The essentials
Idaho, at a glance
The Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act now covers qualifying homemade shelf-stable and perishable foods sold to informed end consumers.
Producers may use a designated agent named in writing, but every production, sale and delivery step must stay within Idaho. Required disclosures, safe handling for perishables and two years of transaction records apply. Milk and meat have additional statutory conditions, and wholesale and restaurant-style immediate food service remain outside this pathway.
View official sources (2)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
- Food Safety: Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
One step at a time
Your first 3 steps
Check the food and business model
Describe the finished product, ingredients, preparation site and intended consumption.
The definition includes private or leased farms, home kitchens and other nonlicensed facilities. It excludes on-site restaurant-style food preparation for immediate consumption, including mobile units and concession trailers. Do not treat a broader product list as permission for a home restaurant.
Verify special ingredients and handling
Check dairy and meat-related statutes before choosing those products.
For perishable foods, plan safe production, storage, transport and sale, and prepare clear consumer instructions for storage and preparation. The statute defines cold perishables at 41°F or below and hot perishables at 135°F or above. Review the department’s educational material before operating.
Prepare disclosures and records
Choose a conspicuous sign, affixed label or card containing the required statement, your name and contact details, and ingredients for multi-ingredient foods.
Establish a transaction log with production and sale dates, product quantities, production place and ingredient sources. If another person sells for you, name that agent in writing and in each relevant transaction record.
View official sources (1)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
Make what you love
Can you sell what you make?
These are examples. Check the complete recipe, preparation method and sales route before offering a product.
Baked goods, preserves and other shelf-stable foods
Check the conditionsThe Act names qualifying baked goods, nut mixes, granola, roasted coffee, popcorn, preserves and other foods in its shelf-stable definition.
Final temperature-control needs still matter. A product in a listed category must satisfy the applicable ingredient and transaction rules; the examples do not cancel the Act’s specific limitations.
Perishable foods require instructions
Check the conditionsThe perishable definition includes foods such as raw dough, fresh pasta and baked goods with perishable fillings, subject to other applicable requirements.
Give customers enough handling information to store and prepare the actual product safely. A disclosure that the food is not inspected does not replace this separate instruction duty.
Dairy and meat need a separate check
Check the conditionsDairy and raw-milk products retain their specified Idaho dairy-law requirements.
Meat follows limited exceptions, including inspected livestock meat and qualifying own-raised poultry up to 1,000 birds per calendar year under the listed conditions. Domestic rabbit and certain farm-raised fish have their own statutory routes. Do not use these examples to approve an unspecified meat or seafood product.
View official sources (1)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
From your kitchen to your customers
Where and how you can sell
| Selling method | What matters |
|---|---|
| Direct producer sales | Sell to an informed end consumer who will not resell or redistribute the product. Keep the entire transaction and delivery within Idaho and supply the required disclosure. Immediate restaurant-style service remains outside the homemade definition even when the buyer is the final consumer. |
| A designated agent or cooperative market | An agent can facilitate marketing, storage, transport, sales and delivery when appointed in writing. The agent cannot take ownership of the products. The statute includes cooperative and consignment-model markets in the agent definition, so the actual ownership and appointment arrangement matters more than the market’s name. |
| Delivery and interstate orders | Delivery is part of the permitted producer/agent transaction, but it must occur wholly within Idaho. The Act does not authorize interstate production, processing, packaging, sales or delivery. Confirm a proposed online or parcel-carrier arrangement against those conditions before offering it; no nationwide shipping permission follows from this exemption. |
| Retail space and wholesale | A retail space offering Act products must keep them physically separate from other products and clearly mark their area, including relevant cold storage. The agent must not acquire ownership. Ordinary wholesale is not exempt, and a restaurant or school cannot use these products as ingredients under the Act. |
View official sources (1)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
Your label, explained
Every field has a purpose.
Use the example to understand the structure. Follow the Idaho requirements below for your product and sales route.
Your product
name
Your product name and actual net quantity
Your complete recipe and supplier ingredients
Producer name; contact information
The statement for your state, product and sales route
Packaged cottage food · check product-specific additions
A guide to the fields, not a ready-to-print label. Use your actual product and business details.
