Everything you need to sell home-made food in Connecticut — legally, confidently, and profitably.
Connecticut's cottage food program lets you make and sell non-potentially-hazardous foods from your home kitchen directly to consumers. The program is administered by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), which licenses cottage food operations, approves your product list, and conducts home kitchen inspections.
Under the program, you can sell at farmers markets, local fairs and festivals, charitable events, and from your home. You can also take orders online — but every sale must be delivered in person within Connecticut. Shipping by mail, UPS, FedEx, or third-party delivery apps is not permitted. Wholesale, consignment, and retail store sales are also off the table.
Your annual gross sales cannot exceed $50,000 per calendar year. If you outgrow that limit, you'll need to either obtain a food manufacturing establishment license or stop selling. Connecticut requires you to complete a food safety training course, pass a home kitchen inspection, and properly label every product — including the state-mandated cottage food disclaimer.
Eight detailed chapters covering every aspect of selling home-made food in Connecticut.
Full breakdown of allowed, restricted, and prohibited foods — from baked goods and candies to jams and roasted coffee.
Read Guide →Understand what counts as shelf-stable, the $50,000 sales cap, and where and how you can sell these products.
Read Guide →What Connecticut requires for temperature-controlled foods — and why most are off-limits under cottage food rules.
Read Guide →Connecticut's rules on selling drinks from home — covering juices, kombucha, cold brew, and alcoholic beverages.
Read Guide →Step-by-step instructions for obtaining your DCP cottage food license, sales tax permit, and local approvals.
Read Guide →Every required label element — ingredients, allergens, net weight, and Connecticut's mandatory cottage food disclaimer.
Read Guide →From choosing a business structure to registering for taxes and finding your first market — your launch checklist.
Read Guide →Meat, dairy, alcohol, fermented foods, and CBD edibles — separate licensing paths beyond the cottage food program.
Read Guide →Answer a few questions about your products and business to get a personalized compliance score for Connecticut.
Create Free Account to Use This Tool →Join Connecticut's home food sellers on the marketplace built for cottage food entrepreneurs. List your products, reach local buyers, and grow your business.
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