Cottage food laws in Connecticut

The limits

Sales cap

$50,000 in gross annual sales. Public Act 22-38 (2022) raised the figure from the original $25,000. Note that DCP's downloadable Cottage Food Operator guide still shows the superseded $25,000 cap and an October 2018 effective date; DCP's current live web page carries the $50,000 figure.

You can sell

Loaf breads, rolls, biscuits; non-potentially-hazardous cakes (including celebration cakes, but not cheesecake); non-potentially-hazardous pastries and cookies; candies and confections; fruit pies (not pumpkin); jams/jellies/preserves meeting the FDA Standard of Identity in 21 CFR 150; dried fruits; dry herbs, seasonings, and mixtures; non-potentially-hazardous cereals, trail mixes, and granola; coated/uncoated nuts; vinegar and flavored vinegars; popcorn and popcorn balls; roasted whole-bean or ground coffee; cotton candy. The published list is non-exhaustive and subject to change; products are not automatically approved.

You cannot sell

Cooked/canned vegetable products (salsas, tomato sauces, spaghetti sauces, roasted-vegetable focaccia); ready-made beverages (including coffee drinks, apple cider); fruit butters (e.g., apple or pumpkin butter); dehydrated meat or poultry; most home-canned products other than qualifying jams/jellies; products decorated/garnished with fresh or frozen fruit/vegetables

Getting set up

Permit / registration

Yes — a Cottage Food Operator license issued by DCP (available since October 1, 2018)

Cost

$50.00 license application fee

Training

Yes — completion of a food safety training program covering food processing and packaging, from a DCP-approved course list

Kitchen inspection

There is no separate, mandatory pre-license, on-site kitchen inspection built into the ordinary application process, but the applicant must consent, as a condition of licensure, to DCP inspecting the home kitchen. On the official Cottage Food Operation application (form CFO-01), the applicant must check 'Yes' to a prerequisite stating: 'I agree to grant access to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to conduct an inspection of my cottage food operation's primary domestic residence for routine inspection, in the event of a consumer complaint and/or in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak.' Separately, DCP's cottage food guide requires the mandatory label statement that the product is 'not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection,' reflecting that Connecticut cottage food operations are not inspected on the same ongoing schedule as licensed commercial food establishments -- but DCP retains, and applicants must accept, authority to inspect the home kitchen (routinely, or in response to a complaint or illness outbreak).

Labeling

Name and address of the cottage food operation (physical address, not a P.O. box); product name; ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight (including sub-ingredients of any prepared ingredient); net weight/volume with metric equivalent; federally required allergen labeling (milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, fish/shellfish, tree nuts, naming the specific tree nut); and the statement, in at least 10-point type: "Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection." For unpackaged items like wedding cakes, all label information must appear on the invoice delivered with the product.

Where you can sell

Permitted venues

Direct, person-to-person sale from producer or designee to the actual consumer; may sell from home or at farmers' markets (which may impose their own additional licensing requirements). Not permitted at grocery stores, restaurants, long-term care facilities, group homes, day care facilities, or schools, and not on consignment/wholesale.

Online sales

Yes, with restrictions — may advertise and take orders online, but the sale and delivery must still be a direct, person-to-person transaction

Delivery in state

Restricted — delivery must be made directly by the producer or a designee, in person, within Connecticut; products may NOT be delivered by mail or by third-party carriers such as UPS, FedEx, or mobile food-ordering/delivery companies

Shipping out of state

No

The fine print

Statute

Public Act 18-141

Recent changes

Yes -- Connecticut's annual gross sales cap was doubled in 2022. Public Act 22-38 (2022 Senate Bill 187) raised the cottage food sales limit from $25,000 to $50,000 per year. DCP's current knowledge-base page confirms the $50,000 figure remains in force. This corrects the finding based on DCP's own 'Cottage Food in Connecticut' guide PDF used as the prior known source for this brief: that PDF is outdated and still states the pre-2022 $25,000 cap and an October 1, 2018 effective date for the base program; it has not been refreshed to reflect the 2022 amendment. No further legislative change to Connecticut's cottage food law has been identified for 2023-2026; the 2022 increase remains the most recent amendment.

Notes

Connecticut is among the more restrictive states in this batch: it retains a hard $25,000 sales cap, bars mail/third-party delivery entirely, and excludes nonprofits from operating as cottage food businesses. No MEHKO-style program was identified for Connecticut. ---