Last verified: October 20, 2026. I’m a Texas home baker, not a lawyer — laws change, so always confirm with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) before you sell.

Cottage Food Laws by State

COLORADO COTTAGE FOOD AT A GLANCE

Annual sales cap: $10,000 net revenue per product, per calendar year — the cap applies to each eligible food product separately, and the Act sets no separate total cap

License or permit: Not required from the state — cottage foods may be sold without state licensing (your city or county may have its own business license or tax rules, so check locally)

Kitchen inspection: Not required — your home kitchen is not routinely inspected (CDPHE or a local health agency can sample or inspect a product if it is misbranded, a consumer complains, or it is suspected in an illness)

Food handler course: Required — before you sell, you must complete a food safety course given by, or comparable to, Colorado State University Extension or a state, county, or district public health agency, and stay in good standing under that course

Shipping: Colorado only — internet sales are allowed and delivery is worked out directly between you and the buyer, but sales may only happen in Colorado and may not involve interstate commerce

Wholesale: Not permitted — every sale must be direct to the informed end consumer, products may not be sold to restaurants or grocery stores, and a buyer may not resell your product

WHY COLORADO DOES COTTAGE FOOD ITS OWN WAY

Colorado keeps the front door wide open — no state license, no permit, no kitchen inspection — but it asks two things Florida-style states don’t. First, training comes first: you complete an approved food safety course before you start selling, not after. Second, the money cap is small and specific: $10,000 in net revenue per product, per year. That per-product part matters. CDPHE’s own example is muffins — blueberry, banana, and chocolate chip each count as their own product, with their own $10,000 cap — so a thoughtful product line gives you more room than one best-seller does. You also have to live here: a producer must be a Colorado resident, or a Colorado LLC with two or fewer members who are all Colorado residents. One heads-up: CSU Extension notes that changes to the Act under HB 1033 take effect in January 2027, so re-check the rules with CDPHE before selling in the new year.

WHAT YOU CAN (AND CAN’T) SELL

Allowed: Pickled fruits and vegetables with a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below; dry spices; dry teas; dehydrated produce; nuts and seeds; honey, jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butter; flour; candies, including cotton candy and fudge; fruit empanadas and tortillas; baked goods such as muffins, fruit pies, cookies, and cakes; roasted coffee beans; freeze-dried produce. Buttercream is allowed only when it is made with ghee or vegetable oil — buttercream made with butter is not allowed. You may also sell whole eggs, up to 250 dozen per month, and egg sellers must meet the requirements of section 35-21-105, C.R.S.

Prohibited: Anything that needs refrigeration to stay safe. Also out: meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish — including as an ingredient or topping; baked or fried goods with cream, custard, or meringue fillings or toppings; cakes or pastries with regular buttercream frosting; sauces like barbecue, hot, pasta, pizza, or salad dressing; beverages; condiments like ketchup and mustard; pumpkin, sweet potato, and cream pies; cut fresh fruits and vegetables, and fruit or vegetable juices, concentrates, or purees; pepper jelly or jams made with fresh peppers or homemade dehydrated peppers; freeze-dried meals; and any product containing CBD or THC. If it has to stay cold, it needs a licensed kitchen.

COLORADO LABELING REQUIREMENTS

Colorado requires seven things on every cottage food label, and products must be packaged and labeled before you sell them:

  1. The name of the product — “Chocolate Chip Cookies,” not just your brand name
  2. The producer’s name — your name, as the person who made it
  3. The address where the food was prepared
  4. Your current phone number or email address
  5. The date the food was produced — the date it was made
  6. A complete list of ingredients — CDPHE’s cottage foods checklist lists ingredients in descending order by weight
  7. This exact statement, verbatim: This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale.

That disclaimer is the longest of any state page in this series, and the law doesn’t set a font size for it — so plan real room for it on your label instead of squeezing it into a corner.

You also need a sign at the point of sale. Conspicuously display a placard, sign, or card where you sell with this shorter statement, verbatim: This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection. This product is not intended for resale.

WHERE YOU CAN SELL IN COLORADO

Farmers markets, roadside stands, community events, and directly from your home — plus online. CDPHE confirms internet sales are allowed, and how the product gets to the buyer is worked out directly between you and the informed end consumer, as long as it does not involve interstate commerce. You or your designated representative — someone who knows your products and can answer customer questions — must make the sale directly. What you can’t do: sell to restaurants or grocery stores, sell for resale, cater an event with cottage foods, or sell outside Colorado.

YOUR 3 STEPS TO START

  1. Complete your food safety training first. CDPHE lists three ways to meet the requirement, and you only need one: Food Safety Training for Colorado Cottage Food Producers from CSU Extension (3.5 hours, with a certificate good for three years; CSU Extension’s San Luis Valley page lists the cost as $50), a Food Handlers Card through StateFoodSafety, or a food safety course offered by your local public health agency.
  2. Confirm your foods qualify, then get your labels right. If it needs refrigeration, it’s out. Then build your label around all seven required items — including that full, word-for-word disclaimer — and make your point-of-sale placard before your first market day.
  3. Track net revenue by product, not just in total. Colorado’s cap is $10,000 net per product per calendar year, so a simple spreadsheet with a line for each product keeps you under every cap and shows you which products are earning their keep.

OFFICIAL COLORADO SOURCES

This guide is for informational purposes only and isn’t legal advice. Cottage food laws change — I last verified this page on October 20, 2026. When in doubt, ask CDPHE.

See cottage food laws for all 50 states

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