Colorado cottage food law
Last updated: · Research verified · Free PDF report
Tier: Great. No or very high sales cap, broad product list, multiple sales channels including retail and online. Most home bakers can run a meaningful operation here.
How to start in Colorado
A practical path from “am I allowed?” to first sale. Not legal advice — confirm every step with Colorado agencies and your local offices.
Confirm your products are allowed
Colorado allows Allowed non-refrigerated nonpotentially hazardous foods include baked goods (including candies, tortillas, empanadas), pickled fruits and vegetables (pH 4.6 or below), jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, and fermented foods. Whole eggs may be sold under a 250-dozen-per-month limit.. High-risk or refrigerated foods usually need a commercial kitchen — not a cottage exemption.
Choose sales channels you can actually use
Sales cap: Tiered (see notes). Indirect / wholesale-style sales: No. Farmers markets and direct-to-consumer pickup are the usual start. Check county and city rules before advertising porch pickup.
Clear local zoning, licenses, and tax IDs
State cottage food rules are the floor. Your city or county may still require a business license, home occupation approval, HOA permission, or sales tax registration. Do this before you print an address on Instagram.
Registration, training, and kitchen rules
State registration: Yes. Food handler / training: Yes (specific course). Kitchen inspection: Upon-complaint. Complete certificates the market or agency will ask for.
Build compliant labels
Use the Colorado label requirements on this site (and the free template). Match disclaimer language to the statute or agency guide before you print a batch.
Soft-launch, then first paid sales
Keep a simple sales log from day one so you stay under any annual cap. Soft-launch with pre-orders before a full market day.
Verify with official sources
Re-check the state cottage food page and your local health / planning office before you invest in equipment or marketing. Rules change.
What usually goes on the package
- Product name (common or usual name of the food)
- Business or producer name
- Producer address (or address alternative your state allows)
- Ingredients in descending order by weight
- Major allergen disclosures (e.g. wheat, milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, sesame)
- Net weight or quantity
- Home-kitchen disclaimer: “This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection. This product is not intended for resale.”
This is a planning checklist compiled for home bakers. It is not legal, tax, or zoning advice.
Colorado vs neighboring cottage food laws
Tier and sales-cap snapshot for Colorado and nearby states. Click through for full rules, labeling, and county pages.
| State | Tier | Sales cap | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColoradoYou are here | Great | Tiered (see notes) | This page |
| Arizona | Great | None | Arizona law → |
| Kansas | Great | None | Kansas law → |
| Nebraska | Good | None | Nebraska law → |
| New Mexico | Great | None | New Mexico law → |
| Oklahoma | Freedom | 75000 | Oklahoma law → |
Need a compliant product label for Colorado? Open the Colorado label mockup.
Tiered (see notes)
Allowed non-refrigerated nonpotentially hazardous foods include baked goods (including candies, tortillas, empanadas), pickled fruits and vegetables (pH 4.6 or below), jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, and fermented foods. Whole eggs may be sold under a 250-dozen-per-month limit.
Registration: Yes. Food handler cert: Yes (specific course).
Colorado Cottage Foods Act
Verbatim excerpt25-4-1614. Home kitchens - exemption - food inspection - short title - definitions - rules. (2)(b)(I) A producer is permitted under this section to sell only a limited range of foods that have been produced, processed, or packaged that are nonpotentially hazardous and do not require refrigeration. These foods include pickled fruits and vegetables, spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, flour, and baked goods, including candies, fruit empanadas, and tortillas and other nonpotentially hazardous foods. (2)(c) A producer must take a food safety course that includes basic food handling training and is comparable to, or is, a course given by the Colorado state university extension service or a state, county, or district public health agency and must maintain a status of good standing in accordance with the course requirements. (2)(e) This section applies only to producers who earn net revenues of ten thousand dollars or less per calendar year from the sale of each eligible food product produced in the producer's home kitchen. (3)(a) A food product sold under this section must have an affixed label that includes at least: the name of the food product; the producer's name, the address at which the food was prepared, and the producer's current telephone number or electronic mail address; and a statement that reads: "This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection. This product is not intended for resale."
Source: leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/40283/download →
Colorado Cottage Food Law — Full PDF report
A comprehensive report covering the Colorado statute, every county we've researched, and authoritative source URLs.
Download PDFWhere to verify Colorado's rules
Colorado Cottage Food Law — Official Guidance Summary
Official agency guidance changes without notice. The text below is reproduced for reference only — always confirm current rules on the agency website before relying on it.
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environmenthttps://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2022a_158_signed.pdf
Colorado's cottage food rules are set by C.R.S. §25-4-1614. The summary below is drawn from Crosodo's verified statute research and official agency guidance. Always confirm current requirements on the state agency website before you sell.
Program basics
- Colorado Cottage Foods Act
- Tiered (see notes)
- Yes
- Yes (specific course)
- Upon-complaint
Allowed products and sales channels
- Allowed non-refrigerated nonpotentially hazardous foods include baked goods (including candies, tortillas, empanadas), pickled fruits and vegetables (pH 4.6 or below), jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, and fermented foods.
