Home Bakery Permit Requirements in Evansville, IN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

2. Indiana Department of Health — Certified Food Protection Manager (not required for home based vendors)

   Indiana's certified food protection manager requirement (410 IAC 7-22, as amended by HEA 1210, applied through the retail food rule 410 IAC 7-26) attaches to licensed retail food establishments. A home based vendor selling non-potentially-hazardous baked goods is not licensed as a food establishment, so the requirement does not apply to you — certification is genuinely optional. It becomes mandatory the moment you move into a licensed commercial kitchen or open a retail location. If you do certify voluntarily, the credential must come from an ANSI/ANAB-accredited program such as ServSafe Manager; a basic food handler card is not the same credential.

   Official government source

   No cost while operating as a home based vendor. Optional ANSI-accredited manager certification is priced by the provider — Vanderburgh County lists about $160 for class, book and exam, or $65 exam only·N/A unless voluntarily certifying (same-day exam)

   No cost while operating as a home based vendor. Optional ANSI-accredited manager certification is priced by the provider — Vanderburgh County lists about $160 for class, book and exam, or $65 exam only

   N/A unless voluntarily certifying (same-day exam)

1. Indiana Home Based Vendor ("Cottage Food") Law

   Indiana's home based vendor law (IC 16-42-5.3) lets a person prepare certain non-potentially-hazardous foods — baked goods, candies, jams and similar items — at their primary residence and sell them directly to consumers, including at farmers markets and online. The "$50,000 annual sales limit" previously stated here could not be confirmed in current law and should not be relied on: confirm the current sales limits, eligible product list, labeling requirements, and whether any registration or inspection applies with the Indiana Department of Health's Food Protection Division before selling.

   Official government source

   Indiana publishes no state license or registration fee for home based vendors — confirm current requirements and any fee with the Indiana Department of Health Food Protection Division.·Not applicable if no state registration is required — confirm with the Indiana Department of Health Food Protection Division before selling.

   Indiana publishes no state license or registration fee for home based vendors — confirm current requirements and any fee with the Indiana Department of Health Food Protection Division.

   Not applicable if no state registration is required — confirm with the Indiana Department of Health Food Protection Division before selling.

2. No General Business License in Evansville

   Evansville does not require a general/universal business license for most business types. The City Controller's office issues licenses only for specific activities (e.g., street vending, hotels, pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers) — none apply to a typical service business. Verify zoning compliance and, if applicable, a Certificate of Occupancy with the Area Plan Commission / Building Commission before opening.

   Official government source

   Not applicable (no general license fee)·Not applicable

   Not applicable (no general license fee)

   Not applicable

Official Sources

• Indiana Cottage Food Law
• City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development

Related Guides