Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws DC: What Home Bakers Can Sell
What DC asks of a home baker, in plain words, before you take your first order.
On this page
What to remember
- You register as a Cottage Food Business with DC Health using the Cottage Food Registry Application.
- A pre-operational inspection may be required before you begin selling.
- Approved products can only be sold in DC, at farmers’ markets and public events.
- There is no dollar cap on cottage food sales in the District.
- The rules sit in Title 25-K of the DC Municipal Regulations.
If you bake from your own kitchen and sell to neighbors, this is the page to read before you take a single order. DC does not follow a state rule, so a guide written for Maryland or Virginia will not answer your question. If you want the wider picture first, find the rule that applies to you walks through how to locate the right authority for your address.
The rule that decides where you can sell
This is the part most home bakers miss. The cottage food products you select on the DC registration form, once approved by the DC Department of Health, can only be sold in the District of Columbia at farmers’ markets and public events. Your approval is tied to the products you listed and to those selling places. Before you book a table or promise a customer a pickup, check that the item is on your approved list and that the event counts as a public event or farmers’ market.
How to register in DC
Read the rule itself
The District’s cottage food regulations are set out in Title 25-K of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, under the Division of Food Regulation. Read it before you fill anything in.
Submit the Cottage Food Registry Application
To become a Cottage Food Business in DC, you submit a Cottage Food Registry Application to DC Health.
List your products carefully
The products you select on the form are the ones you are asking to be approved. Keep the list to what you actually bake and plan to sell.
Get ready for an inspection
A pre-operational inspection may be required before your cottage food business may commence operations. Have your kitchen in order before you apply.
Sell in the right places
Once approved, sell your listed products in the District at farmers’ markets and public events.
What the DC law actually says
The District’s cottage food law is Law 20-63, the Cottage Food Amendment Act of 2013. It was introduced in Council as Bill No. 20-168 and adopted on first and second readings on October 1, 2013. The Act allows residents of the District of Columbia to register as a Cottage Food Business and prepare certain foods from their residential kitchens for sale. The DC Code carries a Subchapter III on Cottage Foods covering cottage food prepared or stored in a private home. Because rules do get amended, what to check in your state is worth a read before you rely on any summary, including this one.
Work out your prices before you register
Free, no signup.
One practical step you can take today is knowing what each bake costs you, so the products you put on the form are the ones worth your time. When you are ready to take orders, how to read the exact wording of a cottage food rule helps you tell what is required of you and what is not, and a fair look at home bakery apps can help you choose where to keep your orders and recipes.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from my DC kitchen?
DC residents register as a Cottage Food Business with DC Health by submitting the Cottage Food Registry Application. A pre-operational inspection may be required before you begin operations.
Is there a limit on how much I can sell?
The District of Columbia sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales.
Where am I allowed to sell?
Cottage food products selected on the DC registration form and approved by DC Health can only be sold in the District of Columbia, at farmers' markets and public events.
Which rules apply to my kitchen?
The District's cottage food regulations are set out in Title 25-K of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, under the Division of Food Regulation. The DC Code also has a Subchapter III on Cottage Foods covering cottage food prepared or stored in a private home.
When did DC pass its cottage food law?
Law 20-63, the Cottage Food Amendment Act of 2013, was introduced in Council as Bill No. 20-168 and adopted on first and second readings on October 1, 2013.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with DC Health before you sell.