This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Permit and tax rules change, and your situation may differ. Always confirm current requirements with the official state agency linked in this guide, and consult a licensed attorney or tax professional for advice about your specific business.Last verified against official state sources: 2026-06-12
Yes, registration is mandatory: you may not operate until DC Health issues a Cottage Food Business Registry identification number and certificate ($50, valid 2 years). Before applying you need a Home Occupancy Permit from the Department of Buildings, a Certified Food Protection Manager certification plus the District-issued CFPM ID card ($35), proof of calibrated scales from the Office of Weights and Measures if selling by weight, your exact product list, and your labels. DC Health reviews complete applications within 30 business days and may schedule a preoperational home kitchen inspection. Food must be made and stored only in the kitchen of your primary DC residence, not a shed, garage, or rented kitchen, and you must grant DC Health entry for preoperational, complaint, and outbreak inspections.
Yes. Pass a nationally accredited Certified Food Protection Manager course approved by DC Health (such as ServSafe Manager), then obtain the District-issued CFPM certificate for a $35 processing fee; it is valid 3 years from the exam date.
Only shelf stable foods on the approved list in 25-K DCMR, and only the specific products approved on your certificate: baked goods without cream, custard, cheese, or meat fillings; cakes including celebration cakes; cookies, brownies, pies, pastries, and tortillas; candies and confections (brittles, toffee, chocolates, fudge, cotton candy); roasted coffee; cereals, granola, and trail mixes; caramel corn, popcorn, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, and pretzels; fruit pies, fruit empanadas, and fruit tamales; jams, jellies, syrups, marmalades, and preserves; honey and honeycomb (requires DOEE beekeeping registration); dried pasta; dry herb, seasoning, and tea blends; dry baking mixes; and vinegars. A food not on the list can be approved if you submit a pH and water activity analysis from an accredited lab.
Anything requiring refrigeration or temperature control: meat, poultry, and fish products including jerky; dairy and cheese; baked goods with cream, custard, or meringue fillings or cream cheese icings; raw cookie dough; cut fresh produce; garlic or vegetables in oil; pumpkin and fruit butters; sugar-free preserves; barbecue sauces, ketchups, and mustards; pressed juices; pet treats; and alcohol. Prohibited processes include all canning, hermetically sealing jars, acidified foods, vacuum packaging, smoking or curing, and decorating baked goods with fresh fruit.
Within the District of Columbia only; selling or shipping outside DC is prohibited. Since March 2020, sales may be direct to consumer (farmers markets and public events), retail, and online, all within DC. A June 2025 amendment also allows wholesale to licensed food establishments, though DC Health's older guidance still says otherwise, so get current written guidance from DC Health before selling wholesale. Products must be stored at your registered home, and your registration certificate must be displayed at every event where you sell.
Annual sales cap: none (the original $25,000 cap was repealed entirely effective March 10, 2020; some older guides incorrectly say it was raised to $50,000).
Every product must be prepackaged in food grade packaging with a label that includes: your cottage food business identification number; the product name; ingredients in descending order by weight including sub-ingredients; net weight or volume; allergen information per federal rules (tree nuts named specifically); nutritional information if any claim is made; and this statement in at least 10-point contrasting type: 'Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.'
DC exempts food sold for home preparation or consumption when sold in grocery-type form and packaging, so packaged cottage foods customers take home (a wrapped loaf, a jar of jam) are generally exempt. Food prepared for immediate consumption is taxable at DC's 10 percent prepared food rate, and anything taxable requires registering with the Office of Tax and Revenue. The cottage food law does not exempt you from any tax laws.
DC is a single jurisdiction, but three other agencies are involved: the Department of Buildings issues the required Home Occupancy Permit, the Office of Weights and Measures certifies scales for foods sold by weight, and honey sellers register hives with the Department of Energy and Environment.
