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Can I sell food from home in Connecticut?
Connecticut cottage food law at a glance
| Home food sales allowed | yes Cottage Food Operator license (Department of Consumer Protection) |
|---|---|
| Law | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-62b (Public Act 18-141; cap raised by 2022 legislation per secondary source) |
| Sales cap | $50,000 gross annual sales |
| Permit or registration | license. Apply to DCP via eLicense; $50 application fee. Prerequisites: local zoning approval (attested), completion of a DCP-approved food safety course, private-well water test (E. coli, total coliform, nitrates/nitrites) within one year; each product must be approved. Secondary sources say a home inspection occurs before licensing and licenses renew annually (expire Feb 28). Sales records must be kept. |
| Sell in person | yes |
| Take online orders | yes |
| Ship within the state | no |
| Ship to other states | no |
| Sell to shops and cafes | no |
| Where you can sell, details | Sales must be person-to-person from the producer or designee to the consumer, and the transaction must occur in Connecticut. Online advertising and ordering allowed, but delivery must be direct by the producer/designee; no mail, third-party carriers, or delivery apps. No wholesale, consignment, restaurants, grocery stores, long-term care, group homes, day cares, or schools. Farmers markets allowed. |
yes = allowed; limited = allowed with conditions; no = not allowed; unverified = we could not confirm it from an official source.
What foods can you sell from home in Connecticut?
Allowed: Approved non-potentially hazardous foods: plain breads/rolls/biscuits, non-PHF cakes/pastries/cookies, brownies, cake pops, candies/chocolates/fudge, cotton candy, fruit pies (not pumpkin), jams/jellies/preserves meeting 21 CFR 150, dried fruits/vegetables, dried herbs/seasonings, dehydrated sourdough starter, cereals/granola/trail mix, nuts, vinegars, popcorn, dry tea/coffee, egg-free dried pasta, freeze-dried candy/fruits/vegetables.
Not allowed: Potentially hazardous/TCS foods; per secondary sources also fruit butters, pumpkin pie, acidified and low-acid canned foods, pickles, salsas, sauces, juices, kombucha, meat jerky.
Label requirements in Connecticut
Required statement: Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection. exact wording from an official source
Other label items: Printed in at least 10-point type, clear and conspicuous. Also: product name; business name and full address (city, state, ZIP); ingredients in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients listed); net weight or volume with metric equivalent; allergen labeling per federal rules. Legible handwritten labels in permanent ink allowed.
Selling from home in Connecticut? The Cottage Kitchen Toolkit prices your recipes for markets, pre-orders and shops. It scales batches and prints ingredient and allergen labels with Connecticut's required statement filled in. It also has this guide for all 50 states and DC. One-time price, and it works offline.
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Program began Oct 1, 2018 (PA 18-141). DCP sales-limit page (2026) states the $50,000 limit; secondary sources say it was raised from $25,000 in 2022. Local zoning may restrict home businesses. Statute text not fetched directly (cga.ct.gov certificate error).
Sources
- CT DCP - Cottage Foods official
- CT DCP - Cottage Food Label Checklist official
- CT DCP - Sales Limit official
- CT DCP - Can I sell my cottage food online? official
- CT DCP - Application Process official
- CT DCP - Restaurant or consignment placement official
- Forrager - Connecticut Cottage Food Law secondary
Last checked: 2026-10-24 · confidence: high (high = key facts confirmed on an official page; medium = partly confirmed or secondary sources agree; low = a single secondary or outdated source). Summaries are our own wording, not the text of the law.
This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm with your state agency and local health department, using the official sources below, before you sell.