Lubbock Cottage Food Law Updates: What You Need to Know in 2025

Texas Cottage Law has changed as of September 1st, 2025. Here's what Lubbock food producers and their buyers should know.

What Are Texas Cottage Food Laws?

Just in case you've never even heard of the Texas Cottage Law, it is a law that defines what is and is not permissible for a home food producer to sell and how they can sell it.

I like to boil it down to "cakes, not plates," although it is more complex than that. Before September 1st, it only covered non-meat food items that do not need refrigeration (except frozen chopped vegetables).

Think: pickles, birthday cakes, dried fruit, vinegars, etc. But not beef jerky, a hamburger, or tamales (I am still buying them at my own risk).

Interestingly, the law does not cover backyard eggs (which don't typically need refrigeration either), but another law does allow for it.

For more on Cottage Law before September 1st, head here.

How the New Rules Impact Local Bakers and Home Chefs

The big headline is that home bakers can now sell cheesecakes, even though they require refrigeration. Additionally, the sales per year cap has increased significantly to "$150,000 in gross food sales per year."

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Also included are other improvements, like the ability to sell wholesale to restaurants and retail outlets. Home bakers can also apply for a unique number to have on their labels instead of their home address.

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Cottage food can now be donated to charitable causes, and I am mystified as to why that wasn't allowed before. Also, it has been clarified that sampling of products is allowed at events like farmers' markets, which everyone was doing already anyway.

Overall, this is a big win for Texas home producers, be they bakers, folks who make a proprietary spice blend, can pickles, etc. And a win for those of us who'd like to eat cheesecake at the farmer's market.