Washington D.C. Cottage Food
Generate Compliant D.C. Cottage Food Labels in Minutes
Washington D.C. cottage food producers must include the required home kitchen disclosure on every label. We add it automatically.
Here's What Your Label Will Look Like
Add the products you use, and Quickly Cottage builds the ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds Washington D.C.'s required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Produced: August 23, 2026
Sunflower Home Bakery
Permit #CF-10293
412 Maple Ave, Springfield, DC
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 by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.
What Every Washington D.C. Label Needs
Every cottage food product sold in Washington D.C. needs a label with the following.
- All 9 FDA major allergens present
- Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight
- Business name
- Business address
- Product name
- Date of production
- Permit number
- "Not inspected" disclosure statement
Required Label Disclosure
Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically, exactly as required.
Generate your Washington D.C. label in minutes
Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Or go unlimited for $5/month · $30/year
What You Can Sell in Washington D.C.
The following product types are permitted under Washington D.C.'s cottage food law, and every label needs an ingredient list, allergens, and (where required) the state disclosure above.
Baked Goods
Permitted- Cakes and cupcakes
- Cookies and brownies
- Muffins and quick breads
- Yeast breads and rolls
- Fruit pies (cream and custard pies require refrigeration and are not permitted)
- Cake pops and dipped treats
- Donuts and pastries
Candies and Confections
Permitted- Chocolates and fudge
- Hard candies and lollipops
- Toffee and caramel (shelf-stable)
- Cake truffles
Preserved and Dry Goods
Permitted- Jams, jellies, and preserves
- Honey and honeycomb
- Dried herbs and spices
- Roasted nuts and trail mix
- Granola and cereal
- Popcorn and flavored popcorn
- Dried pasta (no egg)
Beverages
Permitted- Coffee (roasted or ground, not brewed)
- Dry tea blends
What You Can't Sell
These product types aren't covered by Washington D.C.'s cottage food law and require a commercial kitchen license.
- Meat, poultry, and seafood products
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter)
- Items requiring refrigeration (cream pies, cheesecakes)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Fruit and vegetable juices
- Canned low-acid vegetables
Where You Can Sell
Washington D.C. permits cottage food sales at the following venues.
Direct from your home
Farmers markets
Retail
Online sales
Annual Sales Cap
No cap
No annual revenue cap. Multiple permits and certifications required.
Permit & Registration
A permit or registration is required
Requires $50 registration (2-year term), Certified Food Protection Manager certification, DC CFPM card, Home Occupancy Permit, and pre-operational kitchen inspection.
Notes
Requires $50 registration (2-year term), Certified Food Protection Manager certification, and pre-operational kitchen inspection.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Washington D.C. cottage food label need to include?
Every Washington D.C. cottage food label needs the product name, a complete ingredient list in descending order by weight, all 9 FDA major allergens, net weight, your business name, and your business address. Washington D.C. also requires this disclosure: "Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations." Quickly Cottage adds all of this automatically.
What is the required disclosure statement for Washington D.C. cottage food?
The required language is: "Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations." This must appear on every cottage food label sold under D.C. Cottage Food Law.
What is the annual sales cap for cottage food in Washington D.C.?
Washington D.C.'s cottage food annual sales cap is: No cap gross revenue.
Where can I sell cottage food products made in Washington D.C.?
In Washington D.C., cottage food producers can sell through: Direct from your home, Farmers markets, Retail, and Online sales.
Do I need to list sub-ingredients from a packaged mix on my Washington D.C. cottage food label?
Yes. If you use a packaged ingredient like a Betty Crocker cake mix or Ghirardelli chocolate, you must list its sub-ingredients on your label, in the correct order. This is an FDA labeling rule that applies in Washington D.C. and every other state. Quickly Cottage expands these automatically from our branded ingredient database.
Can I use Canva or Word to make my Washington D.C. cottage food label?
You can design the visual layout in Canva or Word, but neither can auto-generate your ingredient list, detect allergens, or add Washington D.C.'s required disclosure statement. You'd need to compile all of that manually. Quickly Cottage handles it automatically for Washington D.C. and all 50 states.
Ready to generate your first Washington D.C. label?
Start free. No credit card. Upgrade to unlimited for $5/month or $30/year.
Washington D.C. labels by product:
Also generating labels in:
Labels for other cottage food products:
Free tools: