Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
If you bake or preserve food at home in Connecticut and want to sell it, you’re a cottage food operation under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62b, and you need a license from the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) before taking a single order. The license costs $50 a year, requires a food safety course up front, and caps gross sales at $50,000 a year (§ 21a-62d). The one label line that matters most is the disclaimer the statute requires word for word: “Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection,” in at least 10-point type. None of this requires a Nutrition Facts panel. That only comes into play with a nutrient claim or once you outgrow the exemption entirely.
| Quick facts | Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Revenue cap | $50,000/yr gross |
| Permit or registration | License + training, $50/yr |
| Sales channels | Direct + online order/in-state delivery |
| Online sales | In-state only |
| Required label statement | “Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection” |
| Nutrition Facts panel | Not required unless you make a nutrient claim |
| Administered by | Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), Food and Standards Division |
| Governing law | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 417 (Cottage Food License) |
What Connecticut lets you sell from home
DCP maintains an approved product list, and every product you sell has to be on your license (§ 21a-62f). Approved categories include loaf breads, rolls and biscuits (plain, unstuffed); non-potentially-hazardous cakes, pastries and cookies; candies and confections; fruit pies other than pumpkin; jams, jellies and preserves meeting 21 CFR 150; dehydrated fruits, vegetables and sourdough starter; dried fruits and fruit leathers; dry herbs and seasoning mixes; non-potentially-hazardous cereals, trail mixes and granola; coated and uncoated nuts; flavored vinegars; popcorn and popcorn balls; cotton candy, brownies, chocolates, cake pops and fudge; dry tea and coffee; egg-free dried pasta; and freeze-dried candy and produce (portal.ct.gov/dcp/cottage-foods, accepted-products article).
The statute draws the line at “potentially hazardous food”: anything needing time or temperature control to stay safe. That excludes cheesecake, pumpkin pie, cooked vegetables, fruit butters, meat and poultry products, beverages, fresh juices, garlic-in-oil mixtures, low-acid canned foods, and acidified foods (§ 21a-62f). If a product isn’t on the accepted list, DCP has a process for requesting review of a new one before you add it to your license.
Permits, registration, and the revenue cap
You apply through the state’s eLicense portal. Before applying, you complete an approved food handler course (ServSafe, the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, and about a dozen other DCP-recognized providers qualify) and submit the certificate with your application (§ 21a-62c). You also need local zoning confirmation that a home food business is allowed at your address, and, on a private well, a water test for E. coli, total coliform, nitrates and nitrites completed within the prior year.
The license runs $50 a year. The statute caps DCP’s fee authority at $100, but the department currently charges $50 (§ 21a-62c). It renews annually and must be displayed at every location where you sell (§ 21a-62d). Gross sales are capped at $50,000 per calendar year, and you’re expected to keep records showing you’re under it. That cap used to be $25,000; the legislature raised it to $50,000 effective October 1, 2022 under Public Act 22-8.
Where you can sell
Cottage food in Connecticut is direct-to-consumer only. You can sell in person, at farmers markets (some markets add their own licensing on top of the state license), and take orders online, but the handoff has to happen directly between you and the buyer, inside Connecticut. Mailing a package, or using UPS, FedEx, or any other third-party courier, isn’t allowed, and neither is shipping across state lines (portal.ct.gov sales-and-doing-business article).
Off the table entirely: selling to or through a wholesaler, broker, or distributor; consignment arrangements; and sales into grocery stores, restaurants, long-term care facilities, group homes, day care centers, or schools (§ 21a-62f). Nonprofits can’t operate as cottage food businesses under this license, and free samples need separate local health department sign-off.
What has to be on the label
Every prepackaged cottage food product needs an affixed label, in English, with (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62g):
- The cottage food operation’s name and physical home address (city, state, zip)
- The common or usual name of the product
- Ingredients listed in descending order of predominance by weight, with sub-ingredients broken out for compound ingredients (e.g., “soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt)”)
- The major food allergens present: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts (species identified), peanuts, wheat, and soybeans, per federal allergen law; sesame is now a ninth major allergen under the FASTER Act and belongs in the same “Contains” statement
- Net weight or net volume, in both standard and metric units
- The required disclaimer, verbatim, printed in at least 10-point type in a clear and conspicuous manner that contrasts with the background
“Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection” Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62g
Handwritten labels are acceptable if the ink is permanent and the lettering is at least equivalent to 10-point type. A license number isn’t required on the label itself.
When you need a Nutrition Facts panel
Connecticut’s cottage food statute doesn’t add its own nutrition-labeling rule: it defers to the federal exemption. Under 21 CFR 101.9(j)(1), a small business selling food directly to consumers doesn’t need a Nutrition Facts panel at all. That exemption disappears the moment you make a nutrient content claim or a health claim (“high protein,” “low sugar,” “a good source of fiber”) anywhere it reaches a customer, including a farmers-market sign or an Instagram caption, not just the printed label. It also stops applying once you sell wholesale, into retail, or across state lines, none of which Connecticut’s cottage food license allows anyway.
When you’re ready to print “a good source of fiber” on a sign, a panel built from your own recipe gives that line real numbers to stand on. Enter your recipe, then see your label: free with no card required, you see your calories, the claims you qualify for, your allergen line and the nutrient to watch, and every other value and %DV stays hidden until you unlock it. $29 unlocks every other nutrient value and %DV, every FDA format your product qualifies for, the ingredient statement and the allergen declaration, ready to print, or send us the recipe and we build it (done-for-you, $249, within 5 business days). Start your label, or compare Connecticut with other states on the cottage food laws hub.
Sources
Connecticut cottage food FAQ
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Connecticut?
Yes. Connecticut is a licensing state: you apply to the Department of Consumer Protection, complete a food safety course first, and pay a $50 annual fee (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62c).
What's the sales limit for a Connecticut cottage food operation?
$50,000 in gross sales per calendar year, set by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62d. The cap was raised from $25,000 to $50,000 effective October 1, 2022 under Public Act 22-8.
Can I sell cottage food online in Connecticut?
You can advertise and take orders online, but delivery has to happen directly between you and the buyer inside Connecticut: no mail, UPS, FedEx, or other third-party courier, and no shipping out of state.
Can I sell my cottage food goods to a store in Connecticut?
No. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62f limits cottage food operations to direct-to-consumer sales; wholesale, consignment, and sales through grocery stores, restaurants, or similar retail outlets are not allowed.
What has to be on a Connecticut cottage food label?
The operation's name and home address, the product's common name, ingredients by descending weight, the major food allergens present, net weight, and the exact disclaimer "Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection" in at least 10-point type (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62g).
Does a Connecticut cottage food label need a Nutrition Facts panel?
No. Cottage food is exempt from FDA nutrition labeling under 21 CFR 101.9(j)(1) unless you make a nutrient content or health claim, in which case the exemption no longer applies to that product.
Nearby states
Selling into a neighboring state means that state’s rules apply there: New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. See the full state-by-state table.
Sources
- cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_417.htm
- law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-21a/chapter-417/section-21a-62b
- law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-21a/chapter-417/section-21a-62c
- law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-21a/chapter-417/section-21a-62d
- law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-21a/chapter-417/section-21a-62f
- law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-21a/chapter-417/section-21a-62g
- law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-21a/chapter-417/section-21a-62h
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/cottage-foods
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles…oing-business-in-connecticut
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles…ge-foods/application-process
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles…/cottage-food-safety-courses
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles…cottage-food-label-checklist
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles…cepted-cottage-food-products
- portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/cottage-foods/sales-limit