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Selling homemade food in Washington means your label has to follow the Washington Cottage Food Operation. 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:
The law requires “at least the equivalent of eleven-point font size in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background.” Note: the EXACT statutory wording is “…has not been subject to standard inspection criteria,” not “…by the Washington State Department of Agriculture” (an outdated / other-state phrasing). The permit number IS required on the label.
Washington runs a true PERMIT program (not a simple exemption): you must be licensed by WSDA under RCW 69.22.030 before selling, and each home kitchen is physically inspected. Sales are unusually restricted — cottage food may be sold ONLY directly to the consumer. Internet sales, mail order, and any retail or wholesale sale outside the state are all prohibited by statute, so no shipping and no selling through stores. A gross annual sales cap applies (WSDA has set this at $35,000 — confirm the current figure with WSDA). Products must be produced and stored only in the primary domestic residence, and they cannot be repackaged, resold, or used as an ingredient by a food processing plant or food service establishment.
RCW 69.22.020 bans internet and mail-order sales outright. A WA cottage food operation may sell only face-to-face, direct to the consumer (home, farmers market, roadside/community event). Do not build a checkout that ships product, and do not sell out of state.
Sales must be direct to the end consumer. Placing product in a grocery store, cafe, or on consignment, or letting a food service establishment use it as an ingredient, violates the statute even inside Washington.
The label must carry the exact statement 'Made in a home kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria' in at least 11-point type with clear contrast. Paraphrasing it or using smaller type fails inspection.
Every package must show the business name AND the WSDA permit number, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight/volume, and allergen labeling. Missing the permit number or ingredient order is a common rejection.
Timeline: Roughly 4-8 weeks. Steps: (1) obtain a Washington food worker card if handling food; (2) complete the WSDA Cottage Food Operation permit application with your recipes, label drafts, and kitchen/water details; (3) submit and pay fees; (4) pass the required in-home kitchen inspection by WSDA; (5) receive your permit number and begin selling. The inspection scheduling is the main variable in the timeline. Permits are renewed annually.
Cost: Permit application plus a required kitchen inspection. The inspection fee is $125 per RCW 69.22.040; the full permit application fee varies — confirm the current total with WSDA. Add a Washington food worker card (typically about $10) if required, plus label printing.
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Make my Washington label →Washington requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “Made in a home kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria.” It must be set at a minimum of 11-point type.
Yes. In Washington the permit / registration number must appear 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 at a minimum of 11-point type (see below); your permit / registration number.
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: RCW 69.22.020(3) (statement at (3)(g), permit number at (3)(a)); Chapter 69.22 RCW; WSDA. Verified 2026-06-15. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.