Hello Fam!

Does anyone know what is the process for obtaining a licence for baking cakes from my home?
EX:
1. what is the licence called?
2. is there more than one licence to get?
3. Do i need to change my stove/oven?
4. Do i need a "business" licence if the proceeds of sales go to help someone with their medical bills due to cancer? * i just get back what i spend on the making of cake* *it is baking for a cause not for a business
5. Do i need more than just a licence?

Please help!
i have tried looking online but with so much information i never know what is correct and what isnt!

AZ recently passed a cottage food law that allows you to sell certain kinds of food made from home if you qualify, here is a link with more info:

http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/oeh/fses/goods/index.htm

In addition to compliance with the AZ state dept of health you will probably also need a business license from your town/city, and you will need to carefully keep track of expenses and sales so you can report your income to the IRS.

It doesn't matter what you will be using the money for, you would still be running a business and need to report your income and get all the necessary licenses.

By the way you will probably want to charge more than just the cost of making the cake, otherwise you won't make any profit.

Sorry for the confusion! i dont just charge what i spend for the cakes. I take back what i spend on it... ex: i spend $5 on a cake, charge $10 for it, i take back my $5 and donate the other $5.
Im an unemployed mother/student i dont have the $$ to actually donate myself and help with the medical bills due to cancer or home bills for that person who has an ill child and cant pay the electicity bill. Since i used to make cakes just for fam n friends before it thought i would b able to help spread cancer awareness in a diff way

I live in Oregon and became licensed in August. My licence is called a Domestic Kitchen Bakery licence and it is issued through the Oregon Department of Agriculture. I am licensed to make anything a commercial bakery produces.

I had to pay a fee, have a home inspection and make changes to my home to comply with the state regulations. Had to buy a second fridge/freezer, had to rearrange my kitchen so all my baking stuff was in a separate cupboard, had to keep baking pans for home separate from those used in a bakery, had to develop a system of sanitizing everything and come up with product labeling that includes ingredients.

In Oregon the fines are quite stiff if you bake things to sell without a licence. For me it wasn't worth it.

It is my understanding that in most states if you are doing something for fundraising you can cover your costs of materials but not time. And you would have to produce receipts for the materials to prove your cost should you in essence by questioned or audited.

Hope this helps

Some states do have exceptions for selling food at bake sales for charitable organizations, but unless OP wanted to go through the process of creating a non-profit organization (which is not trivial) she probably wouldn't qualify for this type of exception.

i'd second what Jason posted. Just follow the Cottage Food rules: register, take the food handler class, and do your labels. That website is pretty inclusive.