Home coffee business
Can you sell coffee from home in Montana?
Montana's Local Food Choice Act lets you sell most homemade food and drink, some temperature controlled items included, directly to an informed end consumer with no license or inspection. Black brewed coffee and nondairy drinks fit; fresh dairy drinks need more.
Governing law: Montana Local Food Choice Act
How home coffee sales work in Montana
- Governing program
- Local Food Choice Act
- Who administers it
- Montana DPHHS
- What you need
- No license or inspection for direct sales
- Annual sales cap
- No annual cap
- Where you can sell
- Direct to informed end consumers in Montana, home, farm, farmers market
- Food safety
- None required for direct sales
What you can sell from home
Black and nondairy drinks can be sold direct to consumers. Add fresh milk and the drink becomes “potentially hazardous,” which falls outside the exemption, so lattes still need more.
Facts reviewed July 28, 2026. Cottage food and food freedom laws change often and interact with local zoning and HOA rules. Confirm the current program, cap, and links before you sell.
What you can do
- Sell made to order black and nondairy coffee direct to Montana buyers
- Sell roasted beans, bags, and baked goods with no license
- Sell at your home, farm, or a farmers market
What you can't do
- Serve fresh dairy lattes without meeting separate dairy rules
- Sell to stores or restaurants for resale
- Ship or sell out of state
Read the official rules
Montana DPHHS, Food & Consumer Safety →Link last verified 2026-07-28.
General guidance only, not legal advice. Cottage food and food freedom laws change often and interact with local zoning and HOA rules. Confirm with your state agency and local zoning office before you sell.