Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Law in Washington State: What to Know
What Washington asks of a home baker before the first order, in plain words.
On this page
What to remember
- You bake in the home kitchen of your primary residence and sell direct to the consumer.
- A Cottage Food Operation permit covers baked goods, jams and jellies, vinegars, and dry mixes.
- Everyone who works in the operation needs a food worker card.
- The permit application includes a water test or a water bill.
- Everything you sell has to be packaged and properly labeled.
If you are new to all of this, start with what cottage food law is and what it means for you. Then come back here, because Washington has its own rules and they are specific.
Who the law covers and where you can sell
Under RCW 69.22, a cottage food operation is a person who produces cottage food products only in the home kitchen of that person’s primary domestic residence in Washington, and only for sale directly to the consumer. That last part matters. This is a direct to consumer setup, not a wholesale one.
Chapter 69.22 RCW requires that all workers have a valid food worker card, and it restricts infants and young children from being in the cottage food operation during production. The card is available through your local county health department.
What you need before your first order
Get your food worker card
Permitted and authorized persons working in the cottage food business need one, and you get it through your local county health department.
Pull together your water test or water bill
The Cottage Food Operations permit application includes a water test or a water bill.
Apply for the Cottage Food Operation permit
Making baked goods, standardized jams and jellies, vinegars, and dry mixes are all activities that require this permit.
Check your recipes against the allowed list
A cottage food operation may produce food that is not potentially hazardous, such as baked goods, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters, dry herbs, dry herb blends, or dry tea blends.
Have your labels ready before you bake
A cottage food operation must package and properly label for sale to the consumer any food it produces.
What you can make, and what you cannot do with it
The permit lets you make low risk food in your home kitchen and sell it directly to consumers. The list in the state application is your friend here: baked goods, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters, dry herbs, dry herb blends, and dry tea blends. If a recipe you love is not on that list, do not build your week around it until you have checked.
Labeling is not optional, and it is the part most home bakers leave until the night before. Get the wording settled early. Our guide to Florida cottage food labels walks through what to check before you print, and the thinking carries over well. If you are still deciding how to take orders, this roundup of home bakery apps compares your options fairly.
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One last thing worth doing early: write down which products you plan to sell and keep that list next to your permit paperwork. It makes the allowed list easy to check, it keeps your labels consistent, and it means you are not guessing when a customer asks for something new.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from my home kitchen in Washington?
Yes. Making baked goods is listed among the activities that require a Cottage Food Operation permit, which lets you make low risk food in your home kitchen and sell it directly to consumers.
Do I need a food worker card?
Chapter 69.22 RCW requires that all workers have a valid food worker card. The card is available through your local county health department.
Can my young children be in the kitchen while I bake for orders?
The law restricts infants and young children from being in the cottage food operation during production, so plan your baking around that.
What do I need to send in with the permit application?
The Cottage Food Operations permit application includes a water test or a water bill.
Can a cafe buy my bakes and resell them?
No. A cottage food operation sells directly to the consumer, and the food may not be repackaged, sold, or used as an ingredient in other foods by a food processor.
Do I have to label what I sell?
Yes. A cottage food operation must package and properly label for sale to the consumer any food it produces.
Sources
This is general information about the law, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the Washington State Department of Agriculture and your local county health department before you sell.