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Can I sell food from home in North Carolina?
North Carolina cottage food law at a glance
| Home food sales allowed | yes Home Processor (NCDA&CS home processing inspection) |
|---|---|
| Law | N.C. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, G.S. Chapter 106, Article 12; 21 CFR 117 Subpart B (GMPs); no dedicated cottage food statute |
| Sales cap | No cap stated |
| Permit or registration | registration. Pre-sale kitchen inspection by an NCDA&CS Food & Drug Protection Division specialist (8-12 week wait); no permit issued, only an inspection report/Notice of Inspection. Fee not stated. Requires business plan, water proof (bill or private-well lab test), no indoor pets, separate handwashing sink. Acidified foods need an acidified foods course certificate and Process Authority letter. |
| Sell in person | yes |
| Take online orders | unverified |
| Ship within the state | yes |
| Ship to other states | unverified |
| Sell to shops and cafes | yes |
| Where you can sell, details | Sales from home (pickup or delivery), farmers markets, special events, local businesses and retail stores; wholesale to retailers, distributors and restaurants allowed with labels. Shipping via USPS/FedEx allowed with labels. Online and out-of-state sales not addressed on the NCDA&CS page. |
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 North Carolina?
Allowed: Shelf-stable baked goods, jams/jellies/preserves, candies (incl. freeze-dried candy), dry mixes and spices, some beverages (iced tea, coffee, lemonade), some shelf-stable sauces, acid/acidified foods (pickles, BBQ sauce) with extra requirements and testing.
Not allowed: Refrigerated or frozen products, low-acid canned foods, dairy, seafood, bottled water and juice, cream or cream-cheese-filled bakery items, cheesecake, repackaged refrigerated items.
Label requirements in North Carolina
Home-kitchen statement: No statement required. NCDA&CS inspects home processors, so no 'not inspected' disclaimer applies. no statement required
Other label items: Required when products are individually packaged for self-service sale, sold wholesale (stores, distributors, restaurants), or shipped: product name; manufacturer's name and address; net weight in ounces or pounds plus grams; ingredients in order of predominance by weight; allergens in the ingredient list or a 'Contains' statement right after it. Nutrition labels are not required. Products sold on demand directly to the consumer may go unlabeled if ingredient information is available on request (NCDA&CS Home Processor page, step 7).
Selling from home in North Carolina? The Cottage Kitchen Toolkit prices your recipes for markets, pre-orders and shops. It scales batches and prints ingredient and allergen labels and tells you that North Carolina needs no home-kitchen statement on the package. It also has this guide for all 50 states and DC. One-time price, and it works offline.
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NC uses an inspection-based home processor model rather than a cottage food exemption; kitchens in garages, basements or outbuildings are treated as commercial. Check local zoning/HOA. No recent statutory change identified (web search unavailable this session to confirm 2025-2026 bills). Label check (2026-10-25): NCDA&CS Home Processor page step 7 read; it lists the label items above and no disclaimer.
Sources
- NCDA&CS Home Processor official
- N.C. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (G.S. 106 Art. 12) official
Last checked: 2026-10-25 · 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.