# Cottage food label requirements in District of Columbia

> Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify with DC Health 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 District of Columbia:

> Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to the District of Columbia's food safety regulations

Published as fixed text: reproduce it exactly.
Minimum type size: 10 point.

## 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.

## Sources

- Authority: DC Health (District of Columbia Department of Health). DC is a single jurisdiction; there is no separate local health unit to visit.
- Rule: https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/publication/attachments/Cottage%20Food%20Regs%20-%20as%20published%2012-29-17_0.pdf
- Authority page: https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/publication/attachments/Cottage%20Food%20Business%20Checklist.pdf