Cottage food label requirements in Washington

Last checked 5 August 2026 · Informational only, not legal or food-safety advice. Verify anything important with Washington State Department of Agriculture before you print a run of labels.

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.

What the label has to say

As published for Washington, read on 5 August 2026:

Made in a Home Kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria

This is published as fixed text, so reproduce it exactly rather than rewording it. It has to appear at 11 point type or larger, which is part of the requirement rather than a design choice.

The detail

Washington is a permit state, and the permit is statewide from WSDA, not from a county. The label statement is misleading about the actual regime: despite saying the kitchen has not been inspected, WSDA DOES inspect the residence before issuing the permit, and the applicant signs a right-of-entry statement. The WSDA permit number MUST appear on the label alongside the business name, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, federal allergen declaration, and net weight or volume in U.S. customary units. Statement must also be in a color giving clear contrast to the label background. Governing law: chapter 69.22 RCW and chapter 16-149 WAC; labeling is WAC 16-149-110.

Make one

Free, nothing saved, no account. It fills in Washington's wording for you and prints a sheet.

What it is What is in it, heaviest first Make the labels

Where to verify all of this

Rules change, and this page can lag behind them. Before you rely on any of it:

• The rule itself
• Washington State Department of Agriculture