# Cottage food label requirements in Virginia

> Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify with Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 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 Virginia:

> NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION

Published as fixed text: reproduce it exactly.

## Other requirements

- For home-processed honey instead of the above: PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION. WARNING: Do Not Feed Honey to Infants Under One Year Old.

## Detail

Statutory basis is Code of Virginia § 3.2-5130. No permit, no application, no annual $40 fee. The label must ALSO carry, on the principal display panel, the name, physical address and telephone number of the person preparing the food, and the date the food was processed, plus standard labeling (product name, net weight, manufacturer name and address, ingredients and subingredients). Big constraint for anyone building an ordering app: exempt products MAY NOT be sold online. VDACS reads "offered for sale" to include an electronic order form, electronic payment, or shipping. Advertising online is fine; taking the order online is not. Sales are limited to the private home where made, a farmers' market, or a temporary event of no more than 14 consecutive days. If the item is too small for a legible label, or is sold for on-site consumption, a sign at the point of sale is an acceptable substitute.

## Sources

- Authority: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Food Safety Program
- Rule: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/kitchenbillfaq.pdf
- Authority page: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/dairy-kitchen-food-services-businesses.shtml