Selling at and running markets in Indiana.
In Indiana, vendors selling at retail, including temporary merchants at events, register with the Indiana Department of Revenue through INBiz for a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate. Homemade low-risk foods fall under the Indiana Department of Health's home-based vendor law, with no food permit but a food handler certificate. Event food booths are registered through the local county health department.
Updated
Sales tax.
Registered Retail Merchant Certificate
Merchants register through INBiz before selling and file sales tax returns on Form ST-103, even when no tax is due. Filing frequency depends on prior sales, with annual filing for under $1,000 in annual collections and seasonal filing allowed. A Registered Retail Merchant Certificate is not the same as a Transient Merchant License, which a county auditor may also require, and some cities and towns have their own merchant licensing.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Indiana Department of Revenue
- When
- Any merchant selling at retail in Indiana, including transient merchants doing temporary business at events.
Selling homemade food (cottage food).
At a glance: no registration or permit. Compare all 50 states.
Home-based vendor (IC 16-42-5.3)
Home-based vendors need no food permit or regular kitchen inspection, but must hold a food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer and sell directly to consumers, not through grocery stores. Labels must show the producer's name and address, product name, ingredients, net weight, date processed and the statement that the product is home produced and not inspected. Markets and festivals can choose whether to allow home-based vendors.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Indiana Department of Health, Division of Food Protection (enforced by local health departments)
- When
- Selling non-potentially hazardous food made at your primary residence, such as baked goods, candy, honey, whole uncut produce, tree nuts and traditional high-acid jams and jellies.
Temporary food permits.
Temporary event registration (organizer and food vendors)
Indiana's food code names the regulatory authority as the local or county health department or the Indiana Department of Health, and the department's food protection page lists temporary event packets for organizers and vendors. The department itself inspects retail food on state property, such as the State Fairgrounds, and supports the 95 local health departments, so booths at most events register with the county where the event is held.
- Who
- Organizer and vendors
- From
- Local or county health department; Indiana Department of Health for state-run events
- When
- Events with vendors serving food or drink to the public.
Farmers markets and produce.
Farmers' market and roadside stand exemptions
Under IC 16-42-5.3, an individual vendor at a farmers' market or roadside stand is exempt from food establishment requirements for eggs, whole uncut produce and non-potentially hazardous food. Poultry and rabbit sold at a market must be frozen at the point of sale, and the Board of Animal Health regulates poultry processing. Local health inspectors may visit markets to check sanitation and labels, and a market manager may ask for the food handler certificate and liability insurance.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Indiana Department of Health, Division of Food Protection
- When
- Individual vendors at a farmers' market selling eggs, whole uncut produce, non-potentially hazardous food, or frozen poultry or rabbit.
Business registration.
INBiz business and tax registration
INBiz is the state's online portal to register a business with the Secretary of State and then register with the Department of Revenue for tax purposes. The page does not describe a general state business license for market vendors.
- Who
- Organizer and vendors
- From
- Indiana Secretary of State and Indiana Department of Revenue (INBiz)
- When
- Forming a business entity or registering for state taxes.
City and county permits in Indiana.
Event permits, vendor licenses and food permits are mostly local. Pick your city or county:
Collect the paperwork with each application.
Ask vendors for their sales tax registration, cottage food registration or food permit and insurance certificate as required documents on your application form, and check them before you approve anyone.
Where the sources are unclear.
- No official Indiana page read states a duty on event promoters to collect vendors' tax registration numbers, so promoterDuty is omitted.
- The Department of Revenue bulletin (GIB #102) does not state a registration fee; check INBiz. Its statement that Parke County was the only county requiring a Transient Merchant License was current only as of that bulletin's issue date; ask the county auditor.
- The Indiana Department of Health home-based vendor FAQ is internally inconsistent about food handler certificates (one answer says not required for egg sellers or county-specific training, another says all home-based vendors must hold an ANSI-accredited certificate). The handbook and IC 16-42-5.3 section 7 say home-based vendors must obtain one; that is used here.
- The state temporary event application packets are online forms (redcap.isdh.in.gov) and fee schedules were not read; fees and lead times vary by county health department.
- Fire marshal tent rules, raffles and alcohol at events were not researched; ask the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (state fire marshal) and the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission.
Common questions.
Do I need a sales tax permit to sell at a craft fair in Indiana?
Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (Indiana Department of Revenue): Merchants register through INBiz before selling and file sales tax returns on Form ST-103, even when no tax is due. Filing frequency depends on prior sales, with annual filing for under $1,000 in annual collections and seasonal filing allowed. A Registered Retail Merchant Certificate is not the same as a Transient Merchant License, which a county auditor may also require, and some cities and towns have their own merchant licensing.
Can I sell homemade food at a farmers market in Indiana?
Home-based vendor (IC 16-42-5.3) (Indiana Department of Health, Division of Food Protection (enforced by local health departments)): Home-based vendors need no food permit or regular kitchen inspection, but must hold a food handler certificate from an ANSI-accredited issuer and sell directly to consumers, not through grocery stores. Labels must show the producer's name and address, product name, ingredients, net weight, date processed and the statement that the product is home produced and not inspected. Markets and festivals can choose whether to allow home-based vendors.
Who issues temporary food permits for events in Indiana?
Temporary event registration (organizer and food vendors) (Local or county health department; Indiana Department of Health for state-run events): Indiana's food code names the regulatory authority as the local or county health department or the Indiana Department of Health, and the department's food protection page lists temporary event packets for organizers and vendors. The department itself inspects retail food on state property, such as the State Fairgrounds, and supports the 95 local health departments, so booths at most events register with the county where the event is held.
Do I need a state business license to be a vendor in Indiana?
INBiz business and tax registration (Indiana Secretary of State and Indiana Department of Revenue (INBiz)): INBiz is the state's online portal to register a business with the Secretary of State and then register with the Department of Revenue for tax purposes. The page does not describe a general state business license for market vendors.
Sources.
This page summarizes official state sources and isn't legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with each agency.
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages, checked on 2026-10-11. Details change; tell us at hello@bzar.app if something here is out of date.
- https://secure.in.gov/dor/files/gb102.pdf
- https://www.in.gov/health/food-protection/files/Home-Based-Vendors-FAQ-FINAL.pdf
- https://www.in.gov/health/food-protection/files/Indiana-Home-Based-Vendor-Handbook-2.pdf
- https://www.in.gov/health/food-protection/temporary-events
- https://www.in.gov/health/food-protection/
- https://www.in.gov/health/food-protection/retail/how-to-start-a-retail-food-business
- https://inbiz.in.gov/
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