North Carolina Cottage Food Law: Labels, Limits & When You Need Nutrition Facts

Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources

North Carolina skips a standalone cottage food statute and instead runs home-produced food through its general Home Processor program: NCDA&CS’s Food & Drug Protection Division inspects your kitchen (free, no permit issued) before you sell anything, and there’s no revenue cap once you’re cleared. The label rule that matters most: allergens have to appear either in the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains” statement right after it, and there’s no vaguer alternative. A real Nutrition Facts panel only becomes necessary once you make a nutrient content or health claim.

Quick facts	North Carolina
Revenue cap	None
Permit or registration	No permit; free kitchen inspection required
Sales channels	Direct, wholesale/retail, and online/mail
Online sales	Yes
Required label statement	None required
Nutrition Facts panel	Not required unless you make a nutrient or health claim
Administered by	NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Food & Drug Protection Division
Governing law	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-130 (food misbranding statute)

What North Carolina lets you sell from home

NCDA&CS approves only shelf-stable, low-risk foods that don’t need refrigeration to stay safe: baked goods without cream fillings, jams and jellies, candy, dried mixes and spices, roasted coffee, and some acid and acidified foods like pickles and barbecue sauce (NCDA&CS, Home Processor page). Refrigerated or frozen products, low-acid canned goods, dairy, seafood, bottled water or juice, and baked goods with cream fillings all fall outside the program and need a licensed commercial kitchen instead. Acidified and low-acid-adjacent products (pickles, dressings, sauces, cream-cheese frostings, unusually moist breads or cakes) get extra scrutiny: NCDA&CS or a lab has to evaluate the recipe for shelf stability first, and the agency may also require an Acidified Food Course, with the certificate of completion submitted alongside the application (NCDA&CS, Home Processor page).

Permits, registration, and the revenue cap

There’s no cottage food permit or license fee. Instead you submit a Home Processor application (a fillable PDF or Word form) describing your products, water source, and kitchen setup, and NCDA&CS assigns a Food Regulatory Specialist to schedule an inspection, typically 8 to 12 weeks after your application is received (NCDA&CS, Home Processor page). The kitchen has to meet Good Manufacturing Practices under 21 CFR 117 Subpart B: smooth, cleanable food-contact surfaces, a separate hand-washing sink, hot and cold running water, shatterproof or shielded light bulbs, and public or well water that tests negative for coliform bacteria and E. coli. One condition is absolute: no pets in the home, including animals that only come in at night. NCDA&CS treats any indoor pet as a disqualifying pest violation (NCDA&CS, Home Processor page). Local zoning approval is also required before the inspection. Once approved, there’s no permit certificate and no revenue cap, but you’ll still need a standard NC Sales and Use Tax number and, for most business structures, an assumed-name registration.

Where you can sell

North Carolina’s Home Processor program is broader than most states’ cottage food exemptions here: NCDA&CS’s own guidance names retail stores, restaurants, and distributors as buyers, alongside direct-to-consumer sales at home, farmers markets, and other local venues (NCDA&CS, Home Processor page). The labeling section separately addresses products “shipped via USPS/FedEx,” which puts online and mail-order sales within the program’s scope rather than outside it. Interstate commerce isn’t addressed specifically, so if you ship across state lines, confirm with NCDA&CS and the receiving state first.

What has to be on the label

NCDA&CS requires a label whenever a product is packaged for self-service, sold wholesale, or shipped by mail or carrier; the only exemption is a product handed directly to the consumer on the spot, such as a farmers-market table sale or a will-call pickup (NCDA&CS, Home Processor page). Required elements:

Product name
Complete list of ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight
All allergens, either worked into the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains” statement right after it. NCDA&CS lists milk, egg, tree nuts, wheat, soy, peanuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish
Net weight in ounces or pounds plus the gram equivalent
Manufacturer’s name and address

North Carolina doesn’t prescribe a home-kitchen disclaimer sentence the way some states’ cottage food statutes do: no “made in a home kitchen not inspected by…” wording to reproduce verbatim. The legal backstop is the state’s general food-misbranding statute, which independently requires the common name of the food, each ingredient’s common name, an accurately placed net-quantity statement, and the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-130).

When you need a Nutrition Facts panel

Home-processed food in North Carolina is exempt from FDA nutrition labeling under the same rule that applies nationally, until one thing changes: a nutrient content or health claim. NCDA&CS’s own page confirms nutrition labeling “is not required unless health claims [are] made (low fat, sugar-free, etc.).” The moment a label, a farmers-market sign, or even an Instagram caption says something like “low sugar” or “high protein,” the exemption stops applying to that claim, and it has to be backed by real numbers in a compliant 21 CFR 101.9 format. Because the Home Processor program already permits wholesale and retail sales without separate commercial licensure, going wholesale in-state doesn’t by itself force a panel the way it does in states that limit cottage sales to direct-to-consumer only, but a claim does, everywhere it appears.

Getting the panel right the first time saves a reprint of labels you already paid for. 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, plus the ingredient statement and allergen declaration, ready to print. Start your label, or compare North Carolina’s program with other states on the cottage food laws hub.

North Carolina cottage food FAQ

Does North Carolina have a cottage food law?

Not a standalone one. NCDA&CS regulates home-produced food under its general Home Processor program instead of a separate cottage food statute, and every home processor gets a kitchen inspection before selling (ncagr.gov).

Do I need a permit to sell homemade food in North Carolina?

No permit is issued, but you do need NCDA&CS to inspect your home kitchen and clear your application first. There's no fee for the inspection itself (ncagr.gov).

Is there a revenue cap for North Carolina home processors?

No. NCDA&CS doesn't publish a sales-dollar or unit cap for registered home processors as of September 2026.

Can North Carolina home processors sell wholesale or online?

Yes. NCDA&CS's own guidance names retail stores, restaurants, and distributors as buyers alongside direct consumer sales, and its labeling rule specifically covers products shipped by USPS or FedEx (ncagr.gov).

Can I make acidified foods like pickles or hot sauce at home in North Carolina?

Only after the recipe is evaluated by a lab or process authority. You'll need a Process Authority Letter, and NCDA&CS may also require an Acidified Food Course certificate before it approves the product (ncagr.gov).

When does North Carolina require a real Nutrition Facts panel?

Home-processed food is exempt from FDA nutrition labeling until you make a nutrient content or health claim. At that point a standard 21 CFR 101.9 panel applies, regardless of your NCDA&CS status.

Nearby states

Selling into a neighboring state means that state’s rules apply there: Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina. See the full state-by-state table.

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