Name it. Measure it.
Identify your product and its actual net quantity. Check the state’s formatting and unit requirements below.
Use your actual recipe.
Check every ingredient and supplier label. Use the applicable ingredient and allergen declarations for your product.
Identify your operation.
Producer name; contact information
Use the wording for your route.
Requirements can differ by product and sales channel. Keep the disclosure, placement and type-size conditions together.
Illustrative cookie disclosure
For a multi-ingredient cookie, show the producer’s name and contact information, actual ingredient list and exact statement below.
The Act permits a conspicuous sign, affixed product label or consumer card; it does not require every producer to choose the same format. The information must reach the informed end consumer, including when an agent makes the sale.
Required disclosure statement
This product is not subject to government food safety inspection or licensing requirements.
It may contain allergens.
Perishable-food instructions are additional
A refrigerated product needs instructions sufficient to explain safe storage and preparation.
Make them specific to the food and its intended use. The general inspection and allergen disclosure is not a substitute for temperature, storage or preparation instructions that the perishable-food provision requires.
The wording for your label
Packaged cottage food · check product-specific additions
This product is not subject to government food safety inspection or licensing requirements. It may contain allergens.
View official sources (1)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
A useful head start
Your Idaho label kit.
Editable template, example label and starting checklist.
Personalize it for your products and business.
Enter your email. Get the files immediately.
Before your first sale
A few details worth getting right.
An example
A baker uses a cooperative pickup market
Suppose a baker appoints a cooperative market to facilitate sales.
Name it in writing, retain ownership of the food until the consumer purchase, and record the agent for each sale. Supply complete disclosures, separate the products from other foods at the retail space, and keep production and fulfillment within Idaho. Wholesale purchasing by the market would change the arrangement.
Reusing the old allowable-food PDF
The health department says the March 20, 2026 Act replaces the former cottage-food rule.
An older non-TCS list therefore does not describe the entire current program. Conversely, the new list does not remove separate dairy, meat, safe-handling or direct-sale conditions.
Skipping records because no routine permit is required
The Act requires transaction and ingredient-source records for at least two years.
Those records are normally confidential and are not submitted routinely, but a confirmed foodborne-illness investigation can require them. Missing required records may produce a fine up to $500 during such an investigation.
View official sources (2)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
- Food Safety: Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
A few more answers
Common questions
Do I need a paid food-handler certificate?
The Act requires producers and designated agents to become familiar with department educational material. It does not specify a mandatory paid certificate or exam for this pathway. The health department also offers general food-safety training; do not confuse that available resource with a certification condition absent from the Act.
View sources for this answer (1)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
Is there a general annual sales cap or renewal?
The reviewed Act does not set a general dollar-sales ceiling or annual direct-to-consumer permit renewal. Product-specific restrictions still apply, including the poultry exception’s own-raised bird limit. Other retained laws may apply to your operation; the absence of a general cap is not unrestricted permission for every business model.
View sources for this answer (1)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
Keep it handy
Your first-sale checklist
Use this free checklist to keep track of your next steps. The conditions in this guide still apply.
0 of 3 completed · Restoring progress…
Official guidance
Sources, updates & your next step
Read the new Act and the department’s current notice
Use the Idaho Food Safety page’s Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act section and linked Title 37 Chapter 2. Confirm uncertain product-specific issues with the relevant agency, and review department educational materials. Keep the written agent appointment, product disclosures and transaction records ready before the first sale.
Official sources 2 references
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act →
Idaho Legislature · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Food Safety: Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act →
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare · Reviewed September 14, 2026
Guide updates September 14, 2026
Reviewed Idaho’s product eligibility, sales routes, starting requirements and label guidance against the official sources below. Current conditions and any dated changes are explained in the relevant sections of this guide.
View sources for this update (2)
- Title37 Chapter2 Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Legislature
- Food Safety: Idaho Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
This guide is a starting point. Confirm requirements for your products and location with the relevant authority. Examples are illustrative and are not a compliance approval.