Cottage food law & license in Franklin County, WA

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Franklin County Permits 101 for Franklin County, Washington (67 pages). After you pay, you get lifetime access to premium dashboard features. Unlock the permit planning workspace on your dashboard.

Washington cottage food — common first products
County zoning cannot expand a state ban. Check the product, then the local rules on this page.
What's in the Franklin County permit report


How to start in Franklin County
Permit, label, and local steps for selling under Washington cottage food rules in Franklin County. Not legal advice.
Confirm your menu under state law
Washington cottage food rules control what you may make at home (Nonpotentially-hazardous baked goods; baked candies and stovetop candies; jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters (as defined in 21 C.F.R. §150); and other nonpotentially hazardous foods identified by the director by rule. No THC ingredients (0.3% or greater) permitted. No dollar sales cap is specified in the statute.). Franklin County cannot expand a food the state bans.
Map channels and local sales rules
State sales cap: No cap. On-site / porch pickup in Franklin County: Yes. Prefer markets or off-site pickup if residential customer traffic is restricted.
Local permits, tax, and home occupation
Home occupation permit: Conditional. Many places still need a general business license or tax certificate even when the state has no cottage food “permit.” Check planning, the clerk, and any HOA or lease before advertising your address.
Training, registration, inspection
State registration: Yes. Local inspection in Franklin County: Yes. Finish food handler training early — markets often ask for a copy.
Labels that match the state
Print labels with Washington disclaimer and allergen rules before market day. Use the free Washington label page for the one-pager checklist and mockup.
Insurance and first sales
Farmers markets often require a certificate of insurance. Soft-launch with pre-orders, keep a sales log, and re-verify rules if you change products or venues.
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: “Made in a home kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria.”
Planning checklist only. Confirm with state and local agencies before you sell.
Franklin County is a county in Washington (pop. 96,692). Under Washington's Good-tier cottage food law (sales cap: None), home bakers must still clear local zoning and health rules in this county. Registration path: Yes. Start with Washington State Department of Agriculture (state cottage food page linked below), then confirm Franklin County health and planning requirements. Local notes for Franklin County: home kitchen allowed; inspection required; home occupation permit not required. No Franklin County-specific cottage food overrides found. Franklin County is in eastern Washington (Tri-Cities area: Pasco, Kennewick, Richland). Washington state rules apply. Franklin County Public Health is the local public health authority. Washington has burdensome permit/inspection requirements relative to most states. Download the free reports below for a portable summary, and always re-check official sources before you sell.
Franklin County cottage food reports
Home cottage-food permit stack — zoning, health, license, and what the state does not require.
Zoning, permits, health department rules, and local sources for Franklin County.
Download county reportFull Washington License & Permit Guide (136 pages). Statute, all counties, and official source links.

Tier: Good
Washington 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.
Washington cottage food 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 Franklin County
State baseline: RCW §69.22.010–.040
- Home kitchen allowed
- Yes
- Restrictions
- Washington state cottage food law (RCW §69.22): biennial permit with annual inspection required. Allowed: non-PHF baked goods, baked/stovetop candies, jams/jellies/preserves/fruit butters (21 CFR §150), other non-PHF director-approved foods. No internet/mail order or out-of-state retail sales. Food handler card required under RCW 69.06. Applicant must grant right of entry to home during normal business hours.
- Separate dedicated kitchen
- No
- Pet restrictions
- Only permittee or persons under direct supervision in kitchen during processing; pets effectively excluded.
- Water supply
- No specific water supply requirement beyond general food safety; $75 public health review fee at permitting.
- Handwashing
- Food handler card required; annual basic hygiene inspections cover handwashing.
- Food storage
- Non-PHF shelf-stable foods only; no reduced oxygen packaging for cottage food.
- Inspection required
- Yes
- Inspection trigger
- Annual basic hygiene inspections required; part of biennial permit process ($125 biennial + $75 public health review + $30 processing fee).
- Home occupation permit
- Conditional
- Permit details
- Franklin County (Pasco, Kennewick-Pasco-Richland metro area) may require local home occupation permits. No Franklin County-specific cottage food zoning rules identified. Operators should check with Franklin County Planning.
- Local business license
- Varies
- On-site customer pickup
- Yes
- On-site signage
- Conditional
- Delivery / pickup
- Direct-to-consumer sales only in person; no internet or mail order; no out-of-state sales. Sales at farmers markets, events, home permitted with valid cottage food permit.
- Max employees in home
- Only permittee or persons under direct supervision during production.
- Relevant code section
- No Franklin County-specific cottage food code identified.
No Franklin County-specific cottage food overrides found. Franklin County is in eastern Washington (Tri-Cities area: Pasco, Kennewick, Richland). Washington state rules apply. Franklin County Public Health is the local public health authority. Washington has burdensome permit/inspection requirements relative to most states.
Revised Code of Washington, Title 69 Food, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Poisons, Chapter 69.22 Cottage Food Operations
Full Washington License & Permit Guide →Verbatim excerptRCW 69.22.010 Definitions. (1) "Cottage food operation" means a person who produces cottage food products only in the home kitchen of that person's primary domestic residence in Washington and only for sale directly to the consumer. (2) "Cottage food products" means nonpotentially hazardous baked goods; baked candies and candies made on a stovetop; jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters as defined in 21 C.F.R. Sec. 150 as it existed on July 22, 2011; and other nonpotentially hazardous foods identified by the director in rule. No ingredient containing a tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of 0.3 percent or greater may be included as an ingredient in any cottage food product. RCW 69.22.020(3) A cottage food operation must place on the label of any food it produces or packages, at a minimum, the following information: (a) The name and permit number issued under RCW 69.22.030 of the business of the cottage food operation; (b) The name of the cottage food product; (c) The ingredients of the cottage food product, in descending order of predominance by weight; (d) The net weight or net volume of the cottage food product; (e) Allergen labeling as specified by the director in rule; (f) If any nutritional claim is made, appropriate labeling as specified by the director in rule; (g) The following statement printed in at least the equivalent of eleven-point font size in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background: "Made in a home kitchen that has not been subject to standard inspection criteria." (4) Cottage food products may only be sold directly to the consumer and may not be sold by internet, mail order, or for retail sale outside the state. RCW 69.22.030(1) All cottage food operations must be permitted every two years by the department on forms developed by the department. All permits and permit renewals must be made on forms developed by the director and be accompanied by an inspection fee as provided in RCW 69.22.040, a $75 public health review fee, and a $30 processing fee.
Source: app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=69.22.010 →
Franklin County Permit Guide $26
This page stays free — the Franklin County statute, zoning notes, and official links. Permit Guide 101 is the paid packet (67 pages): the home cottage-food permit stack (zoning, health, and business license), the checklist, and the dashboard workspace. That packet is not on this free page.

