The essentials
Colorado, at a glance
Yes, under the current Cottage Foods Act you can make eligible foods in a home kitchen and sell them directly to informed consumers in Colorado.
Finish food-safety training before opening, package and label each product, display the point-of-sale notice and track net revenue separately for each product. The current ceiling is $10,000 per product per calendar year. These are the rules for September 14, 2026. The enacted expansion begins January 1, 2027; its future permissions do not authorize refrigerated meals today.
- Sales limits
Through December 2026, net revenue is limited to $10,000 per calendar year from each eligible food product; different muffin flavors may count separately.
- Current program through December 31, 2026
- Registration & permits
The current exemption allows eligible direct consumer sales without food licensing or routine inspection.
- Current program through December 31, 2026
View official sources (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
One step at a time
Your first 3 steps
Check every recipe
Start with the finished food, including frosting, filling and toppings.
Cookies and fruit pies can qualify when they do not need refrigeration for safety. A shelf-stable cake base does not make a cream filling eligible. Send an uncertain recipe and process to CDPHE before offering it. For pickled fruit or vegetables, establish a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below.
Complete training and check local setup
Choose one training option identified by CDPHE: CSU Extension, an accepted food-handler card, or an eligible local public-health course.
Maintain the certificate under its renewal rules; CSU certificates last three years. The food-license exemption is separate from local business licensing and tax responsibilities. Ask the relevant local offices about the location where you plan to operate; this guide does not quote one universal startup fee.
Prepare labels and sales records
List each recipe and product flavor in your sales records so the current per-product net-revenue ceiling can be monitored.
Prepare the complete package label, including the production date and kitchen address, before selling. Also prepare the separate point-of-sale sign. A package warning does not replace that sign, and a storefront listing should not promise sales beyond Colorado.
View official sources (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
Make what you love
Can you sell what you make?
These are examples. Check the complete recipe, preparation method and sales route before offering a product.
Foods that can qualify
Check the conditionsNon-refrigerated cookies, muffins and fruit pies are familiar examples.
Jams, dry teas, spices, nuts and honey also appear on the agency list. Eligibility applies to the actual product. Keep a plain muffin separate from a version with a refrigerated filling when assessing what you can sell.
Conditional and excluded foods
Check the conditionsPickled fruit and vegetables require a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below.
The agency lists buttercream made with ghee or vegetable oil as eligible but butter-based buttercream as excluded. Meat toppings, custard fillings, pumpkin pie, beverages and sauces remain outside the current program; do not use the 2027 expansion early.
View official sources (1)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
From your kitchen to your customers
Where and how you can sell
| Selling method | What matters |
|---|---|
| Home pickup | Direct pickup by an informed end consumer can fit the direct-sale rule. Provide the required information and point-of-sale notice, and check local business obligations for your home location. |
| Markets and events | The producer or a knowledgeable designated representative may sell directly to informed consumers, including at simultaneous events. Products remain packaged and labeled, and the separate sales notice must be displayed. |
| Online orders | Internet orders are allowed for Colorado sales. Plan the direct handoff with the customer; an online checkout does not remove the informed-consumer, label or geographic conditions. |
| Delivery and shipping | CDPHE allows producer and consumer to agree a direct delivery mechanism without interstate commerce. Do not assume every carrier or delivery platform meets that condition. Ask the program about your specific arrangement before advertising it; deliveries outside Colorado are excluded. |
| Wholesale and consignment | Ordinary resale to restaurants and grocery stores is prohibited. A storefront or consignment arrangement is a narrower possibility only when the store and employees act as the producer’s designated representative and complete direct sales to informed consumers. |
View official sources (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
Your label, explained
Every field has a purpose.
Use the example to understand the structure. Follow the Colorado requirements below for your product and sales route.
Your product
name
Your product name and actual net quantity
Your complete recipe and supplier ingredients
Producer name; production address; current phone or email
The statement for your state, product and sales route
Packaged cottage food · check product-specific additions
A guide to the fields, not a ready-to-print label. Use your actual product and business details.
Name it. Measure it.
Identify your product and its actual net quantity. Check the state’s formatting and unit requirements below.
Use your actual recipe.
Check every ingredient and supplier label. Use the applicable ingredient and allergen declarations for your product.
Identify your operation.
Producer name; production address; current phone or email
Use the wording for your route.
Requirements can differ by product and sales channel. Keep the disclosure, placement and type-size conditions together.
Label example
Product: Cookies.
Producer: your name. Kitchen: your production address. Contact: current phone or email. Made: production date. Ingredients: your complete recipe. Add the required disclaimer below.
Required package statement
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.
Example scope: Current 2026 wording; review before January 2027.
Separate point-of-sale sign
This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection.
This product is not intended for resale.
The wording for your label
Packaged cottage food · check product-specific additions
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.
View official sources (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
A useful head start
Your Colorado label kit.
Editable template, example label and starting checklist.
Personalize it for your products and business.
Enter your email. Get the files immediately.
Before your first sale
A few details worth getting right.
An example
Two muffin flavors at a market
Imagine selling shelf-stable blueberry and banana muffins at a Colorado market.
After training, prepare separate labels and display the sales notice. Track each flavor separately: CDPHE explicitly recognizes different muffin flavors for the current $10,000 net-revenue allowance. A friend staffing another booth must understand the products and act as your designated representative. Neither booth may supply a restaurant for resale.
Example scope: Both recipes are eligible and sold during 2026.
Counting the wrong revenue
The current ceiling is net revenue per eligible product per calendar year.
Do not silently replace that with an aggregate gross-sales limit, and do not use future expanded limits before January 2027.
Forgetting the second notice
Colorado requires both a package disclaimer and a separate point-of-sale notice.
Check both before leaving for a market. A representative needs the same product information needed to inform the final customer.
Calling the kitchen allergen free
The agency explicitly rejects allergen-free cottage-food labels.
A recipe without a particular ingredient does not erase the required home-kitchen warning about common allergens.
View official sources (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
A few more answers
Common questions
Can I sell refrigerated meals now?
No. The September 2026 program excludes foods requiring refrigeration for safety and meat products. The passed Tamale Bill begins January 1, 2027. Recheck CDPHE implementation guidance before changing your menu, registration or labels for that future program.
View sources for this answer (1)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Does no food license mean no startup steps?
No. Required training, package information and sales notices still apply. Local business licensing and tax responsibilities also need checking. Training costs and renewal depend on the chosen provider; keep the actual certificate and renewal instructions with your business records.
View sources for this answer (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
Keep it handy
Your first-sale checklist
Use this free checklist to keep track of your next steps. The conditions in this guide still apply.
0 of 3 completed · Restoring progress…
Official guidance
Sources, updates & your next step
Use CDPHE for the next decision
Open the official Cottage Foods Act page for recognized training options, product eligibility contacts, label examples and laboratory testing instructions. Its limited free pH-testing program covers up to five eligible pickled products while funding lasts. Recheck availability before relying on free testing in your startup budget.
Official sources 2 references
- Cottage Foods Act →
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling →
Colorado State University Extension · Reviewed September 14, 2026
Guide updates September 14, 2026
Reviewed Colorado’s product eligibility, sales routes, starting requirements and label guidance against the official sources below. Current conditions and any dated changes are explained in the relevant sections of this guide.
View sources for this update (2)
- Cottage Foods Act Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act: requirements and labeling Colorado State University Extension
This guide is a starting point. Confirm requirements for your products and location with the relevant authority. Examples are illustrative and are not a compliance approval.