← All States

Colorado's Cottage Food Law

Colorado's cottage food law allows individuals to produce and sell certain homemade foods directly to consumers without a commercial kitchen or food handler's license. The law applies to home-based producers making non-potentially-hazardous foods, meaning products that don't require refrigeration to stay safe. Covered items include baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and similar shelf-stable products made in your residential kitchen.

You can sell your cottage food products in person at farmers markets, roadside stands, fairs, and other direct-to-consumer venues. Online sales are not permitted under Colorado's cottage food law, and you cannot ship products to customers. All transactions must happen face-to-face, so your sales strategy needs to be built around physical locations where you can hand off goods directly to buyers.

Colorado caps cottage food revenue at $5,000 per year, which is one of the lower limits in the country and worth planning around as your business grows. No permit, license, or registration is required to get started, which makes the barrier to entry very low. Your labels must include your name, home address, product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, and a statement that the product was made in a home kitchen not inspected by the state. That low startup threshold makes Colorado a practical place to test whether a home baking business works for you.

Quick Summary

Colorado cottage food law allows:

  • •Baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins)
  • •Jams, jellies, and preserves
  • •Candies and confections
  • •Roasted nuts
  • •Dry herbs and herb blends
  • •Dry baking mixes

Not allowed:

  • •Meat and poultry products
  • •Foods requiring refrigeration
  • •Dairy-based products (cream pies, custards, cheesecakes)
  • •Canned vegetables and low-acid canned foods
  • •Fermented or acidified foods
  • •Products containing meat fillings

Sales limit: $5,000 per year

Annual Limit

$5,000/year

Permit Required

No

Online Orders

Not Allowed

Shipping

Not Allowed

Permitted Foods

  • ✓Baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins)
  • ✓Jams, jellies, and preserves
  • ✓Candies and confections
  • ✓Roasted nuts
  • ✓Dry herbs and herb blends
  • ✓Dry baking mixes
  • ✓Honey
  • ✓Fruit pies and fruit empanadas

Prohibited Foods

  • ✗Meat and poultry products
  • ✗Foods requiring refrigeration
  • ✗Dairy-based products (cream pies, custards, cheesecakes)
  • ✗Canned vegetables and low-acid canned foods
  • ✗Fermented or acidified foods
  • ✗Products containing meat fillings

Labeling Requirements

  • ✓Producer's full name and home address
  • ✓Product name
  • ✓Complete ingredient list in descending order by weight
  • ✓Major food allergen disclosure
  • ✓Net weight or net volume
  • ✓Statement that the product was made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

$10,000 annual limit per product category (not total revenue). A baker selling multiple product types can earn more.

Starting a Home Bakery in Colorado

Once you understand the cottage food rules, most Colorado home bakers focus on three things:

  • →Pricing recipes so they are profitable
  • →Creating compliant labels
  • →Managing orders and preorders

endvr helps Colorado bakers do all three in one place.

Tools for Colorado Cottage Food Bakers

Create compliant labels in seconds

endvr's label maker automatically includes the Colorado required disclaimer and allergen labeling — so your labels are always inspection-ready.

Download on the App StoreOr sign up on web →

Common Questions Colorado Bakers Ask

Can I sell baked goods from home in Colorado?+
Yes. Colorado's cottage food law permits individuals to produce and sell certain non-potentially-hazardous foods from their home kitchen directly to consumers without a commercial kitchen license.
Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Colorado?+
No permit is required in Colorado to sell cottage food products, though you must still comply with labeling requirements and sales restrictions.
How much can I earn selling cottage food in Colorado?+
Colorado cottage food producers may earn up to $5,000 per year from direct sales. Sales above this limit may require a commercial food license.
Can I take orders online in Colorado?+
Colorado does not permit online sales of cottage food products under the cottage food law. Sales must be conducted in person through direct transactions.
Can I ship cottage food products in Colorado?+
No. Colorado does not allow shipping of cottage food products. Sales must be completed through direct, in-person transactions with the consumer.
What foods can I sell from home in Colorado?+
Under Colorado's cottage food law, permitted products include Baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins), Jams, jellies, and preserves, Candies and confections, Roasted nuts, Dry herbs and herb blends, Dry baking mixes and others. Generally, any food that does not require refrigeration for safety qualifies. Foods with cream, custard, or meat fillings are typically not allowed.
What labeling is required to sell cottage food in Colorado?+
Colorado requires cottage food labels to include: Producer's full name and home address; Product name; Complete ingredient list in descending order by weight; Major food allergen disclosure.

Common Colorado cottage food questions

→ Can I sell cottage food online in Colorado?→ Can I ship cottage food in Colorado?→ What is Colorado's cottage food sales limit?→ What are Colorado's labeling requirements?→ Can I use cream cheese frosting in Colorado?

Bill tracking data provided by LegiScan