Cottage food laws in Chesterfield County, VA
Chesterfield County, Virginia — zoning, permits, health department links, and free PDF reports for home bakers (2026).
Chesterfield County is a county in Virginia (pop. 366,019). Under Virginia's Good-tier cottage food law (sales cap: Tiered), home bakers must still clear local zoning and health rules in this county. Registration path: No. Start with Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (state cottage food page linked below), then confirm Chesterfield County health and planning requirements. Local notes for Chesterfield County: home kitchen allowed; inspection not required; home occupation permit not required. Virginia state cottage food law (Va. Code §3.2-5130) confirmed from state baseline. Chesterfield County (suburban Richmond) follows state baseline. No registration required for non-acidified cottage foods. Pickles/acidified cap is $9,000/year. Download the free PDF reports below for a portable summary, and always re-check official sources before you sell.
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Chesterfield County cottage food reports
Full statute, all counties in Virginia, and authoritative source URLs.
State PDF
Zoning, permits, health department rules, and local sources for Chesterfield County.
County PDFTier: Good
Virginia has a Good-tier cottage food law — solid baseline with moderate restrictions, typically a high sales cap (often $50K+) and standard direct-to-consumer rules. Workable for most home bakers with reasonable scale plans.
View state law →Health department
Many states delegate cottage food registration and inspection to the county health department. Contact theirs for the local process.
Home occupation rules
The county or city zoning code governs whether you can run a home-based food business — customer visits, signage, employees, floor area.
Home kitchen, inspection, and zoning rules for Chesterfield County
State baseline: Va. Code §3.2-5130
- Home kitchen allowed
- Yes
- Restrictions
- Virginia cottage food law (Va. Code §3.2-5130) exempts non-TCS shelf-stable foods from licensing and inspection. Permitted items: candies, jams, jellies (not low-acid/acidified), dried fruits, dry herbs, dry seasonings, dry mixes, nuts, vinegars, popcorn, cotton candy, dried pasta, dry baking mixes, roasted coffee, dried tea, cereals, trail mixes, granola, baked goods not requiring temperature control. Pickles/acidified vegetables (pH 4.6 or lower) capped at $9,000/year. Label must state 'NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION'. Chesterfield County requires compliance with home occupation zoning rules.
- Separate dedicated kitchen
- No
- Pet restrictions
- No specific state restriction.
- Water supply
- No specific state requirement.
- Handwashing
- Standard food safety practices.
- Food storage
- Non-TCS shelf-stable products. No TCS foods.
- Inspection required
- Upon-complaint
- Inspection trigger
- VDACS may inspect upon consumer complaint per Va. Code §3.2-5130(D).
- Home occupation permit
- Conditional
- Permit details
- Chesterfield County has home occupation provisions in its zoning ordinance. Operators should verify with Chesterfield County Planning Department (chesterfield.gov) whether a home occupation permit is required. Generally, home-based businesses in residential zones must be secondary to residential use, no external evidence of business, limited customer traffic, no employees other than family.
- Local business license
- Yes
- On-site customer pickup
- Conditional
- On-site signage
- No
- Delivery / pickup
- Direct-to-consumer only. No resale or sales to retail food establishments. Farmers markets, roadside stands, home delivery permitted.
- Max employees in home
- Only family members; no outside employees for home occupation.
- Relevant code section
- Va. Code §3.2-5130 (state cottage food); Chesterfield County Zoning Ordinance (home occupation provisions).
Virginia state cottage food law (Va. Code §3.2-5130) confirmed from state baseline. Chesterfield County (suburban Richmond) follows state baseline. No registration required for non-acidified cottage foods. Pickles/acidified cap is $9,000/year.
