Home Bakery (Cottage Food) Permit Requirements in Chicago, IL

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you operate as an LLC, corporation, or partnership, or if you have employees. Sole proprietors with no employees may use their Social Security Number instead. Apply free online through the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate

   Free

   Immediate

1. Illinois Cottage Food Operation — IDPH Framework

   Illinois' Cottage Food Law allows home-based food producers to make and sell nearly all food and drink for direct sale to consumers, EXCEPT specifically prohibited items (raw meat/poultry/fish/shellfish, potentially-hazardous dairy/egg products, custard/cream pies, unacidified garlic oil, low-acid canned foods, sprouts, most cut leafy greens/melon/tomato, wild mushrooms, alcohol, kombucha). There is no statewide annual sales cap. Operations are regulated by IDPH but registered through the operator's local health department. Chicago residents register with Chicago's local cottage food program. A Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate is required statewide for the operator and anyone who prepares/packages food.

   Official government source

   Registration fee capped at $50 by law (local health department charges $0-$50); CFPM course/exam typically $100-$300, separate from registration.·N/A

   Registration fee capped at $50 by law (local health department charges $0-$50); CFPM course/exam typically $100-$300, separate from registration.

   N/A

2. Illinois Business Registration (if LLC or corporation)

   If operating as an LLC or corporation in Illinois, register with the Illinois Secretary of State. Sole proprietors using their own legal name do not need to register. Sole proprietors and general partnerships using a trade name (DBA) must file an Assumed Business Name registration with the Cook County Clerk; LLCs and corporations are exempt from that county filing.

   Official government source

   $150 (LLC Articles of Organization or Domestic Corporation Articles of Incorporation); $50 Assumed Business Name registration with the Cook County Clerk·10 business days for standard online filing with the Secretary of State; 24-hour expedited service for $250 total. A Cook County assumed name filing also requires publishing a legal notice for three consecutive weeks.

   $150 (LLC Articles of Organization or Domestic Corporation Articles of Incorporation); $50 Assumed Business Name registration with the Cook County Clerk

   10 business days for standard online filing with the Secretary of State; 24-hour expedited service for $250 total. A Cook County assumed name filing also requires publishing a legal notice for three consecutive weeks.

1. Chicago Department of Public Health — Cottage Food Operation Registration

   Chicago has its own cottage food registration administered by CDPH's Food Protection Program, separate from the general Illinois cottage food framework. Home bakery operators must obtain an approved Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, complete a Cottage Food Operation Registration Application and Home Self-Certification Checklist, and submit a full menu list and product labels for each product category. Acidified and fermented foods additionally require a Cottage Food Safety Plan and Hazard Analysis. Submit to [email protected] or CDPH Food Protection, 2133 W. Lexington St, 2nd floor; call 312-746-8030 for more information.

   Official government source

   Illinois law caps the cottage food registration fee at $50; a local health department may charge anywhere from $0 to $50, and CDPH does not publish its amount on the registration page -- the fee is stated on the application itself. Certified Food Protection Manager certification is a separate, additional cost.·6-8 weeks from receipt to process the application (per CDPH)

   Illinois law caps the cottage food registration fee at $50; a local health department may charge anywhere from $0 to $50, and CDPH does not publish its amount on the registration page -- the fee is stated on the application itself. Certified Food Protection Manager certification is a separate, additional cost.

   6-8 weeks from receipt to process the application (per CDPH)

Official Sources

• City of Chicago — Register a Cottage Food Operation
• Illinois Department of Public Health — Cottage Food
• Illinois Extension — Chicago Cottage Food Operation Limitations
• Illinois Cottage Food Laws 2026 — Standscout
• IDPH — Cottage Food Guide

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