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Cottage Food Eligible

Coffee & Tea

Roasted coffee, loose-leaf tea, and dry blends sold direct to Iowa customers

None
License required
Iowa Code 137F.20
Governing law
Dry / shelf-stable
Product form
DIAL
Regulator
What's covered vs. what needs a different path

Covered here

  • Roasted whole-bean or ground coffee sold dry and shelf-stable
  • Loose-leaf tea blends, herbal tisanes, and dry chai mixes
  • Flavored sugars, cocoa mixes, and dry drink powders
  • Direct sales at markets, on-farm, online, and by delivery

Needs a different path

  • Ready-to-drink bottled coffee or tea beverages (see Beverages)
  • Cold-brew concentrates requiring refrigeration
  • Wholesale accounts with cafes, grocers, or restaurants
  • Any add-in dairy creamer or perishable component packaged with the dry good
How to get compliant
A

Keep the product dry and shelf-stable

Roasted coffee and loose tea are classic non-TCS dry goods, so they fit cleanly into Iowa's cottage food exemption with no license and no state sales cap.

B

Label completely

List your contact information, the common product name, full ingredients (including any flavoring oils or add-ins) in descending order by weight, and the residential-exemption statement.

C

Stay direct-to-consumer

Sell in person, by phone, online, or by mail, or through your own delivery agent — supplying a coffee shop or grocery shelf crosses into wholesale, which needs a licensed facility instead.

Quick reference
ItemRuleRegulator
Roasted coffee (whole bean/ground)Cottage food eligible; no licenseIowa Code 137F.20
Loose-leaf tea, herbal blendsCottage food eligible; no licenseIowa Code 137F.20
LabelingName/contact, common name, ingredients, allergens, exemption statementIowa Code 137F.20(2)
Ready-to-drink coffee/tea beveragesNot cottage food; follow Beverages category rulesDIAL
Wholesale to cafes/grocersRequires a licensed food establishmentDIAL
Frequently asked
Do I need a roaster permit to roast coffee at home for sale?

Iowa's cottage food law doesn't require a separate roasting permit; treat it like any other home-processed dry good and follow the standard labeling rules.

Can I add dried fruit or nuts to a tea blend?

Yes, but list every ingredient and flag any of the nine major allergens (like tree nuts) clearly on the label.

What about nitro cold brew kegs at a market?

That's a refrigerated, TCS beverage and falls outside cottage food — it needs a licensed food establishment path, not the dry-goods exemption.

Is there a cap on how much coffee I can sell per year?

No — Iowa's cottage food law does not impose a sales volume or revenue cap, unlike some neighboring states.

Printable checklist
  • Product confirmed dry and shelf-stable (no refrigeration needed)
  • Label includes name, contact info, and common product name
  • Full ingredient list by weight, allergens flagged
  • Residential-exemption statement included
  • All sales direct-to-consumer, no wholesale accounts