Code of Virginia, Title 3.2 Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food, Chapter 51 Food and Drink, §3.2-5130 Inspections required to operate food establishment
Full Virginia state report (with PDF download) →Verbatim excerptC. The provisions of subsections A and B shall not apply to: 3. Private homes where the resident processes and prepares candies, jams, and jellies not considered to be low-acid or acidified low-acid food products, dried fruits, dry herbs, dry seasonings, dry mixtures, coated and uncoated nuts, vinegars and flavored vinegars, popcorn, popcorn balls, cotton candy, dried pasta, dry baking mixes, roasted coffee, dried tea, cereals, trail mixes, granola, and baked goods if such products are (i) those that do not require time or temperature control after preparation; (ii) sold in person in the Commonwealth to an individual for his own consumption and not for resale or consignment; (iii) sold at the private home, at a temporary event that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days, or at a farmers market; (iv) not offered for sale to be used in or offered for consumption in retail food establishments; and (v) affixed with a label placed on the principal display panel or, for a product in packaging not large enough to bear such a label, offered for sale with a sign displaying the name, physical address, and telephone number of the person preparing the food product, the date the food product was processed, and the statement "NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION." 4. Private homes where the resident processes and prepares pickles and other acidified vegetables that have an equilibrium pH value of 4.6 or lower if such products are (i) sold in person in the Commonwealth to an individual for his own consumption and not for resale or consignment; (ii) sold at the private home, at a temporary event that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days, or at a farmers market; (iii) not offered for sale to be used in or offered for consumption in retail food establishments; (iv) affixed with a label placed on the principal display panel displaying the name, physical address, and telephone number of the person preparing the food product, the date the food product was processed, and the statement "NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION"; and (v) not exceeding $9,000 in gross sales in a calendar year.
Source: law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/3.2-5130/ →
Chesterfield County cottage food — FAQ
Is a home kitchen allowed for cottage food in Chesterfield County, Virginia?
According to our research: home kitchen is allowed. Restrictions: Virginia cottage food law (Va. Code §3.2-5130) exempts non-TCS shelf-stable foods from licensing and inspection. Permitted items: candies, jams, jellies (not low-acid/acidified), dried fruits, dry herbs, dry seasonings, dry mixes, nuts, vinegars, popcorn, cotton candy, dried pasta, dry baking mixes, roasted coffee, dried tea, cereals, trail mixes, granola, baked goods not requiring temperature control. Pickles/acidified vegetables (pH 4.6 or lower) capped at $9,000/year. Label must state 'NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION'. Chesterfield County requires compliance with home occupation zoning rules.
Is a health inspection required for home bakers in Chesterfield County?
Inspection: Upon-complaint. Trigger: VDACS may inspect upon consumer complaint per Va. Code §3.2-5130(D)..
Do I need a home occupation permit in Chesterfield County?
Home occupation permit: Conditional. Chesterfield County has home occupation provisions in its zoning ordinance. Operators should verify with Chesterfield County Planning Department (chesterfield.gov) whether a home occupation permit is required. Generally, home-based businesses in residential zones must be secondary to residential use, no external evidence of business, limited customer traffic, no employees other than family.
What is the Virginia cottage food sales cap?
Virginia state law caps cottage food sales at Tiered. County rules may add permits or zoning limits on top.
Where to verify Chesterfield County rules
Chesterfield County vs. bordering counties
| Regulation | Chesterfield County This county | Henrico County | Richmond city |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home kitchen allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Separate dedicated kitchen | No | No | No |
| Pets allowed | No specific state restriction. | Good sanitation required; no specific state pet rule for cottage food exemption | VDACS home food processing rules require pets to be completely excluded from food preparation, storage, packaging, and equipment cleaning a… |
| Inspection required | Upon-complaint | No | Conditional |
| On-site customer pickup | Conditional | Yes | Conditional |
| On-site signage | No | Conditional | Conditional |
| Delivery / pickup | Direct-to-consumer only. No resale or sales to retail food establishments. Farmers markets, roadside stands, home delivery permitted. | Direct to consumer only; farmers markets, events, and roadside stands; no retail/wholesale sales | Under Virginia cottage food exemption, direct sales only. Home pickup and local delivery permitted for non-TCS shelf-stable items. Online s… |
| Home occupation permit | Conditional | Conditional | Yes |
| Local business license | Yes | Varies | Yes |
| Restrictions | Virginia cottage food law (Va. Code §3.2-5130) exempts non-TCS shelf-stable foods from licensing and inspection. Permitted items: candies, … | Non-TCS shelf-stable foods only; direct-to-consumer sales only; tiered annual sales cap; zoning approval documentation required if seeking … | Virginia state law (Va. Code §3.2-5130) exempts non-TCS cottage foods from permitting. For home food processing operations (broader range o… |
| Food storage | Non-TCS shelf-stable products. No TCS foods. | Non-TCS foods stored in sanitary conditions | Proper storage to prevent contamination; pet-excluded areas required for VDACS permit pathway. |
| Population | 366,019 | 333,120 | 227,171 |
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