Cottage Food Laws in Vermont
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Vermont you can make and sell shelf-stable foods like cookies, bread, candy and jam from your home kitchen without a license, as long as your gross sales of them are $30,000 a year or less. You must take the Health Department's online training and file a license exemption every year by January 15, and label what you sell, including the required "made in a home kitchen" statement. Foods that need refrigeration don't qualify, and you can't sell to restaurants or other licensed food establishments.[1][3][2]
At a glance
| Permit needed | No license up to $30,000 a year of cottage foods, but you must file a license exemption every year[2][4] |
|---|---|
| Sales cap | $30,000 a year in gross sales of cottage foods[1] |
| Training | The Health Department's online training, before you start and every year after[2] |
| Label statement | "Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health." (at least 10-point type)[2] |
| Where you can sell | Not to restaurants or other licensed food establishments[3][4] |
| Where you make it | Only in the kitchen of your own home, or a kitchen on your own property. Not a rented kitchen.[1][3] |
| Fee | None for the exemption. A Home Bakery License is $100 a year if you need one.[4][1] |
| Agency | Vermont Department of Health, Food & Lodging Program[4] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Check that your food is a cottage food
Cottage foods are foods that don't need to be kept cold or hot to stay safe: baked goods like bread and cookies, candy, jams and jellies, granola, popcorn, dry tea and similar foods. Baked goods that must be kept cold, like cheesecake or quiche, don't count. If you're not sure, you can ask the Health Department to review your product, but you don't have to.[3]
Take the online training
Complete the Health Department's online training for license-exempt food processors and cottage food operators before you start, and again every year. It covers food handling, cleanliness, sanitation and healthfulness.[2][5]
File your license exemption
File a license exemption in the Health Department's online portal, confirming you finished the training. Do it every year by January 15. There is no fee. You get an email saying it was received, and no certificate. After the training and the filing, you can start selling.[4][2][3]
Label every product
The label needs your business name and the physical address of your home kitchen (not a PO box), the name of the food, the ingredients from most to least by weight, the net weight or volume, allergen information, and the required statement in at least 10-point type in a contrasting color. You only need a Nutrition Facts panel if you make a nutrition or health claim, like "sugar-free", or put other nutrition information on the label. Food sold from bulk containers can use a sign at the table instead of individual labels.[2][3]
Get a license if you outgrow the exemption
This step is only for people who don't qualify for an exemption. If your gross sales of cottage foods are more than $30,000 a year, or you make foods that no exemption covers, you need a license from the Health Department before you sell. For shelf-stable baked goods made in your home kitchen, that is a Home Bakery License, $100 a year. It needs an opening inspection, so apply online at least 30 days before you plan to start. A non-bakery food processor with gross sales of $10,000 a year or less is exempt; above that, the license is $175 a year (up to $50,000 in gross sales) or $275 a year (over $50,000). License fees are paid every year.[4][3][1][2]
What you can and can't sell[1][3]
Allowed
- Baked goods that don't need refrigeration, like bread, cookies and muffins
- Candy
- Jams and jellies
- Dry herbs, dry tea and coffee beans
- Trail mix, granola, cereal, mixed nuts and popcorn
- Flavored vinegar
- Home-canned pickles, vegetables or fruits that are acidic enough (pH 4.6 or lower) or dry enough (water activity 0.85 or less) to be safe on the shelf, made from a recipe approved by the National Center for Home Food Preservation or reviewed for safety by a food processing authority
Not allowed
- Anything that needs refrigeration or hot holding to stay safe
- Baked goods that must be kept cold, like cheesecake, quiche and cheese danish
- Meat, including dehydrated meat
- Dehydrated fruits and vegetables
- Prepared meals (these need a Home Caterer License)
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- All Vermont cities and towns: The Health Department says to check with your city or town that a home business fits local land use, development and zoning rules for residential properties.[3]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| File your license exemption | Free |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $0 |
Recent changes
- : The Health Department's final Manufactured Food Rule took effect. Act 42 had told the Department to use an emergency rule until permanent rules were adopted, and the emergency rule was adopted on July 1, 2025.[1][2][4]
- : Act 42 took effect. It replaced the old home bakery exemption ($125 a week in sales) with a cottage food exemption of $30,000 a year covering more shelf-stable foods. It also made the exemption filing yearly and required it to confirm that you completed the training the rules require.[1]
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell cheesecake or other foods that need refrigeration?
Not under the cottage food exemption. Foods that must be kept cold or hot to stay safe, like cheesecake, quiche or cheese danish, are not cottage foods. If no other exemption covers your food, you need a license from the Health Department.[4][3][5]
Can I sell my baked goods to a cafe or restaurant?
No. Restaurants and other food service businesses may only buy from licensed food manufacturers, so food made under the exemption can't be sold to them.[3]
Can I use a rented commercial kitchen and stay exempt?
No. The exemption covers only food made in the kitchen of your own home or a kitchen on your own property. Food made in a rented kitchen, even a licensed one, needs a license.[3]
Do I have to put my home address on the label?
Yes. The Health Department says to use the physical address of your home kitchen, not a PO box, so a product can be traced in a recall or illness complaint.[3]
Can I make cottage foods and other foods too?
Yes. You can sell up to $30,000 of cottage foods under the cottage food exemption, plus up to $10,000 of other processed foods under the exemption for food processors with sales of $10,000 a year or less, without a license. You still have to follow Vermont's food manufacturing rules.[3]
Can I sell my cottage food in another state?
Selling across state lines brings in federal rules and the other state's laws. Check with the state where you want to sell.[4]
Will anyone inspect my kitchen?
You don't need an inspection to start under the exemption, but you still must follow the food safety and sanitation rules, and a public health inspector may inspect you.[3]
Sources
- Act No. 42 (2025), H.401: An act relating to exemptions for food manufacturing establishments (as enacted), Vermont General Assembly. Checked October 25, 2026. Internet Archive copy captured 2025-11-18; the live legislature.vermont.gov site timed out for the fetcher. Live URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT042/ACT042%20As%20Enacted.pdf
- Manufactured Food Rule (Chapter 5, Subchapter 1), final adopted rule effective 1/15/2026, Vermont Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Home-Based Food Licenses and Exemptions, Vermont Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Manufacturing Licensing Exemptions (November 2025), Vermont Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- License Exempt Food Processors and Cottage Food Operators Training (July 2025), Vermont Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Vermont Department of Health, Food & Lodging Program or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.