Home baker and cook guide
How to sell homemade food in Texas
Texas expanded cottage food rules in 2025, including additional foods and specific registration rules for temperature-controlled foods and cottage food vendors. Start with the official program below, then confirm the rules for your product, preparation setting, and local jurisdiction.
Official resources last reviewed 2026-07-21. Rules can change.
Official Texas resources
Open the official pages below for registration, labeling, allowed foods, and temperature rules. This app collects your application only. After approval, classify every meal when you publish.
What the official pathway currently emphasizes
- Operators must complete accredited basic food-handler training.
- Registration is required for operations selling TCS foods and for vendors; voluntary registration can provide an identifier in place of a home address on labels.
- TCS products require safe hot or cold holding, production-date information, safe-handling language, and direct delivery restrictions.
- Packaging, allergen information, the required home-production disclosure, and online pre-purchase label information apply.
A practical preparation sequence
- Classify each product as TCS or non-TCS and check the excluded categories.
- Complete accredited training and register when required.
- Prepare the correct general or TCS label and temperature plan.
- Confirm direct-sale, delivery, or registered-vendor rules before accepting an order.
Questions to answer before listing
- Which foods may be produced in your proposed kitchen?
- Does the product require refrigeration or temperature control?
- Are registration, training, inspection, testing, or permits required?
- What must appear on the product label and customer disclosure?
- Where may you advertise, sell, deliver, ship, or arrange pickup?
- Do county, city, zoning, tax, or tribal rules add requirements?
Prepare your local kitchen page
Once you understand the applicable pathway, create a kitchen profile, describe your general pickup area, upload real food photos, and post specific preorder windows. Kitchen Counter-Measures does not approve a product on behalf of a regulator.