Cottage food rules
Home Bakery License in Colorado: What You Need
The Colorado steps in order, so you can start selling without missing one.
On this page
What to remember
- Food safety training comes first, before you start selling.
- You register with CDPHE and renew that registration every year.
- Income tax, sales tax, and business licensing sit alongside the cottage food registration.
- CDPHE marks its cottage food guidance page as information only until the Tamale Act starts on January 1, 2027.
- Check the CDPHE cottage foods page yourself before you take your first order.
If you are baking in your own kitchen in Colorado and selling what you bake, you are in cottage food territory. The rules are set by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and they are shorter than most people expect. This guide walks through what the state asks of you, in the order you will meet it. If you are closer to Denver, the Denver cottage food guide covers the local angle.
The food safety course comes before everything
CDPHE says producers must complete a food safety training course before starting a cottage foods business. That certificate is not a nice extra you get to later. It is a requirement to register as a cottage food producer in Colorado, which means training and registration are tied together. Do the course first, keep the certificate somewhere you can find it, and then move on to registering.
Register with CDPHE, then renew every year
Cottage food producers are required to register with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and that registration has to be renewed annually. Put the renewal on your calendar the same way you would a dentist appointment, because it comes around faster than you expect once orders start coming in.
Finish the food safety course
CDPHE lists a food safety training course as something producers complete before starting a cottage foods business. Book it before you take a single order.
Keep your certificate where you can find it
A food safety training certificate is a requirement to register as a cottage food producer, so you will need it in hand when you sign up.
Register as a cottage food producer
Register with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment once your training certificate is ready.
Renew the registration each year
CDPHE says the registration must be renewed annually. Set a reminder rather than relying on memory.
Sort out tax and business licensing
A Colorado cottage food business is subject to income and sales tax obligations as well as business license requirements. That is a separate set of calls from the registration.
Re-read the CDPHE page before you sell
Confirm the current steps on the CDPHE cottage foods page so you are working from the state’s own words, not a summary.
Taxes and business licenses sit outside the cottage food rules
A Colorado cottage food business is subject to income and sales tax obligations as well as business license requirements. That is a different set of conversations from the cottage food registration, and it is the part home bakers most often leave until the first big order lands. Ask about it early, before you have a whole month of sales to untangle.
It also helps to have your prices settled before you start selling, because tax and licensing costs belong inside your price, not squeezed out of it afterwards. A fair home bakery app comparison can show you what a tool costs you each month before you commit to one.
What to confirm before you take your first order
CDPHE is clear that the information on its cottage food guidance page is provided for information purposes only while the Tamale Act is still ahead. Read that as a nudge to open the state page yourself rather than trusting a blog post, this one included. Rules differ a lot from state to state, so if you bake across a state line, look at the Arizona home bakery requirements to see how different the details can be.
When the training is done and the registration is in hand, the rest is the baking and the selling. Keep a simple record of what you sell and when, so renewal time and tax time stay boring instead of painful.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my home in Colorado?
Colorado requires cottage food producers to register with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and that registration must be renewed annually. Before you register, you need to complete a food safety training course, because a training certificate is a requirement to register.
How often do I renew my Colorado cottage food registration?
Every year. CDPHE says cottage food producers must register with the department and that the registration must be renewed annually.
Is the food safety course optional?
No. CDPHE says producers must complete a food safety training course before starting a cottage foods business, and the certificate is a requirement to register as a cottage food producer.
Does the Tamale Act apply to me now?
Not yet. CDPHE says the Tamale Act does not go into effect until January 1, 2027, and that information on its cottage food guidance page is provided for information purposes only.
What about taxes and business licenses?
A Colorado cottage food business is subject to income and sales tax obligations as well as business license requirements, according to CDPHE. Those obligations sit alongside your cottage food registration, not inside it.
Sources
This is general information about Colorado cottage food rules, not legal or tax advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the current steps with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and a tax professional before you sell.