Colorado Cottage Food Law
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.