Franklin County cottage food — FAQ
Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Franklin County, Washington?
Home occupation permit: Conditional. Franklin County (Pasco, Kennewick-Pasco-Richland metro area) may require local home occupation permits. No Franklin County-specific cottage food zoning rules identified. Operators should check with Franklin County Planning. State cottage food registration may also apply — check the Washington guide at https://crosodo.com/states/washington.
Is a health inspection required for home bakers in Franklin County?
Inspection: Yes. Trigger: Annual basic hygiene inspections required; part of biennial permit process ($125 biennial + $75 public health review + $30 processing fee).. Non-TCS baked goods are often exempt from kitchen inspection under state cottage food law, but local rules can differ.
What foods can I sell under Washington cottage food law in Franklin County?
Nonpotentially-hazardous baked goods; baked candies and stovetop candies; jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters (as defined in 21 C.F.R. §150); and other nonpotentially hazardous foods identified by the director by rule. No THC ingredients (0.3% or greater) permitted. No dollar sales cap is specified in the statute. County zoning does not expand the state product list — if a food is banned by Washington, it stays banned. Verify with the state agency before selling.
What is the sales cap for cottage food in Washington?
Washington state law lists cottage food sales at None. There is typically no separate county sales cap, but local permits or zoning can still limit operations.
Do I need a home occupation permit in Franklin County?
Home occupation permit: Conditional. Franklin County (Pasco, Kennewick-Pasco-Richland metro area) may require local home occupation permits. No Franklin County-specific cottage food zoning rules identified. Operators should check with Franklin County Planning.
The free county page is the short version. This is the full Washington License & Permit Guide (136 pages) — statute, every county we have researched, and official source URLs. Stripe checkout. Cover letter, paid receipt, and the guide (PDF) licensed to your address.

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Where to verify Franklin County rules
Franklin County vs. bordering counties
| Regulation | Franklin County This county | Grant County | Walla Walla County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home kitchen allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Separate dedicated kitchen | No | No | No |
| Pets allowed | Only permittee or persons under direct supervision in kitchen during processing; pets effectively excluded. | No one other than the permittee or persons under direct supervision may be in the kitchen during processing; pets implicitly excluded durin… | Only permittee and persons under direct supervision in kitchen during processing |
| Inspection required | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-site customer pickup | Yes | Yes | Conditional |
| On-site signage | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional |
| Delivery / pickup | Direct-to-consumer sales only in person; no internet or mail order; no out-of-state sales. Sales at farmers markets, events, home permitted… | Direct-to-consumer sales allowed in person; no internet or mail order sales; no out-of-state sales. Sales at farmers markets, events, and f… | Direct sales only; no internet, mail order, or retail sales outside state. Sales at home, farmers markets, and events permitted. |
| Home occupation permit | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional |
| Local business license | Varies | Varies | Yes |
| Restrictions | Washington state cottage food law (RCW §69.22): biennial permit with annual inspection required. Allowed: non-PHF baked goods, baked/stovet… | Washington state cottage food law (RCW §69.22) allows home kitchen production of non-potentially hazardous foods with a biennial permit and… | Must obtain biennial WA Department of Agriculture permit with inspection. Non-PHF foods only. All food handlers must have food and beverage… |
| Food storage | Non-PHF shelf-stable foods only; no reduced oxygen packaging for cottage food. | Non-potentially hazardous, shelf-stable foods only; must prevent contamination. | Non-PHF shelf-stable foods only |
| Population | 96,692 | 99,145 | 62,150 |
Franklin County baker discussion
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