- Whole eggs may be sold under a 250-dozen-per-month limit.
- Prohibited foods include perishable baked goods, salsas, sauces, ketchup, mustards, meat jerkies, juices, and kombucha. Foods requiring refrigeration are not permitted under the current law (pending HB 26-1033 which would expand this if enacted).
- Products cannot be resold; producers must sell directly to consumers but may designate a representative to sell on their behalf. Sales through restaurants or retail stores are not permitted, though the health department may allow direct sales at those locations on a case-by-case basis.
Labeling
- Labels must include the product name, producer's name and address, phone number or email, and the statement: 'This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection.
- This product is not intended for resale.' A sign with this same statement must be displayed at the point of sale.
Statute excerpt
- 25-4-1614. Home kitchens - exemption - food inspection - short title - definitions - rules. (2)(b)(I) A producer is permitted under this section to sell only a limited range of foods that have been produced, processed, or packaged that are nonpotentially hazardous and do not require refrigeration.
- These foods include pickled fruits and vegetables, spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, flour, and baked goods, including candies, fruit empanadas, and tortillas and other nonpotentially hazardous foods.
- (2)(c) A producer must take a food safety course that includes basic food handling training and is comparable to, or is, a course given by the Colorado state university extension service or a state, county, or district public health agency and must maintain a status of good standing in accordance with the course requirements.
- (2)(e) This section applies only to producers who earn net revenues of ten thousand dollars or less per calendar year from the sale of each eligible food product produced in the producer's home kitchen.
- (3)(a) A food product sold under this section must have an affixed label that includes at least: the name of the food product; the producer's name, the address at which the food was prepared, and the producer's current telephone number or electronic mail address; and a statement that reads: "This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection. This product is not intended for resale."
Official sources
- State agency cottage food page: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/cottage-foods
- Statute: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2022a_158_signed.pdf
Summarized from official Colorado cottage food statute research and agency guidance. Agency rules change — verify on the official site before relying on this information.
Colorado Counties
64 counties tracked. Pick yours for the local zoning + health department links.
View all 64 counties →City zoning rules in Colorado
City zoning rules apply on top of the state cottage food law — home occupation, customer pickup, signage, and employees.
The Cottage Baker's Field Guide (PDF)
A 6-page reference covering all 51 jurisdictions with methodology and tier explainers — same data as this directory, ready to print and tape to your wall.
Download the PDFWas this page helpful?
Colorado cottage food law — FAQ
Do I need a license or permit to sell homemade food in Colorado?
Yes — Yes. Food handler certification: Yes (specific course).
What foods can I sell under the Colorado cottage food law?
Allowed non-refrigerated nonpotentially hazardous foods include baked goods (including candies, tortillas, empanadas), pickled fruits and vegetables (pH 4.6 or below), jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, and fermented foods. Whole eggs may be sold under a 250-dozen-per-month limit.
Is there a sales cap for cottage food in Colorado?
Tiered (see notes)
How good is Colorado's cottage food law?
Colorado is a Great-tier cottage food state by Crosodo's rating criteria. No or very high sales cap, broad product list, multiple sales channels including retail and online. Most home bakers can run a meaningful operation here.
Keep exploring Colorado
Labels, product checks, county zoning, and local discuss — so one state page becomes a full readiness plan.
Market-day tees from the Crosodo collection — for the craft, not the algorithm.
What bakers ask about Colorado
Seed threads for markets, zoning, and labels — join the channel or ask the directory.
Farmers market process in Colorado?
Which markets welcome cottage bakers, what they charge, and label checks on day one.
Good label printers in Colorado?
Local print shops or home setups that handle home-kitchen disclaimers cleanly.
Zoning experience in Colorado counties?
Home occupation, pickup traffic, signage — what did your planning office actually require?
How I got legal in Colorado
Registration portal tips, food handler cert, and the county step nobody publishes.
Colorado label wording that passed review
Share real labels (blur personal info) and any county extras beyond the state minimum.
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Resources for cottage food and home bakers
Supplies, courses, insurance, farmers markets, kitchen rentals, and local services. To advertise here, visit crosodo.com/advertise. Browse all classifieds.
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Baking classes, cottage food business training, workshops, and food safety education. Reach home bakers across the country.
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Product liability, home bakery, market vendor, and small food business insurance. Reach home bakers across the country.
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Reach home bakers in Colorado. Supply stores, farmers markets, kitchen rentals, co-packer referrals, and bakery services are welcome.
Learn about placementsYour business here
Local cottage food listings, community kitchens, farmers market dates, and non-profit events can be submitted for review.
Submit a community listingAds are paid placements. Crosodo does not endorse listed vendors. Verify all product, service, course, insurance, and legal information independently.
Cottage food laws are amended every year. This is a starting reference, not legal advice. Verify with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and your local health department before relying on this data.