Cottage food label requirements in District of Columbia
The short version
A label on food made in a home kitchen in District of Columbia carries six things wherever you are: what it is, everything in it heaviest first, the major allergens, who made it, how to reach you, and the date. On top of that comes the wording below.
What goes on the label
- The product name, in words a customer would use.
- Every ingredient, heaviest first.
- The major allergens, called out separately from the ingredient list.
- Who made it: your name or your business name.
- How to reach you.
- The date it was made.
What the label has to say
As published for District of Columbia, read on 5 August 2026:
Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations
This is published as fixed text, so reproduce it exactly rather than rewording it. It has to appear at 10 point type or larger, which is part of the requirement rather than a design choice.
The detail
The statement is 25-K DCMR 104.2(b)(7) and must be printed in ten (10)-point or larger type letters in a color that provides a clear contrast to the label background. Other required elements: the cottage food business identification number issued by DC Health, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight (including sub-ingredients), net weight or net volume, federal allergen info, and nutrition info only if a nutritional claim is made. A sample label is printed at 25-K DCMR 104.3. Registration is required: $50 for a Cottage Food Business Registration Certificate valid two years, $5 per additional certificate, and only the products listed on your registry application may be sold. BIG CONSTRAINT worth surfacing to a baker: under D.C. Official Code 7-742.01(3), cottage food products may only be sold at farmers' markets and public events. Registering grants DC Health right of entry to your home during business hours; refusing entry means immediate suspension or removal from the registry.
Make one
Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in District of Columbia's wording for you and prints a sheet.
Where to verify all of this
Rules change, and this page can lag behind them. Before you rely on any of it: