Hello all,
I am sure that this topic has been visited before, but I thought I would ask anyway. Are there any baker here on CC that live in Texas, especially the DFW area, that are licensed? If so how did you get licensed? I would appreciate any help you could give me.
Bradymom

I live near Austin and I am licensed. I found a commercial kitchen that rents by the hour (I am lucky!). Calling your county's health department is the first step, they will tell you exactly what you need to do. Unfortunately, in Texas, it is illegal to sell foods made in your home kitchen.

Getting licensed in Texas is something I am also wondering about. I would love to go to work for a bakery to expand my experience in baking and decorating. How do you get your foot in the door? Any suggestions?

kelleym,
Thank you for the input. I am not sure how to contact the Health Department for Dallas County. The only thing I have found on it is the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services. Is this who I need to contact?
Thanks,
Bradymom

Yes, that's the right agency. The department that regulates food is "Environmental Services". Their web site is terrible, but here's a link.

http://www.dallascounty.org/department/hhservices/services/environmental/env_services.html

I am in Telferner, just about 10 miles east of Victoria. I am having a hard time starting. I have a lot of word of mouth from church and friends at DH's job at the college.

How did you all get started to begin with? Where did you go to try to get a license? Register a name? Business forms? (I took two years of business classes in college while I worked on my psychology degree--always knew I would be in business for myself just not as a baker!)

Where to I look for regulations in my area?

I guess what I am trying to say is:

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

judylynnturner, it's the same as what kelleym said..contact your health department.

For all things related to the licensing of the food business you must contact your county health department.

To register your business, you do that through the Secretary of State. You have to do a search to make sure your business name is available. We have a corporation, so we paid a lawyer to draw up articles of incorporation, then paid a fee to register them with the SoS (I don't remember what the fee is, but it's probably on their web site). Just google "Texas Secretary of State".

The licensing aspect and the business registration aspect are completely different. You don't have to have a food license to begin the process with the SoS. However, to legally sell food, you must have a food license.

Hope this helps

Yes, this helps tremendously!

I also just got a look at your website for CakeBoss. I had been playing around with ideas on the computer to keep up with info. I really dreaded the thought of hard copy. I will get with you later on this later thru your website.

Also, I guess I should have mentioned that I am hoping to move next month to a new house that is ideal for a home/business set up. So, I did figure that it would be best to wait until March 22 (tentative contract/move in date) before I had the health department come in.

I have been looking at the Victoria City-County health dept. website and no wonder I can't find info, most of it is under construction , but that is ok. I think when they open tomorrow, I will give them a call and see what they need.

I am off to the SoS office website to see what I need there.

Thank you all so much!