Selling Honey by State | Apiary Tools

No license needed for pure honey Depends on how you sell License or registration required

Northeast

Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Midwest

South Central

Plains

Mountain West

Pacific

What the colors mean, and what they don't

The badge answers one narrow question: can you sell pure honey from your own bees, direct to consumers, without a food license? It says nothing about flavored or infused honey (which almost always needs more), wholesale or online sales (often a different track), or apiary registration (a separate requirement in several states, whether or not you sell). The label wording each state requires is on its page.

Selling outside the US

The rules differ by country. There are separate guides to selling honey in Canada, selling honey in the UK and selling honey in Ireland, covering their labelling rules, lot numbers and required registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a license to sell honey from my own bees?

It depends on your state. In 40 states you can usually sell pure honey from your own hives direct to consumers without a food license, often under a honey-specific exemption or a cottage food law. In 4 states you must register or get a license first, and in the rest it depends on how and where you sell. Find your state below for the specific answer and the official source.

What has to be on a honey label in every state?

The federal basics apply everywhere: the word "Honey" as the product identity, the net weight in both US and metric units in the bottom 30 percent of the front panel, and your name and address. Pure honey needs no ingredient list. Many states add their own required statement on top, which is what the per-state pages cover.

Do the rules change for flavored or infused honey?

Almost always. Once you add anything, the product is no longer a single-ingredient raw commodity: it needs an ingredient list and usually moves you from the honey exemption into cottage food registration or a food processor license. Check your state page and confirm with the agency it names.

Selling Honey by State: Where You Need a License (and Where You Don’t)

Northeast

Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Midwest

South Central

Plains

Mountain West

Pacific

What the colors mean, and what they don't

Selling outside the US

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools

Honey Label Generator

Honey Yield Calculator

Honey Moisture Calculator

More Guides

Honey Labeling Requirements

Selling Honey in Canada

Selling Honey in the UK

Selling Honey in Ireland