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Cottage Food Labels

District of Columbia cottage food label requirements

Washington DC requires cottage food businesses to register with DC Health, obtain a Certified Food Protection Manager credential, and print their registration ID on the label. There is no annual sales cap; online sales are allowed and, as of 2025, wholesale sales to food establishments are permitted.

Required home-kitchen disclosure

“Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.”

This is the statement your state requires, reproduced from its official rule.

Official District of Columbia source
Annual sales cap
No cap / not specified
Permit / registration
Required
Online sales
Allowed
Retail / wholesale
Allowed

Permits & training: Requires a Cottage Food Business Registration with DC Health (approx. $50, valid 2 years), a Certified Food Protection Manager certification, and a Home Occupation Permit. Business registration ID number must be printed on the label.

What goes on a District of Columbia cottage label

  • Product name
  • Cottage food business registration/identification number
  • Ingredients list
  • Allergen declaration (identify the specific tree nut if used)
  • Net quantity/amount
  • Disclosure statement in at least 10-point type

Scaling past cottage food?

Selling into retail or wholesale, shipping across state lines, or making a claim like “low sugar” usually means your product needs a full FDA Nutrition Facts panel, not just a cottage label. Panelry builds one from your recipe with exact FDA rounding for $9, no subscription.

Build an FDA nutrition label →

Make your District of Columbia label for free

Prefilled for District of Columbia. Add your product and ingredients, and export a compliant label in minutes.

This is your statement of identity, so use the common name of the food (“Strawberry Rhubarb Jam”). A brand name alone only works when it is obvious what the food is (21 CFR 101.3(b)).

Auto-ordered by weight

Using a packaged product? Tap on its row to pull the sub-ingredients off the label automatically. Or type them yourself in parentheses, like “Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Cocoa, Cocoa Butter)”.

Auto-detected from your ingredients. Tap to add or remove. Always double-check.

This reads your ingredient list only. It cannot know what else your kitchen handles — a shared mixer, flour in the air, one fryer for two products. If an allergen you do not use could still reach this food, that is a “may contain” decision only you can make; it is voluntary, and it never substitutes for declaring an allergen you actually use.

Optional, but it sets how large the net weight has to print. 21 CFR 101.1 measures the principal display panel differently for each shape.

District of Columbia home-kitchen disclosure

This is the statement your state requires on the label. Official source ↗

Also required in District of Columbia

Panelry puts the product name, business name and address, ingredients, allergens, net weight and the disclosure on your label. Your state asks for these too, and you will need to add them yourself:

  • Cottage food business registration/identification number

Your county may add to this

Everything Panelry knows about District of Columbia is state law. In many states the body that actually registers you, inspects your kitchen and answers complaints is your county or city health department, and some add requirements of their own — where you may sell, what you must display on a stall, sometimes the label itself. They are also the people to ask when a rule here does not match what you have been told locally.

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Free
Your Product Name
INGREDIENTS: List your ingredients to auto-order them by weight.
Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.
Label made with Panelry · getpanelry.com/label

Add product name, business name, business address, at least one ingredient, net weight to export a complete label.

Need a Nutrition Facts panel too?

Most home makers are exempt from nutrition labeling under the FDA's small-seller exemption, but it holds only while the label, the listing and your ads carry no nutrition claim or nutrition information at all. One “low sugar” or “high protein” anywhere, including an online listing, and the food needs a full panel (21 CFR 101.9(j)(1)). Panelry builds one from this same recipe: your ingredients and weights carry over, and you match each to a USDA food.

Build your Nutrition Facts panel

Where this goes on the package

The name of the food and the net weight belong on the principal display panel — the face a shopper sees (21 CFR 101.3(a), 101.7(a)). The net weight goes in the bottom 30 percent of that face, unless the face is 5 square inches or smaller (21 CFR 101.7(f)).The ingredient list, allergen statement, your name and address and any nutrition panel may go on that same face or on the information panel — the part of the label immediately to the right of it as the buyer faces the package. If that part is unusable, such as a folded flap or a can end, use the next panel to the right; if the lid is the face, any adjacent panel works (21 CFR 101.2(a), (b)).Wherever they go, they have to appear in one place with nothing in between — no artwork, marketing copy or barcode running between the ingredient list and the address (21 CFR 101.2(e)).

Verify before selling

Cottage-food rules vary by state and change often. Confirm your label against your state's current requirements. Panelry is not legal advice.

District of Columbia cottage food label FAQ

What must a cottage food label include in District of Columbia?
In District of Columbia, a cottage food label typically includes: Product name; Cottage food business registration/identification number; Ingredients list; Allergen declaration (identify the specific tree nut if used); Net quantity/amount; Disclosure statement in at least 10-point type. It must also carry the required home-kitchen disclosure shown above.
What is the required home-kitchen disclosure in District of Columbia?
“Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.” This wording is reproduced from the state's official rule.
Do I need a permit or registration to sell cottage food in District of Columbia?
Yes. District of Columbia requires a permit or registration for cottage food sales. Requires a Cottage Food Business Registration with DC Health (approx. $50, valid 2 years), a Certified Food Protection Manager certification, and a Home Occupation Permit. Business registration ID number must be printed on the label. Always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above.
Can I sell cottage food online in District of Columbia?
Yes. District of Columbia allows cottage food to be sold online. Check the official source for current rules on delivery and shipping.
Is there a sales cap for cottage food in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia does not specify a general annual sales cap for cottage food. Confirm with the official source.
Do I need a Nutrition Facts panel for cottage food in District of Columbia?
Usually not for direct cottage-food sales. Most sellers only need the ingredient, allergen, net-weight, and disclosure label this page's free tool makes — 21 CFR 101.9(j)(1) exempts direct-to-consumer sellers with up to $50,000 in food sales. You do need a panel once you make a nutrient claim like “low sugar,” which voids the exemption, or once you outgrow it. Retail and wholesale buyers generally require one either way.

Cottage food labels in other states

Verify before selling

Cottage-food rules change often. Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements with the official source above before printing or selling. Panelry is not affiliated with any government agency and does not provide legal advice. See our disclaimer.

Last verified July 2026 against District of Columbia's official cottage-food guidance (linked above) · Panelry