Guide
Cottage food in South Carolina: the checklist
What cottage food covers in South Carolina, whether sales are capped, and why a ticketed micro hospitality dinner needs a different route. Checked Sep 2026.
Tenseats · Updated September 25, 2026
Not legal advice. This is a starting checklist, checked 2026-09-25. Rules change and differ by county and city. Talk to a lawyer and confirm with SCDA before you sell a ticket or open your space.
At a glance
- Covers: food that's safe without refrigeration, like baked goods, candy and jams. Sell in person, online, by mail in-state, or to stores. SCDA law book
- Sales cap: none. The old $15,000 limit, for skipping inspection, was deleted in 2018. Act 190 Act 231
- Registration and fee: none. No food licence, no home inspection, $0. SCDA law book
- Doesn't cover: ticketed or plated dinners. Your pound cake travels, your plated supper doesn't: SCDA bars slicing, plating or serving on site without a permit. SCDA law book
- Home-kitchen meal law: none. No change since 2022 found, and pending bills are unverified. §44-1-143
Quick answers
What does cottage food cover in South Carolina? Food that's safe without refrigeration, like baked goods, candy and jams. You can sell in person, online, by mail in-state, or to stores, with no food licence, home inspection or fee. SCDA law book
Is there a cottage food sales cap in South Carolina? Sell as much as you like. There's no sales cap. The old $15,000 limit, for skipping inspection, was deleted in 2018. Act 190 Act 231
Does South Carolina cottage food cover a ticketed dinner? Yes. South Carolina sets the rules. SCDA law book Reg 61-25 SCDA fees
What this means for a dinner
- Start with a free dinner for friends at home. The permit question starts when you sell tickets, or when it's advertised to the public, charge or not. Reg 61-25
- A ticketed micro hospitality night needs an SCDA retail food permit: $100 plus a $100 inspection fee, so $200 in year one. Reg 61-25 SCDA fees
- Your home kitchen can't be permitted. A separate second kitchen or a commissary can. SCDA FAQ
- Selling take-home treats? The label needs the home-based food statement in capitals. §44-1-143
Your city
- Charleston: organizer checklist · venue host checklist
- Greenville: organizer checklist · venue host checklist
Learn more
Not legal advice. Confirm with a lawyer and SCDA before you act.
Guides by city in South Carolina
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