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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 (D.C. Law 26-7) opened up online sales and even wholesale to licensed food establishments, as long as every sale stays inside the District. You'll still need to register with DC Health ($50 for two years), get a Home Occupancy Permit and CFPM certification, and pass a kitchen inspection before you start.
Program
DC Cottage Food Act
Registration
Registration with DC Health ($50 application fee for a 2-year Cottage Food Business Registration Certificate) plus a required pre-operational kitchen inspection, a Home Occupancy Permit from the Dept. of Buildings, and Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification
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 (excluding sales to restaurants and grocery stores)
- Online sales within DC
- Wholesale to licensed food establishments
Selling online
Following a 2025 amendment (D.C. Law 26-7, effective June 10, 2025), cottage food businesses can sell direct, retail, and online within the District, and even wholesale to licensed food establishments; every sale must be fulfilled within DC - no shipping out of the District
What your labels must include
- Producer name & address (business ID number)
- "Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations" statement in 10-point or larger contrasting-color type (D.C. Code § 7-742.02(c))
- Ingredient list by weight
- Allergen disclosure
- Net weight/volume