DC Health can summarily suspend your registry number for suspected outbreaks or unsanitary operation, and can inspect at the point of sale. Refusing an inspector entry, ignoring an inspection notice for more than 72 hours, failing to comply with a cease and desist order, or selling unapproved or unlabeled products results in suspension or removal from the registry, after which you must reapply from scratch.
Selling non-food crafts too? See the Washington DC craft fair permit and sales tax guide.
Yes, under Cottage Food Amendment Act of 2013 (D.C. Code 7-742.01 to 7-742.03), as amended by the Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act of 2019 (effective March 10, 2020) and D.C. Law 26-7 (effective June 10, 2025); rules at 25-K DCMR. Yes, registration is mandatory: you may not operate until DC Health issues a Cottage Food Business Registry identification number and certificate ($50, valid 2 years). Before applying you need a Home Occupancy Permit from the Department of Buildings, a Certified Food Protection Manager certification plus the District-issued CFPM ID card ($35), proof of calibrated scales from the Office of Weights and Measures if selling by weight, your exact product list, and your labels. DC Health reviews complete applications within 30 business days and may schedule a preoperational home kitchen inspection. Food must be made and stored only in the kitchen of your primary DC residence, not a shed, garage, or rented kitchen, and you must grant DC Health entry for preoperational, complaint, and outbreak inspections.
Only shelf stable foods on the approved list in 25-K DCMR, and only the specific products approved on your certificate: baked goods without cream, custard, cheese, or meat fillings; cakes including celebration cakes; cookies, brownies, pies, pastries, and tortillas; candies and confections (brittles, toffee, chocolates, fudge, cotton candy); roasted coffee; cereals, granola, and trail mixes; caramel corn, popcorn, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, and pretzels; fruit pies, fruit empanadas, and fruit tamales; jams, jellies, syrups, marmalades, and preserves; honey and honeycomb (requires DOEE beekeeping registration); dried pasta; dry herb, seasoning, and tea blends; dry baking mixes; and vinegars. A food not on the list can be approved if you submit a pH and water activity analysis from an accredited lab. Anything requiring refrigeration or temperature control: meat, poultry, and fish products including jerky; dairy and cheese; baked goods with cream, custard, or meringue fillings or cream cheese icings; raw cookie dough; cut fresh produce; garlic or vegetables in oil; pumpkin and fruit butters; sugar-free preserves; barbecue sauces, ketchups, and mustards; pressed juices; pet treats; and alcohol. Prohibited processes include all canning, hermetically sealing jars, acidified foods, vacuum packaging, smoking or curing, and decorating baked goods with fresh fruit.
Yes: none (the original $25,000 cap was repealed entirely effective March 10, 2020; some older guides incorrectly say it was raised to $50,000).
Within the District of Columbia only; selling or shipping outside DC is prohibited. Since March 2020, sales may be direct to consumer (farmers markets and public events), retail, and online, all within DC. A June 2025 amendment also allows wholesale to licensed food establishments, though DC Health's older guidance still says otherwise, so get current written guidance from DC Health before selling wholesale. Products must be stored at your registered home, and your registration certificate must be displayed at every event where you sell.
Every product must be prepackaged in food grade packaging with a label that includes: your cottage food business identification number; the product name; ingredients in descending order by weight including sub-ingredients; net weight or volume; allergen information per federal rules (tree nuts named specifically); nutritional information if any claim is made; and this statement in at least 10-point contrasting type: 'Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations.'
DC exempts food sold for home preparation or consumption when sold in grocery-type form and packaging, so packaged cottage foods customers take home (a wrapped loaf, a jar of jam) are generally exempt. Food prepared for immediate consumption is taxable at DC's 10 percent prepared food rate, and anything taxable requires registering with the Office of Tax and Revenue. The cottage food law does not exempt you from any tax laws.
Browse upcoming craft fairs and markets in Washington DC with booth fees and application deadlines, and use the booth ROI calculator to plan a profitable season.
Last verified: 2026-06-12. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.