Selling at and running markets in Minnesota.
In Minnesota, market sellers must be registered with the Department of Revenue to collect sales tax, and operators need Form ST19 or proof of registration before renting space. Homemade food sellers register with the Department of Agriculture; event food stands are licensed by the Department of Health or a delegated city or county agency.
Updated
Sales tax.
Minnesota sales tax registration and Operator Certificate of Compliance (ST19)
Sellers must be registered to collect Minnesota sales tax and any local taxes before the event starts, except an individual at one event of no more than three days a year with $500 or less in sales and a written statement. Booth space rentals and admission to selling events are not taxable.
- Who
- Organizer and vendors
- From
- Minnesota Department of Revenue
- When
- Anyone, including promoters and operators, making taxable sales at a flea market, craft show, antique show, county fair or similar event.
- Timing
- Register before the event begins
Selling homemade food (cottage food).
At a glance: registration, sales up to $78,000 a year. Compare all 50 states.
Cottage Food Producer Registration
Producers register with the department every year before selling direct to customers, including at farmers markets and community events, up to $78,000 a year. Labels must show the producer's name, address or registration number, production date, ingredients and the statement that the products are homemade and not subject to state inspection; foods needing refrigeration are not allowed.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- When
- Anyone selling non-potentially hazardous homemade foods (such as baked goods and jams) or home-canned pickles, vegetables or fruit with a pH of 4.6 or lower, including at farmers markets and community events.
- Fee
- No registration fee for gross annual sales of $7,665 or less; $50 fee for sales of $7,666 to $78,000
Temporary food permits.
Special event food stand license
The Department of Health licenses special event food stands together with local agencies it has delegated, and the stand's location determines which agency issues the license. Stands must meet the Minnesota food code and are inspected at events.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, or a delegated city or county health agency
- When
- Selling food or beverages at an event outside a cottage food exemption.
Farmers markets and produce.
Products of the farm or garden exclusion
Growers selling these unprocessed farm products do not need a food license or cottage food registration, but must still follow state and federal food safety laws. Adding off-farm ingredients removes the exclusion.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- When
- Growers selling produce, herbs, honey, maple syrup, eggs, meat or poultry they grow or raise on land they occupy.
Business registration.
Certificate of Assumed Name
A sole proprietor or partnership using a business name such as "Smith Painting" files a Certificate of Assumed Name with the Secretary of State and renews it annually. The pages read do not describe a general statewide vendor license.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Minnesota Secretary of State
- When
- A business operating under a name other than its owner's full legal name, or an entity name other than its exact legal name.
What the state asks of market organizers.
Minnesota law says that before an operator of a craft show, art fair, flea market or similar event rents space to a seller, the operator must have proof the seller is registered for Minnesota sales tax, or a written statement that no taxable items are sold or that the seller qualifies for the isolated and occasional exemption. Sellers use Form ST19 (Operator Certificate of Compliance). Operators keep the forms for at least three and a half years and can be fined $100 per noncompliant seller per day. Official page
City and county permits in Minnesota.
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.
- The sales tax fact sheet (FS148) shows a revision date of September 2018 on a file published April 2023; confirm current rules with the Department of Revenue (651-282-5225 for registration).
- The cottage food page states that from August 1, 2027 Minnesota moves to a single registration tier with a $30 yearly fee for all registrants and allows shipping.
- The Department of Health special event food stand page does not state fees or lead times; check with the Department's Food, Pools, and Lodging Services contact page or the delegated local agency.
- The Secretary of State assumed name page does not state the filing fee (it points to a fee schedule that was not read). No official page was found saying Minnesota has no general statewide vendor license; local cities and counties license vendors separately.
Common questions.
Do I need a sales tax permit to sell at a craft fair in Minnesota?
Minnesota sales tax registration and Operator Certificate of Compliance (ST19) (Minnesota Department of Revenue): Sellers must be registered to collect Minnesota sales tax and any local taxes before the event starts, except an individual at one event of no more than three days a year with $500 or less in sales and a written statement. Booth space rentals and admission to selling events are not taxable.
Can I sell homemade food at a farmers market in Minnesota?
Cottage Food Producer Registration (Minnesota Department of Agriculture): Producers register with the department every year before selling direct to customers, including at farmers markets and community events, up to $78,000 a year. Labels must show the producer's name, address or registration number, production date, ingredients and the statement that the products are homemade and not subject to state inspection; foods needing refrigeration are not allowed.
Who issues temporary food permits for events in Minnesota?
Special event food stand license (Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, or a delegated city or county health agency): The Department of Health licenses special event food stands together with local agencies it has delegated, and the stand's location determines which agency issues the license. Stands must meet the Minnesota food code and are inspected at events.
What does Minnesota require of market and event organizers?
Minnesota law says that before an operator of a craft show, art fair, flea market or similar event rents space to a seller, the operator must have proof the seller is registered for Minnesota sales tax, or a written statement that no taxable items are sold or that the seller qualifies for the isolated and occasional exemption. Sellers use Form ST19 (Operator Certificate of Compliance). Operators keep the forms for at least three and a half years and can be fined $100 per noncompliant seller per day.
Do I need a state business license to be a vendor in Minnesota?
Certificate of Assumed Name (Minnesota Secretary of State): A sole proprietor or partnership using a business name such as "Smith Painting" files a Certificate of Assumed Name with the Secretary of State and renews it annually. The pages read do not describe a general statewide vendor license.
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://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2023-04/fs148.pdf
- https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food-feed/cottage-food-producer-registration
- https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food-feed/cottage-food-law-guidance
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/food/license/index.html
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/food/license/specevent.html
- https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food-licensing-exclusions-exemptions
- https://www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-forms-fees/assumed-namedba/
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/333.01
Collect every vendor permit in one place.
bzar is free for organizers: vendor applications with required documents, booth payments, tickets and check-in in one dashboard.