Miami-Dade Cottage Food Requirements

State Rules Are the Floor, Not the Ceiling

Florida Statute § 500.80(6) preempts local governments from banning or restricting the preparation, storage, or processing of cottage food products by a qualifying operation. No county or city can ban a qualifying cottage food business solely because it operates from a home.

But that preemption covers only the food production side. Local governments retain authority over business registration, applicable zoning and home-occupation administration, and tax collection. This creates a situation where your products are governed entirely by state law, but your business operations must also satisfy whatever your county and city require.

In practice, this means the steps to launch a cottage food business differ meaningfully depending on whether you're in Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, or a less-regulated rural county. Here's what each of the three largest metro counties requires.

Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade has the most structured requirements of any Florida county for home-based food businesses. Beyond the statewide cottage food rules, you'll need:

Certificate of Use (CU) for Home Occupation. Before operating any home-based business in unincorporated Miami-Dade, you must obtain a Certificate of Use from the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER). This involves a zoning review to confirm that your property allows home occupations. The application requires your property folio number, proof of ownership or a notarized landlord authorization letter, and a description of your business activity.

The 500 square foot limit. Miami-Dade restricts home occupations to no more than 25% of the dwelling's living area, up to a maximum of 500 square feet. For cottage food operations, the business activity is limited to the kitchen area, which must fit within this footage cap. If your kitchen is 200 square feet, do not assume a dining room table used for packaging can be added to the permitted area.

Local Business Tax Receipt. Miami-Dade County requires a BTR for home businesses. The application is processed through the Tax Collector's office after your CU is approved. Fees vary by business classification and the local fee schedule.

Municipality overlay. If you live within city limits (Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Doral, Miami Beach, etc.), you may need a separate city-level business tax receipt and potentially a city home occupation approval on top of the county CU. Each municipality has its own fee schedule and process. Miami Beach, for example, requires a city BTR and has specific rules about customer traffic for home businesses.

Parking and traffic limits. Miami-Dade's home occupation rules prohibit customer traffic that's visible or disruptive to neighbors. For cottage food operators, this means coordinating pickups to avoid noticeable traffic patterns — scheduling pickup windows, meeting customers at farmers' markets instead of your home, or using delivery.

Broward County

Broward County's requirements vary by municipality. Miramar provides a concrete example:

City-level requirements (Miramar example). Many Broward cities add their own business registration layer. Miramar, one of the county's larger cities, requires a city Home Business Tax Receipt with a unique twist: the application includes a criminal background check on the applicant. Processing takes five to seven business days. Renters must submit a copy of their lease and a notarized letter of permission from the property owner. Miramar also requires a General Liability Insurance Certificate listing the home address — this goes beyond what state law requires for cottage food operators.

Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Pembroke Pines each have their own business registration processes. Check the applicable city for its current requirements.

Certificate of Use. Do not assume Miami-Dade's county Certificate of Use process applies across Broward; check the applicable municipality's current requirements.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County (Tampa metro area) requires:

County Local Business Tax Receipt. All home-based businesses in Hillsborough County must obtain a BTR from the County Tax Collector. The application includes a basic zoning verification to confirm that home occupations are permitted at your address.

City BTR on top of county BTR. If your home is within the city limits of Tampa, Plant City, or Temple Terrace, you need a separate city-level BTR in addition to the county one. Tampa's BTR application is processed through the Revenue and Finance Department. This means operators in Tampa proper are paying two BTR fees — one to the county, one to the city.

Cottage food classification. Hillsborough County lists cottage food operations under business categories that may require proof of compliance with FDACS rules. In practice, this means having your product list, labels, and sales records organized in case the Tax Collector's office asks for documentation during the BTR application.

Counties With Minimal Extra Requirements

Not every Florida county adds significant layers on top of the state cottage food rules. Many rural and suburban counties require only a standard BTR — and some don't even require that for home-based businesses. If you're operating in a less urbanized area, your county Tax Collector's office or website is the first place to check.

Unincorporated Orange County requires a Business Tax Receipt with zoning approval processed through the Fast Track online system. The process is straightforward and handled primarily online.

Duval County (Jacksonville) has local BTR and home-occupation requirements that should be confirmed with the Tax Collector and applicable city office.

Pinellas County (St. Petersburg/Clearwater) has county and municipal BTR requirements that should be confirmed with the county and applicable city offices.

The common thread: check both your county and your city. Florida's preemption prevents them from blocking your cottage food production, but it doesn't prevent them from requiring business registration and collecting their local tax.

How to Navigate County Requirements

The practical steps are the same regardless of which county you're in:

1. Check your county Tax Collector's website for BTR requirements and fees.
2. Check your city's business licensing page (if you're within city limits) for any additional BTR or home occupation permit.
3. Check your HOA covenants (if applicable) — F.S. § 559.955(5)(a) explicitly says that state home-based business protections do not override HOA rules, condo declarations, or cooperative documents.
4. Gather documentation — deed or lease, landlord authorization (if renting), proof of address, business name registration.
5. Apply for the BTR — most counties offer online applications that take 5–10 business days to process.

The Florida Cottage Food & Home Food Business Guide includes a county-by-county BTR tracker and an HOA/zoning constraint worksheet to help you identify exactly which local requirements apply to your address.

See more Florida guides →