Cottage Food Laws by State
Washington Cottage Food Laws
Washington runs one of the more hands-on cottage food programs. You need a permit from the state agriculture department before selling, and a WSDA inspector visits your home kitchen. Gross sales are limited to $35,000 a year per residence, and you may only make the products and recipes approved on your permit.
Annual sales cap
$35,000
Permit
Required
Training
Required
Home inspection
Yes
Shipping
Not allowed
Across state lines
Not allowed
Wholesale
Not allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Washington
Sales have to be direct to the consumer. Farmers markets, craft fairs, charitable functions, and sales from home are the listed settings. Shipping, mail order, consignment, wholesale, and sales outside Washington are not allowed. Display your permit where you sell, and apply well ahead of your planned start because sales cannot begin until it is issued.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| From home |
Conditions apply
Products must be made and stored only in your primary residence. |
| Farmers markets | Allowed |
| Events & festivals |
Conditions apply
Craft fairs and charitable organization functions are listed; sales must be direct to the consumer. |
| Wholesale | Not allowed |
| Restaurants | Not allowed |
What You Can Sell in Washington
Approved foods are non-hazardous items such as breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, stovetop candies, and jams, jellies, and fruit butters made from standardized recipes. Meat, dairy, canned vegetables, salsas, pickled products, beverages, and anything needing refrigeration are off the list. Pies are limited to those that do not require refrigeration.
Non-potentially hazardous baked goods, stovetop candies, and certain jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters, plus the other items WSDA lists in rule; only products named on your permit may be made, up to 50 master products.
Bread
Candy
Condiments
Dry goods
Preserves
Snacks
Allowed with conditions
- Pies — Allowed except custard-style pies, unbaked fresh-fruit pies, and pies that need refrigeration after baking.
- Jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters — Standardized recipes only, with a hot fill or hot water bath step and sterilized containers; paraffin wax sealing is not allowed.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
$35,000
- Gross sales may not exceed $35,000 per domestic residence per year
- Food must be made in the kitchen of your primary residence and stored only there
- Sold directly to consumers; no mail order, consignment, wholesale, or retail sales outside Washington
- Only products and recipes approved on your permit may be made
- Limit of 50 master products
- No pets in the kitchen during production, and no children under six during processing
- Products may not contain an ingredient with THC concentration of 0.3 percent or more
How to Start Selling in Washington
-
1
Get food worker cards
Each person named on the application needs a food worker card from a local county health department.
-
2
Get a business license
WSDA requires a Master Business License; WSDA also asks for water supply testing documentation.
-
3
Prepare the application packet
Complete the AGR-2093 application with a kitchen floor plan sketch, recipes and labels, sanitation plans, and child and pet management plans.
-
4
Submit and pay
Send it to WSDA with the $355 fee; WSDA rules say to apply at least six weeks before you plan to start, and you may not sell until the permit is issued.
-
5
Pass the kitchen inspection
A WSDA representative inspects the kitchen; failing twice means denial, and re-inspection costs $125.
-
6
Label and sell in person
Use the required label and display your permit at each direct-sale location.
What a Compliant Washington 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
Permit #CF-10293
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 HOME KITCHEN THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO STANDARD INSPECTION CRITERIA.
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Washington 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 |
| Product name |
| Net weight |
| Permit number |
| "Not inspected" disclosure statement |
Washington Labeling Notes
- The statement must be at least 11-point type in a color that contrasts clearly with the background.
- Labels must be in English.
- A home address is not required on the label.
Required Label Disclosure
This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Washington.
MADE IN A HOME KITCHEN THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO STANDARD INSPECTION CRITERIA.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically.
Generate your Washington label in minutes
Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Washington Cottage Food — Common Questions
A WSDA Cottage Food Operation permit is required before selling; WSDA lists a $355 nonrefundable application fee and a home kitchen inspection.
The limit is $35,000 in gross sales.
Everyone who helps prepare the products must hold a food worker card from a local county health department; WSDA does not accept cards from third-party websites.
Shipping is not allowed.
Not allowed: Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and jerky; Canned fruits and vegetables, salsas, canned pickled products; Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt; Raw seed sprouts; Refrigerated bakery items with cream, custard, meringue, cream cheese, or fresh fruit fillings; Cut fresh fruits or vegetables and fresh juices; Garlic in oil; Ice; Barbecue sauces, ketchups, mustards; Beverages.
Resources and Law History
Who to contact
Washington State Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Program
360-902-1876
Agency website2011
Cottage food operations created in chapter 69.22 RCW (chapter 281, Laws of 2011).
2020
Labeling requirements in RCW 69.22.020 amended (chapter 171, Laws of 2020).
2023
RCW 69.22.030 and 69.22.050 amended (chapter 352, Laws of 2023).
2024
Chapter 16-149 WAC rules update took effect January 11, 2024.
Law reference: Washington Cottage Food Law (Chapter 69.22 RCW, Cottage Food Operations) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
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