Washington's cottage food law takes more paperwork than most. A home cook gets a cottage food permit from the Washington State Department of Agriculture: $355 for two years, a food worker card for everyone who helps, an inspection of the kitchen before the permit and every year after, and a list of exactly which products the permit covers. The foods are low-risk: baked goods, candy, jams and fruit butters, granola, roasted coffee, dry mixes. Sales are direct and in person, at markets, fairs and from home, up to $35,000 in gross sales a calendar year. A website can show the products, but no shipping, mail order, delivery services, wholesale or sales outside Washington. Every package carries the permit number and an 11-point statement. In the example below, a Wenatchee cook sorts six products. Below are the rules, the foods, the label, the example, and a free checklist.
The short version
- Apply to WSDA for a cottage food permit: $355, good for two years.
- Before applying: a state business license, a food worker card for everyone involved, and a water test if you're on a private well.
- An inspection before the permit and every year after.
- Only the products listed on your permit, made in the kitchen of your primary home.
- Up to $35,000 in gross sales a calendar year; WSDA reviews the cap every four years.
- Sell directly to consumers, in person; a website can show products, but sales finish in person.
- No shipping, mail order, delivery companies, consignment, wholesale, or sales outside Washington.
- Label: business name and permit number, product, ingredients, net weight, allergens, and the 11-point statement.
- TaroStack keeps each batch's lot and the year's sales from the orders. More below.
The rules
| Rule | What RCW 69.22 and WAC 16-149 say |
|---|---|
| Permit | From WSDA, every two years; WSDA lists the cost as $355 |
| Workers | Everyone preparing the food holds a food and beverage service worker's permit |
| Inspection | Before the first permit and every year, for basic hygiene; more on an outbreak or emergency |
| In the kitchen | Only you or people you supervise; no infants, small children or pets while you work; no family cooking, dishwashing or laundry at the same time |
| Hygiene | Surfaces washed, rinsed and sanitized before each use; no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food |
| Sales | Directly to the consumer; farmers markets, craft fairs, charity events, your home |
| Not allowed | Shipping, mail order, consignment, wholesale, sales outside Washington; repackaging or resale by a food plant or restaurant |
| Sales cap | $35,000 in gross sales a calendar year, per residence; past it, stop or get a food processing plant license |
| Storage | Only in the primary residence |
The law is RCW 69.22.020 and 69.22.040; the cap and sales limits are in WAC 16-149-040. WSDA's 2025 guide (What is the Cottage Foods Permit?) gives the $355 two-year fee and the product lists below. This is general information, not legal advice.
What you can make
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Breads, muffins, cakes, scones, cookies, crackers, baked pies | Custard, cream or meringue pies and cakes, cream cheese fillings |
| Sweet breads with fresh fruit baked into the batter | Unbaked fresh fruit pies, fresh fruit fillings or garnishes |
| Stovetop and microwave candy, fudge, caramels, brittle, chocolates | Low-sugar glazes, frostings with cream or uncooked eggs |
| Jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters to the federal standard | Canned fruits and vegetables, salsas, canned pickles and sauerkraut |
| Nuts, snack mixes, granola, donuts, tortillas | Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, focaccia-style breads |
| Dry herbs, teas, bread and soup mixes | Barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, beverages, juices |
| Freeze-dried candy, countertop-roasted coffee | Freeze-dried high-risk foods, garlic in oil, dog treats |
Frostings and glazes need a cook step or enough sugar to keep at room temperature. Which foods need refrigeration is in TCS foods list.
The label
| Line | What it says |
|---|---|
| Business | Your business name and WSDA permit number |
| Product | The name of the product |
| Ingredients | In descending order by weight |
| Net quantity | Net weight or net volume |
| Allergens | As WSDA's rule specifies |
| Nutrition | Only if you make a nutritional claim |
| Statement | "Made in a home kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria." At least 11-point, in a contrasting color |
How to work out the allergens in a recipe is in allergen matrix template.
An example: a Wenatchee cook
Columbia Orchard Kitchen, a made-up cottage food operation in Wenatchee, Washington, I use in these examples, sells at two farmers markets and takes orders on its website for pickup:
| Product | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Apple butter | Yes | A fruit butter to the federal standard |
| Huckleberry scones | Yes | Fresh fruit baked into the batter |
| Caramels | Yes | Stovetop candy, with a candy thermometer |
| Pickled asparagus | No | Canned pickled products aren't allowed |
| Focaccia with cheese | No | Focaccia-style breads aren't allowed |
| Smoked salmon | No | Fish isn't allowed |
Website orders are paid at pickup, so every sale finishes in person. By September Columbia Orchard had sold $27,300, 78% of the $35,000 cap, with the holiday caramel orders still to come, so the baker watches the total each week. How a home food business starts is in how to start a cottage food business.
Get the checklist
Download the Washington cottage food checklist. Three sheets: the label, each line the law asks for with a column for yours; products, each with whether it's allowed and why; and sales by month against the $35,000 cap, red past 90%. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
WSDA can ask in writing for documentation of the year's gross sales, and passing $35,000 means stopping for the rest of the year or becoming a licensed food processor. Two markets and website pickups make the running total the number to watch.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each batch's lot and the year's sales from the orders.
Each batch dated. A batch of caramels gets a lot with its production and best-before dates, and lot labels print with it.
Orders together. Market and pickup orders are recorded with the lots each customer got, so one recall report shows where a batch went; TaroStack connects to Square for market sales.
The year's sales. Sales come from the orders, so the documentation WSDA can ask for is already there, and every list exports to CSV.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| A batch's date | Written on the bag | The batch's lot and dates |
| Where a batch went | Not recorded | Recorded with each order |
| The year's gross sales | Added up when asked | From the records, exported to CSV |
Lots, batches, orders and lot labels are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.