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Cottage food laws · DC
Selling homemade food in District of Columbia
DC recently overhauled its cottage food rules: the old revenue cap is gone, and a 2025 update opened up online sales and even wholesale to licensed food establishments. You'll still need to register with DC Health ($50 for two years) and pass a kitchen inspection before you start.
Program
DC Cottage Food Act
Registration
Registration with DC Health ($50 for a 2-year term) plus a required pre-operational kitchen inspection
Annual sales cap
No cap (revenue cap removed by DC Law 23-61)
Online sales
Allowed (see notes)
You can sell
- Baked goods
- Jams, jellies, preserves
- Candy
- Dried herbs & mixes
- Snack foods
You can't sell
- Potentially hazardous foods needing refrigeration
- Meat and poultry products
- Low-acid canned vegetables
Where you can sell
- Direct to consumer
- Retail sales within DC
- Online sales within DC
- Wholesale to licensed food establishments
Selling online
Following a 2025 amendment (D.C. Law 26-7, effective June 2025), cottage food businesses can sell direct, retail, and online within the District, and even wholesale to licensed food establishments
What your labels must include
- Producer name & address
- "Made in a home kitchen registered with DC Health but not licensed as a food establishment" statement
- Ingredient list
- Allergen disclosure
- Net weight