Cottage Food Laws by State
Washington D.C. Cottage Food Laws
The District has no cap on cottage food sales, but it is not a no-paperwork state. You must register with DC Health's Cottage Food Business Registry before you start, and the registration certificate lasts two years. You also need a Certified Food Protection Manager credential and a home occupancy permit to work from a residential kitchen.
Annual sales cap
No cap
Permit
Required
Training
Required
Online sales
Allowed
Wholesale
Allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Washington D.C.
DC Health lists direct sales to consumers, retail sales that exclude restaurants and grocery stores, online sales within the District, and wholesale to licensed food establishments. The wholesale option is recent, added by a law effective June 10, 2025. Every package must carry a label with your registry number and a statement that the food is not subject to DC food safety regulations.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| From home |
Conditions apply
You need a Home Occupancy Permit from the DC Department of Buildings to operate from a residential kitchen. |
| Farmers markets | Allowed |
| Events & festivals | Allowed |
| Online orders |
Conditions apply
Online sales within the District of Columbia. |
| Retail stores |
Conditions apply
DC Health lists retail sales but excluding sales to restaurants and grocery stores. |
| Wholesale |
Conditions apply
Wholesale only to licensed food establishments, under the 2025 amendment (D.C. Law 26-7). |
What You Can Sell in Washington D.C.
You may sell only non-potentially hazardous foods that appear on your registration certificate. The regulations list items such as breads, cakes, cookies, candy, granola, jams, honey, dried pasta, dry mixes, coffee, and vinegars. Canning and sealing food in jars are prohibited, as are foods that need refrigeration. A food not on the list needs lab pH and water activity results.
Only non-potentially hazardous foods that DC Health has approved and that are listed on your registration certificate.
Bread
Candy
Condiments
Dry goods
Pastries
Preserves
Snacks
Allowed with conditions
- Foods not on the approved list — Submit pH and water activity results from a state-accredited laboratory to DC Health for review before making the product.
- Honey and honeycomb — Proof of registration with the District's Department of Energy and Environment for beekeeping.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
No cap
- Only foods listed on your registration certificate may be made and sold; adding items requires a new application
- Foods needing refrigeration are not allowed
- No canning or hermetically sealing food in jars
- Products must be stored on the business premises and sold prepackaged and labeled
- Does not exempt you from District or federal taxes
Local rules: Operating from a residential kitchen requires a Home Occupancy Permit under the District's zoning rules.
How to Start Selling in Washington D.C.
-
1
Get a Home Occupancy Permit
DC Health's page lists a Home Occupancy Permit from the Department of Buildings as a prerequisite.
-
2
Earn CFPM certification
Pass a nationally accredited Certified Food Protection Manager course and obtain the DC Health-issued CFPM ID card.
-
3
Arrange scale proof if needed
If you sell by weight, get proof of calibrated scales from DLCP's Office of Weights and Measures.
-
4
Submit the registry application
File the Cottage Food Registry Application with DC Health through the Division of Food Safety Portal, listing the foods you want to sell, with the $50 fee.
-
5
Prepare for a possible inspection
DC Health may conduct a pre-operational inspection before you sell.
-
6
Label your products
Include your registry ID number and the other label items required by D.C. Code 7-742.02(c).
What a Compliant Washington D.C. Label Looks Like
Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Produced: October 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.
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Washington D.C. 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 |
| Date of production |
| Permit number |
| "Not inspected" disclosure statement |
Washington D.C. Labeling Notes
- Products must be prepackaged with the label and stored on the business premises.
Required Label Disclosure
This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Washington D.C..
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.
Generate your Washington D.C. label in minutes
Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Washington D.C. Cottage Food — Common Questions
Register with DC Health's Cottage Food Business Registry before operating; the fee is $50 and the registration certificate lasts two years.
Washington DC does not set a dollar cap on cottage food sales.
Hold a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification and the DC Health-issued CFPM ID card.
Online sales are allowed. Online sales within the District of Columbia.
Not allowed: Fish and shellfish; Meat, poultry, and jerky; Baked goods needing refrigeration such as cream, custard, or meringue pies; Canned foods, including fruits, vegetables, and salsas; Acidified or low-acid canned foods; Reduced oxygen packaging, smoking or curing; Pressed juices.
Resources and Law History
2014
Cottage Food Act of 2013 took effect January 25, 2014 (D.C. Law 20-63).
2020
D.C. Law 23-61 removed the annual revenue cap and broadened sales to direct to consumers within the District (effective March 10, 2020).
2025
D.C. Law 26-7 added wholesale to licensed food establishments as a sales channel (effective June 10, 2025).
Law reference: District of Columbia Cottage Food Law (D.C. Code 7-742.01 and 7-742.02 (Cottage Food Act)) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
Generate your Washington D.C. labels in minutes
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