# Cottage food label requirements in Colorado

> Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment before printing labels. Last checked 2026-08-05.

## What goes on the label

1. The product name, in words a customer would use.
2. Every ingredient, heaviest first.
3. The major allergens, called out separately from the ingredient list.
4. Who made it: your name or your business name.
5. How to reach you.
6. The date it was made.

## The required statement

As published for Colorado:

> This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale.

Published as fixed text: reproduce it exactly.

## Other requirements

- Point-of-sale placard/sign/card (not the label, but required and conspicuously displayed): "This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection. This product is not intended for resale."

## Enforcement

Set centrally, enforced locally, so your own office's answer is the one that counts.
Find yours: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/find-your-local-public-health-agency

## Detail

No license or permit required. Label must also carry: product identification, producer's name, the address where the food was prepared, current phone or email, date produced, and a full ingredient list (C.R.S. 25-4-1614(3)(a)). IMPORTANT PENDING CHANGE: HB26-1033 (the "Tamale Act"), signed 2026-06-04, amends 25-4-1614 effective JANUARY 1, 2027. From that date the label must instead carry the CDPHE-issued registration number, the COUNTY where the food was prepared (replacing the street address), and a CDPHE-provided website address for reporting foodborne illness and verifying registration. Annual registration with CDPHE and a public registry begin then; revenue cap rises to $150,000, inflation-adjusted. HB26-1033 does NOT touch subsection (3)(a)(V), so the disclaimer text above is unchanged. Sales must be direct to the end consumer; no wholesale, no consignment.

## Sources

- Authority: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) writes and administers the Cottage Foods Act, but complaint-driven sampling and inspection is done by CDPHE OR your county, district, or regional health agency. Practically: register with CDPHE, expect the knock from your local health agency.
- Rule: https://ouraycountyco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2693/Cottage-Foods-Act-Producer-Brochure-CDPHE