Indiana Home Based Vendor Requirements: Your Complete Compliance Checklist

Indiana's former Home-Based Vendor (HBV) law was one of the most permissive cottage food frameworks in the country: no revenue cap, no pre-launch inspection, no local permit fees. But "permissive" didn't mean "no rules." Operating outside the boundaries was a Class B misdemeanor with fines of $50 to $1,000 per day per violation.

Here are the actual requirements.

The Three Legal Pillars

Every HBV operation under IC 16-42-5.3 rests on three mandatory conditions:

1. Produce in your primary residence kitchen. Not a rented commercial space, not a friend's kitchen, not a church basement. The food must be prepared in the kitchen of the home where you live. If you outgrow your home kitchen and move to a commercial facility, you leave the HBV framework entirely and need a retail food establishment permit.

2. Hold a valid ANSI food handler certificate. Complete an ANSI-accredited course like ServSafe ($15 online, about 90 minutes) and file a copy with your county health department. The certificate is valid for three years.

3. Label every product correctly. Each item needs:

• The statutory disclaimer in at least 10-point type: "This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health. NOT FOR RESALE."
• Full ingredient list
• Allergen declarations
• Net weight
• Processing date
• Your physical address (not a P.O. Box)

Miss any of these three and you're operating outside the exemption.

What You Can Sell

The HBV framework limits you to non-TCS (non-time/temperature-controlled-for-safety) foods:

• Baked goods: cookies, brownies, breads, fruit pies, dry noodles
• Candy and confections
• Pure honey and maple syrup
• High-acid, full-sugar jams and jellies
• Dry herbs and spice blends

What's off-limits: cheesecakes, custard pies, cream-filled pastries, fresh salsa, pickled vegetables, fermented foods, and anything containing meat.

Where You Can Sell

HBV vendors can sell through multiple channels:

• Face-to-face at your home, roadside stands, or farmers markets
• Online orders with in-state delivery (USPS, UPS, FedEx)
• Phone orders

Shipping or delivery must stay within Indiana state lines. Out-of-state sales trigger federal manufacturing laws. If you ship, keep delivery address records for at least one year.

County Registration

State law prevents local health departments from charging fees for HBV registration. However, some counties — including Porter County, Hamilton County, and the Fishers Health Department — maintain mandatory free registration programs. You submit a registration form plus your ANSI certificate copy. No fee, no inspection, but registration is required before you sell in those jurisdictions.

The 2026 Transition

On July 1, 2026, the HBV framework was replaced by the Homestead Vendor system under HEA 1424. The core protections remain — no pre-launch inspections, no local fees — but the product range expanded dramatically and the training requirement narrowed for face-to-face sellers. A new $1.5 million annual revenue cap applies.

The step-by-step registration sequence for both frameworks, with county-specific requirements, is covered in the Indiana Cottage Food & Home Food Business Guide.

See more Indiana guides →