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Selling homemade food in Virginia means your label has to follow the Virginia Home Kitchen Food Processing Exemption (private home exemption) — Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-5130(C)(3)-(5); administered by VDACS, Office of Dairy and Foods. Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and the verbatim disclaimer and its font size — sourced to the statute and dated.
Print this statement on the label, word for word:
Reproduce EXACTLY: NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION. (no dash, no comma). No minimum type size is set by statute. Acidified vegetables and honey carry different wording under (C)(4)/(C)(5).
Virginia is a pure exemption state — no permit, no permit number, and no routine inspection for qualifying home-kitchen foods under Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-5130(C)(3)-(5) (administered by VDACS Office of Dairy and Foods). Section C(3) covers non-hazardous foods that need no temperature control (candies, jams/jellies that are not low-acid, dried fruits, herbs, seasonings, nuts, vinegars, popcorn, pasta, coffee, tea, cereals, trail mix, granola, and baked goods) with NO annual sales cap; these may be sold at any location, over the internet, or by phone and delivered in person, by mail, or by delivery service to Virginia residents for personal use (not for resale). Section C(4) allows pickled/acidified vegetables at pH 4.6 or lower but caps sales at $9,000 in gross sales per calendar year. Section C(5) covers honey from the producer's own hives, limited to less than 250 gallons annually. Because it is an inspection/permit exemption, the label carries a 'processed and prepared without state inspection' statement rather than a permit number.
The exemption limits sales to Commonwealth residents for personal use, not for resale. Shipping to out-of-state customers or wholesaling to a shop for resale falls outside § 3.2-5130 and requires full VDACS licensing and inspection.
Non-honey products must be labeled 'NOT FOR RESALE - PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION' plus the producer's name, address, phone, and the processing date. Honey uses a different statement with an infant warning. Omitting the exact wording is the most common defect.
Pickles and acidified vegetables under C(4) are capped at $9,000 in gross sales in a calendar year and must reach pH 4.6 or below. Passing that dollar figure, or selling a low-acid canned vegetable, pushes the product into regulated territory.
The exemption only covers shelf-stable, non-temperature-controlled items. Cheesecakes, cream/custard pies, low-acid canned goods, and other TCS foods are not exempt and require a licensed, inspected facility.
Timeline: Essentially immediate — days, not weeks. There is no application, permit, or inspection to wait on. Steps: (1) confirm your product fits the exempt categories in § 3.2-5130(C)(3), (C)(4), or (C)(5); (2) design a compliant label with the exact 'processed and prepared without state inspection' statement, producer name/address/phone, and processing date (and the infant-honey warning for honey); (3) begin selling to Virginia residents. VDACS' kitchen-bill FAQ is the practical reference.
Cost: $0 — no permit required. Virginia's home kitchen provisions are an exemption from permitting and inspection, so there is no state fee. Label printing is the only out-of-pocket cost.
Cottage food laws get revised, and a new disclaimer or font size can quietly make your label non-compliant. Leave your email and we'll write to you only when Virginia's cottage food label rules change. Nothing else, ever — and you can unsubscribe from any message.
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Make my Virginia label →Virginia requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION.” The state sets no minimum point size for it.
No. Virginia does not require a permit or registration number printed on the label.
At minimum: product name — the common name of the food; your business / producer name; the address of the cottage food operation; a complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included); an allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line; net weight, in US customary and metric units; the state's required disclaimer (see below); the date the food was made; a telephone number for the operation.
No. CottageCompliance gives general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.
Source: Va. Code Ann. § 3.2-5130(C)(3)-(5) — Virginia Law / LIS. VDACS Home Kitchen FAQ. Verified 2026-08-09. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.