HB 134 Ohio House · 136th Legislature (2025-2026)

Authorize home kitchen registration for sale of certain foods

HB 134 creates a registration program allowing home kitchens to legally sell certain homemade foods, like baked goods or jams, directly to customers. It updates state rules to establish a microenterprise home kitchen registration system, replacing the need for a full commercial kitchen license. Home cooks must register under this new program to sell qualifying foods, which are limited to low-risk items meeting specific safety standards. The law directly affects small-scale home food producers seeking to sell their goods without operating a commercial kitchen.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Nov 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 25, 2025 Last action Feb 11, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced As Passed by the House · 10 edits · Nov 19, 2025
MAJOR
This bill expands Ohio's food safety regulations to create a new 'microenterprise home kitchen operation' category, allowing home-based food producers to sell homemade foods under specific conditions. The changes add new definitions, establish registration requirements, set sales limits, and create enforcement mechanisms while maintaining exemptions for small-scale producers. This represents a significant expansion of who can legally sell homemade food in Ohio.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of food sales permitted from homes by creating a new 'microenterprise home kitchen operation' category that allows home-based producers to sell and deliver food beyond what was previously permitted under cottage food laws. It also adds a new section (3715.21) regarding custom meat processing requirements for food service operations.
DEFINITION

Added new definition for 'microenterprise home kitchen operation' - a person who registers with the department of agriculture to sell and deliver food produced at their home.

Added new definition for 'finished dosage form' and expanded 'manufacture' definition to include packaging, repackaging, labeling, and promotion activities.

REQUIREMENT

Established registration requirements with a $25 fee (reduced to $12.50 if applied for within 6 months of expiration) and annual renewal fees.

Added gross receipt limit of $150,000 per calendar year for sales of potentially hazardous homemade food items under the registration.

Added mandatory food safety training requirement for microenterprise home kitchen operations with low-cost and online options.

Added new section 3715.21 establishing custom meat processing requirements for food service operations and retail food establishments.

Added inspection requirements for microenterprise home kitchen operations, limited to checking for functioning hand washing sink and liquid soap.

ENFORCEMENT

Created enforcement mechanisms including up to $75 fines, warning requirements before fines, and suspension/revocation procedures for violations.

EXEMPTIONS

Added exemption for microenterprise home kitchen operations from retail food establishment licensing requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded eligibility criteria by adding new exemptions for farm markets, roadside stands, and nonprofit organizations selling limited quantities of food.

Floor votes · House Nov 20, 2025

How they voted

872
Passed
Total votes 89
Nov 20, 2025
D Democratic27
25 Yea 2 Nay
92% Yea
R Republican62
62 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
7
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Feb 11, 2026
Committee
Referred to committee
upper
Nov 25, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
upper
Nov 20, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (87-2)
house
Nov 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to committee
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
lower
2 primary · 17 co-sponsors

Sponsors