Hi All!!

I am just a hobbiest that enjoys making cakes. Is it legal for me to start charging for my cakes from my home kitchen?? I live in Georgia, I don't know where to go to find out what seems like a simple answer.


Thank You,

=)

You can call your local Health Department to find out for sure.

I lived in Marietta for 11 years and although I did do cakes from my home, to get business started, it is illegal to bake and sell items made in your kitchen. What I did was go to a caterer and made a deal with them to rent space, by the month. Since it was already an inspected premise it was easy to get my license and they told me all kinds of things I needed for packaging, etc. Until you are licensed you can not even advertise unfortunately. Good luck and I hope you find a space to rent.
evelyn

in georgia, it is not legal to sell cakes from your home. you have to have a separte from your home kitchen (not in garage/basement etc). even to sell at the local flea markets you have to bake out of a comercial kitchen. i've checked into it. my way around it, i've seen other people on here that use the same idea, is to bake for "donations" and have a suggested donation price around the price the cake would be normally. not exactly fool-proof cause there is always going to be cheap-skates. example: the big rig driver going to a high school car wash and donating $5 to get his truck washed....had this happen too...lol...i hope this helps you a little bit. you should be able to find georgia dept of agriculture to answer any other questions.

I was able to run my business out of the caterer's as she had given me a letter on letterhead stating that I would be baking and using her address as my place of business. I was inspected and passed and got my business license that day, I should say a temporary copy, and later my permanent license.
evelyn

Does it have to a commercial kitchen, or just a separate kitchen??

In Georgia it actually varies by county and city. You will have to contact your local health dept and your local dept of agriculture to get a definitive answer for your specific locale.

And that "donation" thing isn't really legal either. Once you take anything for the cake you're selling and you're a biz and have to meet whatever your city/county/state requires. It's been discussed *extensively* on here.

Here is the regulation for Home-Based Baking in Georgia. First contact your county health department since each county is different. I also live in Georgia and you will need a separate kitchen facility to prepare your cakes. I do know bakers who have built separate kitchens in their basement and garage, but you will need to talk to the health department to see what the reg is for your county.

Selling at a state sponsored Farmers Market is limited to non- profit organizations only. If you want to view the regulation visit this link: http://cookingwithdenay.com/home-based-bakers/state-cottage-laws/georgia/

Here is the link for the listing of counties in Georgia:
http://www.georgia.gov/00/topic_index_channel/0,2092,4802_5083,00.html

Good luck!

~Denay