Home baker and cook guide
How to sell homemade food in Washington
Washington requires a Cottage Food Permit and inspection before approved low-risk foods may be produced in the applicant's primary residential kitchen. Start with the official program below, then confirm the rules for your product, preparation setting, and local jurisdiction.
Official resources last reviewed 2026-07-21. Rules can change.
Official Washington resources
Open the official pages below for registration, labeling, allowed foods, and temperature rules. This app collects your application only. After approval, classify every meal when you publish.
What the official pathway currently emphasizes
- The permit is tied to the person, residence, approved products, and current statutory sales limit.
- Applicants need food-worker cards, complete product and label information, and a kitchen that passes WSDA inspection.
- Only approved non-potentially-hazardous products may be sold, directly to consumers rather than wholesale.
- Moving, adding products outside renewal, or failing inspection can require a new application, amendment, or additional fee.
A practical preparation sequence
- Verify products are eligible before paying the nonrefundable application fee.
- Obtain food-worker cards and assemble product and label information.
- Submit the permit application and respond to review corrections.
- Pass the kitchen and storage-area inspection before selling only the products on the permit.
Questions to answer before listing
- Which foods may be produced in your proposed kitchen?
- Does the product require refrigeration or temperature control?
- Are registration, training, inspection, testing, or permits required?
- What must appear on the product label and customer disclosure?
- Where may you advertise, sell, deliver, ship, or arrange pickup?
- Do county, city, zoning, tax, or tribal rules add requirements?
Prepare your local kitchen page
Once you understand the applicable pathway, create a kitchen profile, describe your general pickup area, upload real food photos, and post specific preorder windows. Kitchen Counter-Measures does not approve a product on behalf of a regulator.