Cottage Food Laws by State
Connecticut Cottage Food Laws
Connecticut licenses cottage food operators through the Department of Consumer Protection. You apply through eLicense CT, finish an approved food safety course, and have your home kitchen examined before approval. Gross sales are capped at $50,000 per calendar year, and your license lists the exact products you may make, so apply with a clear product list.
Annual sales cap
$50,000
Permit
Required
Training
Required
Home inspection
Yes
Online sales
Allowed
Shipping
Not allowed
Across state lines
Not allowed
Wholesale
Not allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Connecticut
Every sale must go directly from you or your designee to the customer, in person, inside Connecticut. Farmers markets, fairs, festivals, charity events, and your home are fine, and you can take orders online or by phone if you hand-deliver them. Mail, couriers, and third-party delivery apps are out, as are wholesale, consignment, and sales through grocery stores or restaurants.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| From home | Allowed |
| Farmers markets |
Conditions apply
Markets may set their own extra requirements, such as a food establishment license. |
| Events & festivals |
Conditions apply
Local fairs, festivals, and charitable organization functions are named in the statute. |
| Online orders |
Conditions apply
You may advertise and take orders online, but you or your designee must deliver in person within Connecticut; no mail or third-party delivery. |
| Retail stores | Not allowed |
| Wholesale | Not allowed |
| Restaurants | Not allowed |
| Catering | Not allowed |
What You Can Sell in Connecticut
Stick to foods that are safe at room temperature, such as breads, cookies, cakes, candy, popcorn, granola, nuts, dried fruit, and standard jams. Honey and maple syrup are specifically excluded, along with beverages, acidified or low-acid canned foods, garlic in oil, and anything needing refrigeration. Your license names the products you may make.
Only foods that are not potentially hazardous (not requiring time or temperature control for safety), and only the specific products listed on your license.
Bread
Candy
Condiments
Preserves
Snacks
Allowed with conditions
- Hard candies and lollipops — Only if non-potentially hazardous.
- Muffins and sweet breads with fresh fruit or vegetables — Produce must be mixed into the batter and baked; no fresh or frozen fruit or vegetable decoration.
- Roasted whole bean or ground coffee — Allowed per DCP guide; ready-made coffee beverages are not.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
$50,000
- Gross sales may not exceed $50,000 per calendar year
- Make food only in the home kitchen of your owner- or resident-occupied home, not in a shed, barn, or rented commercial kitchen
- Sell only directly to consumers, in person, within Connecticut
- No wholesale or consignment; no sales at grocery stores, restaurants, schools, day care, group homes, or long-term care facilities
- Display your license wherever you sell
- Only the license holder or someone under direct supervision may handle the food; no pets or children under 12 in the kitchen while working
- Produce only the products listed on your license
Local rules: You must comply with municipal laws and zoning ordinances and keep written proof. DCP may request verification that your on-site wastewater system is compliant. Local health directors may investigate in response to complaints or outbreaks.
How to Start Selling in Connecticut
-
1
Confirm local zoning
Check with your town and keep written proof that your home business complies with zoning; DCP can ask for it.
-
2
Test private well water
If you use a private well, have the water tested before applying; the DCP guide asks for the analysis within one year of applying.
-
3
Take a recognized food safety course
Choose a course from the DCP list of recognized programs that covers food processing and packaging.
-
4
Apply through eLicense CT
Apply at elicense.ct.gov and list the specific foods you will make; the DCP guide lists a $50 application fee.
-
5
Pass the premises examination
DCP examines your home kitchen before licensing and may inspect at any time afterward.
-
6
Label products and display your license
Use compliant labels and show the license at every place you sell.
What a Compliant Connecticut Label Looks Like
Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Net Wt: 8 oz (227g)
Sunflower Home Bakery
412 Maple Ave, Springfield, CT
Ingredients:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Corn Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil; Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla; Sugar, Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Confectioner's Glaze, Carnauba Wax, FD&C Colors; Water, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Red 40.
Contains:
Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection.
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Connecticut must have a label that includes the following.
| Required field |
|---|
| All 9 FDA major allergens present |
| Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight |
| Business name |
| Business address |
| Product name |
| Net weight |
| "Not inspected" disclosure statement |
Connecticut Labeling Notes
- The DCP guide also asks for net weight or volume with metric equivalent and a physical street address (no PO box).
- For cakes that cannot carry a label, DCP says to put the label information on the invoice delivered with the cake.
Required Label Disclosure
This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Connecticut.
Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically.
Generate your Connecticut label in minutes
Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Connecticut Cottage Food — Common Questions
Apply for an annual Cottage Food Operator license from the Department of Consumer Protection through eLicense CT; the DCP guide lists a $50 application fee.
The limit is $50,000 in gross sales.
Complete a food safety course (including food processing and packaging) from the DCP list of recognized programs before licensing.
Online sales are allowed. Shipping is not allowed. You may advertise and take orders online, but you or your designee must deliver in person within Connecticut; no mail or third-party delivery.
Not allowed: Potentially hazardous foods; Honey and maple syrup; Acidified foods and low-acid canned foods; Garlic in oil; Beverages and fresh fruit or vegetable juices, including cider; Cooked vegetable products such as salsa and tomato sauce; Fruit butters such as apple butter; Meat and poultry products such as jerky; Cheesecake.
Resources and Law History
Who to contact
Department of Consumer Protection, Food and Standards Division
(860) 713-6160
Agency website2018
Public Act 18-141 created the Cottage Food Operator license with a $25,000 sales limit.
2019
Public Act 19-18 excluded maple syrup and honey from cottage food products.
2022
Public Act 22-8 raised the annual gross sales cap from $25,000 to $50,000.
Law reference: Connecticut Cottage Food Law (Connecticut General Statutes sections 21a-62b to 21a-62h) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
Generate your Connecticut labels in minutes
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