Your Kid’s Lemonade Stand Will Soon Be LEGAL In Michigan (Hopefully)

It's no secret that there are laws on the books that don't make sense, or that once made sense but no longer fit our modern times. This is not one of those laws. Allow me to tell you a tale of woe that, if the wheels of justice turn successively, will not happen to any child again. True story: my sister used to love doing lemonade stands, and she did a pretty bang-up job.

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She would run the stand and donate the money to charity each time, and she raised hundreds of dollars. That is, until some old loser of a lady called the cops on my sister's lemonade stand to get it shut down because it "didn't have a permit," even though my sister had plainly stated it was for charity.

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This was news to all of us that this was even a rule, let alone a law that was even slightly enforced. But thankfully, legislation has been introduced, passed the House, and is headed to the Michigan Senate that would ease the rules for lemonade stands run by a minor.

House Bill 6007 Would Free the Lemonade Stand

House Bill 6007, which passed the Michigan House of Representatives unanimously on June 25th,  specifically outlines several changes to food service establishments, but the important change for the rite of passage for children everywhere comes from a change to Sec 3113, which states:

(2) A county, city, village, or township shall not require a license, permit, or registration for, or otherwise regulate, a temporary food establishment that meets the requirements of section 4105(1)(g).

This later specifically mentions lemonade stands, and lays out the qualifications for pre-approved stands:

Temporary food establishments that (i) use single-service articles. (ii) limits food preparation to the mixing and serving of lemonade or other nonalcoholic beverages that are not time/temperature controlled for safety, (iii) is operated by a minor, (iv) is on private property with permission from the owner, and (v) makes less than $5000 a year.

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In basic terms, as long as your kid is selling lemonade and something simple like cookies or crackers, with permission, and isn't making a small fortune, you're fine.

If you're like most of Michigan, who have been hosting lemonade stands for years without issue, and this is the first time you're even hearing about this, then just know that Representative Cam Cavitt from Cheboygan is looking out for you.