Home-roasted coffee, loose-leaf tea and dry tea blends
Roasted at homeAllowed under cottage law
Dry blendsTea & herb blends OK
No claimsNo ‘detox’ or cure language
In-stateInterstate sales = FDA rules
1What’s covered & what needs more
Covered under this path
Roasted whole-bean and ground coffee (listed on IDPH’s sample cottage menu)
Loose-leaf tea, dry tea blends and dried-herb tea mixes
Bottled cold brew or iced tea — bottled at home, kept ≤ 41°F
Flavor extracts not meant as beverages
Needs a different path
Coffee/tea brewed or served on site → local health department permit
Kombucha (prohibited) and alcohol-containing products
Herbal blends sold with health claims (‘detox’, ‘cures…’) → supplement/drug rules
Wholesale to cafés or shipping out of state → licensed facility / FDA rules
2Three steps to compliant sales
A
Get certified
Every person who prepares or packages your food needs an ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate — about 8 hours, proctored exam, $100–$300, valid 5 years. A basic food-handler card does not count.
B
Register with your local health department
Register in the county (or Chicago) where you live: annual, capped at $50, no routine kitchen inspection. Submit a label for each product category, your CFPM, and a water test if you’re on a private well. Allow up to six weeks. One registration = one home kitchen.
C
Label, sign, and sell direct
Pre-package with the required label and post the home-kitchen notice at the point of sale (8×10 in. placard in person; on the product page online). Sell direct to consumers anywhere in Illinois — farmers markets, online, delivery, pickup, in-state shipping of non-TCS foods with a tamper-evident seal. No wholesale, no resale, no out-of-state.
3Quick-reference table
Item
Rule
Regulator
Registration
Local health department where you live; annual; ≤ $50; valid statewide.
Local health dept
Certification
ANSI-accredited CFPM for everyone who roasts, blends or packages.
IDPH
Dry tea/herb blends
Allowed under cottage rules when sold direct to the end consumer.
IDPH / IL Farmers Market Guide
Bottled cold brew / iced tea
Bottled at home, labeled, kept ≤ 41°F.
IDPH
On-site brewing
Not cottage — needs a local health department permit.
Local health dept
Label must-haves
Operation name + local government unit; registration # + county/municipality; common name; every ingredient (incl. sub-ingredients) by weight; federal allergen labeling (milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soy, fish, tree nuts, shellfish, sesame); processing date (month/day/year); net weight; and the home-kitchen statement.
IDPH / local health dept
4Frequently asked
Can I roast coffee at home and sell it?
Yes — roasted coffee appears on IDPH’s sample cottage-food menu. You still need registration and a CFPM.
Can I sell to cafés?
No. Wholesale is outside cottage law and needs a licensed facility.
Can my tea say ‘immune support’?
Avoid it. Health statements move a product toward supplement/drug regulation; keep claims factual (e.g., ingredients, flavor).
Can I ship beans to another state?
Not under cottage law. Interstate sales fall under FDA rules and the destination state’s laws.
Printable checklist
CFPM + registration
Sourcing records for beans/leaf/herbs
Labels: ingredients, allergens, roast/blend date, net weight, registration #
Home-kitchen notice on label + online listing
No health claims on packaging or listings
Cold-hold plan for any bottled cold brew
Register with IDOR; sweetened bottled drinks use general rate
In-state shipping only, tamper-evident seals
Sales tax: Groceries: Illinois’ 1% state grocery tax ended Jan 1, 2026, but many cities and counties (Chicago included) now levy their own 1% local grocery tax — check the rate for each delivery address. Register with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) through MyTax Illinois. Sweetened bottled drinks are ‘soft drinks’ at the general rate.
Selling on a marketplace: Cottage-food sales must be made by the registered operator (or a listed family member/employee) directly to the consumer, inside Illinois. Online listings work when the operator is clearly the seller and the home-kitchen notice appears at the point of sale. A platform can list and take payment, but should not take title, repack, or distribute the product.