Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws in Charlotte, NC: What to Know
What a Charlotte home baker has to do before selling from home, in plain words.
On this page
What to remember
- North Carolina uses a Home Processor program, not a cottage food statute.
- The home kitchen inspection is free and happens once.
- No license or permit is issued, but you cannot sell before the inspection.
- North Carolina sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales.
- Your local or county planning department decides whether a food business is allowed at your address.
If you bake in Charlotte and want to sell what you make, the rules you are looking for sit at the state level with NCDA&CS, plus one local check that catches people out. It helps to see how North Carolina compares with everywhere else, which is what cottage food laws by state walks through. Here is the Charlotte version in plain words.
No cottage food statute, a Home Processor program instead
North Carolina does not run a cottage food law the way some states do. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services operates a Home Processor program, and anyone interested in producing and selling food products for human consumption from their home must first have the home kitchen inspected. It applies to the food you plan to make and sell from that kitchen.
What to do before you take your first order
Confirm you qualify
The food has to be produced in your home kitchen. If production happens somewhere separate, such as a garage, a basement, or a separate building on the property, the business does not qualify as a cottage food facility.
Check with your planning department
Once you have worked out that you qualify for a home based food business, check with the local or county planning department to find out whether operating a food business is permitted at your address.
Book the home kitchen inspection
NCDA&CS requires a one-time, free inspection of the home kitchen. A baker may not sell before it is done.
Start taking orders
With the inspection behind you and no dollar limit on sales, the only ceiling left is the size of your kitchen and the hours you can work.
Where the rules actually bite
North Carolina sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales. That sounds like open road, but growth is limited by the size of your home kitchen and by your own time rather than by a statutory cap. The kitchen itself matters too, because the rules are written around the home kitchen and nothing else.
Getting paid and keeping records
The state side is settled once the inspection is done, but the money side still needs a system. Cottage food laws and taxes covers what to keep track of, and cottage food laws and regulations is a good next read for the wider picture. Brevl takes card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle and cash, so the money reaches you without a percentage going to a middleman.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my home in Charlotte?
No license or permit is issued under the North Carolina Home Processor program. What you do need is the one-time home kitchen inspection, done before you sell.
How much does the home kitchen inspection cost?
It is free, and it happens once. NCDA&CS requires it before a baker may sell.
Is there a limit on how much I can sell?
North Carolina sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales. What limits you is the size of your home kitchen and the time you have.
Can I bake in my garage or a separate building?
No. If production happens in a garage, a basement, or a separate building on the property, the business does not qualify as a cottage food facility.
Who decides whether I can run a food business from my house?
Your local or county planning department. Once you determine you qualify, you are required to check with them about whether operating a food business is permitted there.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with NCDA&CS and your local or county planning department before you sell.