Selling dried sourdough starter in Washington

If you keep a jar going in Washington, selling dried sourdough starter is a different cottage-food question than selling bread. The product is flour and water that you fermented, then dried. Official pages almost never use the words “dried starter.” This post only repeats what the current statute, agency page, or extension guide actually says — and where that source is silent.

Dried starter is not automatically a baked good

A loaf is baked. Dried starter is a dry culture. Some states publish a closed allowed-foods list (baked goods, jams, dried herbs). Some allow non-TCS / non-potentially-hazardous foods as a class. A few name baking mixes, dry mixtures, or — in Kansas — dehydrated sourdough starter. We do not stretch a baked-goods line into a dry-culture line unless a source supports that read.

The quick facts

Crosodo's statutes CSV still says no dollar cap because the old research note looked only at RCW 69.22.010–.040. RCW 69.22.050 and the live WSDA FAQ both say $35,000, with a four-year CPI review. The biennial permit fee on the WSDA FAQ is $355 — that is an official published fee, not a guess. Confirm both numbers on agr.wa.gov/cottagefood before you budget.

Where in-state sales usually go

From the Crosodo statute row: Cottage food products may only be sold directly to the consumer. Internet sales, mail order, and retail sale outside Washington state are explicitly prohibited. Products may not be repackaged, sold, or used as an ingredient by a food processing plant, or sold by a food service establishment.

County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Washington state guide and your county page.

Labeling

Every package must display: (1) business name and permit number; (2) product name; (3) ingredients in descending weight order; (4) net weight or volume; (5) allergen labeling per director's rules; (6) nutritional claim labeling if applicable; and (7) the statement 'Made in a home kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria.' in at least 11-point font in a contrasting color. Products must be stored only in the primary domestic residence.

Walk the fields in the Washington cottage food labeling guide. Do not copy another state's disclaimer.

Interstate / shipping across state lines

Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.

Cottage-food exemptions are state instruments. They do not replace federal rules that apply when food enters interstate commerce. If you want to ship out of state, ask the state manufactured-food program and confirm FDA facility registration for your situation. We do not invent a license name or a fee here.

Official sources

Every number and product claim on this page is tied to a source opened on 2026-10-15, plus the Crosodo statute row and — where we have them — the regulations library notes for Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia.

• WSDA cottage food — last verified 2026-10-15
• RCW §69.22.010–.040
• Washington State Department of Agriculture
• RCW 69.22.050 annual gross sales
• Washington extension
• Washington cottage food state guide
• Selling cottage food in Washington
• Washington labeling guide
• All 50 states — dried starter hub