Home Bakery Permit Requirements in Fort Wayne, 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 Law ("Cottage Food" Law)

   Indiana's Home Based Vendor law (IC 16-42-5.3, added by P.L.49-2022) lets a person prepare and sell certain non-time/temperature-control-for-safety food products (baked goods, candies, jams, etc.) made at their primary residence, sold in person, by phone, or online. Current law sets no dollar cap on annual sales, and IC 16-42-5.3-12 bars state or local government from requiring a license, certification, or inspection of a home based vendor's kitchen.

   Official government source

   $0 (no license/registration fee; state law bars licensure requirements)·Not applicable — no license or registration required

   $0 (no license/registration fee; state law bars licensure requirements)

   Not applicable — no license or registration required

2. Fort Wayne — No General Business License

   Fort Wayne has no general city business license, and there is no "Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement" business license. The city's official Starting a Business guide states: "The City of Fort Wayne does not currently require a general business license." What does apply: register your business name with the Allen County Recorder if it does not include the owner's last name, verify zoning with the Allen County Department of Planning Services, and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Allen County Building Department after final inspection of any commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.·Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.

   Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

Official Sources

• Indiana Cottage Food Law
• City of Fort Wayne Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement

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