)(a); MDARD labeling page |
| Name of the product | All capitals or upper and lower case are both fine. | 289.4102(3)(b); MDARD |
| Ingredients | In descending order of predominance by weight, with the sub-ingredients of prepared items (for example "soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt)"). | 289.4102(3)(c); MDARD |
| Net weight or net volume | Including the metric equivalent, for example "Net Wt 12 oz (340 g)". | 289.4102(3)(d); MDARD |
| Allergens | As specified by federal labeling requirements; name the specific tree nut. | 289.4102(3)(e); MDARD |
| Nutrition labeling | Only if a nutritional claim is made. | 289.4102(3)(f) |
| Home kitchen statement | The sentence quoted below, at least 11-point equivalent, contrasting color. | 289.4102(3)(g) |
Cottage foods in Michigan must be prepackaged and labeled before sale (289.4102(2)). If you register with the MSU Product Center, the statute says your label "shall include" the registration number (289.4102(9)). MDARD's example of a registered label shows the name, phone number and a number in the format C-000000000 in place of the address.
Keep your home address off the label?
Yes, if you register with the MSU Product Center. MCL 289.4102(3)(a)(ii) lets you print your name, telephone number and the registration number issued by the MSU Product Center instead of your address. Without that registration, the label needs your name and address, and MDARD says it must be the physical address of the home kitchen, not a P.O. box.
This is what the rule says, not legal advice. Check with your state agency before you print.
The Michigan statement, word for word
The statute quotes the statement:
Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
MCL 289.4102(3)(g) writes the agency name in lower case and with "and". MDARD's labeling page writes "Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development", with an ampersand, and says all capital letters or upper and lower case are both acceptable. We follow the statute's words and capitalize the department's name.
The statement says your kitchen "has not been inspected", which matches the law: cottage food operations are exempt from the licensing and evaluation provisions of the Food Law (289.4102(1)).
Type size and placement
The statement must be printed "in at least the equivalent of 11-point font size in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background" (289.4102(3)(g)). MDARD describes 11-point as about 1/8 inch tall. Hand-printed labels are acceptable if they are clearly legible, written in durable, permanent ink and as large as the required font size (MDARD).
Our 4-inch PDF prints the Michigan statement in bold at about 11.5 points when printed at 100% ("Actual size"). Below about 96% scaling it falls under 11 points.
Selling online, at markets or through stores
Michigan cottage foods must be sold directly to consumers; consignment and wholesale are not allowed. Internet, mail-order and third-party delivery sales are allowed only to consumers in Michigan, and only if the buyer can interact directly with you (face to face or by video) before the sale (289.4102(4)).
For wedding cakes, birthday cakes and other specialty cakes that can't easily be packaged, MDARD says all the label information must be on the invoice delivered with the cake; smaller cakes must be boxed with the label on the box.
MSU Product Center registration: the Product Center can issue a registration document with a unique number and charge a one-time fee of up to $50 (289.4102(8)). Registration records are exempt from Freedom of Information Act disclosure (289.4102(10)).
Example Michigan cottage food label
A fictional Traverse City operation registered with the MSU Product Center, selling a 12-ounce bag of granola:
Cherry Almond Granola
Ingredients: rolled oats, honey, almonds, dried cherries (cherries, sugar, sunflower oil), sunflower oil, brown sugar, salt.
Contains: Almond.
Net Wt 12 oz (340 g)
Lakeshore Pantry
Phone: (231) 555-0142
Registration #: C-000012345
Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
- Because it uses the registration number, the label shows the name, phone number and registration number instead of the home address.
- Not registered? Leave the box unticked and the tool prints your name and home kitchen address.
- Almonds are named in the "Contains" line; MDARD says "nuts" alone is not acceptable.
- The net weight shows ounces and grams, as MDARD requires.
Open the Michigan preset in the tool
On your first visit the tool loads this example, with its made-up details marked as examples and a Start blank button. If you already have a recipe saved, it keeps your recipe and switches the state to Michigan.
Easy mistakes to avoid
- Using a P.O. box. MDARD requires the physical address of the home kitchen unless you use the registration number and phone.
- Printing the registration number but forgetting the phone number.
- Listing "soy sauce" or "chocolate chips" without sub-ingredients.
- Ounces only, without the metric equivalent.
- A pale statement on a dark label: the contrast rule applies.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a P.O. box on a Michigan cottage food label?
No. MDARD says you must use the physical address of your home kitchen. The alternative is the MSU Product Center registration: then you print your name, phone number and registration number instead of the address.
How do I get an MSU Product Center registration number?
Register with the MSU Product Center's voluntary cottage food registration. The statute allows a one-time fee of up to $50 (MCL 289.4102(8)).
What is the exact Michigan statement?
"Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development." in at least 11-point type in a contrasting color (MCL 289.4102(3)(g)). Capitals or mixed case are both acceptable, according to MDARD.
Do Michigan cottage food labels need grams?
Yes. MDARD says the net weight or net volume must also include the metric equivalent.
How do I label a wedding cake?
Put all the label information on the invoice and deliver it with the cake. Smaller cakes must be boxed, with the label on the box (MDARD).
Do I need to list sesame?
MDARD's allergen explanation lists seven food groups, but the statute points to federal labeling requirements, and federal law has treated sesame as a major food allergen since January 1, 2023. Declare it.
Sources
Last checked October 19, 2026. We read each of these official sources; quotes on this page are copied from them.
- MCL 289.4102: Cottage food operation (am. 2025 PA 51, eff. 3/24/2026)
- MDARD: Cottage Food Labeling
- MSU Product Center: Cottage Food Business Voluntary Registration
This page explains the rules in plain English. It is not legal advice. Rules change, and your county or market may ask for more, so check with the agency above before printing a large run.
How we check these rules, and what changed: How we verify · change log · report an error.
Other states
Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · Ohio · Oregon · Texas · All states and the label maker
Also useful: what goes on a food label (federal basics) and the ingredient label maker.