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Cottage food laws

North Carolina Cottage Food Law

Can you sell homemade food from your home kitchen in North Carolina? Here are the sales cap, allowed foods, where you can sell, and the point where you must move into a licensed commercial kitchen.
Educational summary, not legal advice — cottage food rules change; confirm with the state before you sell.
Program
Home Processor (inspected)
Annual sales cap
No cap
Where you can sell
Direct/in-personFarmers marketsOnlineRetail grocery storesRestaurants
Registration / to start
Free home-kitchen inspection required before selling (process ~8–12 weeks); no license fee
Allowed foods
Baked goods (no cream/custard fillings), jams/jellies/preserves, fruit butters, hard candy, fudge, toffee, chocolate confections, honey, granola, popcorn; acidified foods (pickles/salsa/hot sauce) with NC State course + testing
Not allowed
TCS/refrigerated foods outside scope, meat, low-acid canned goods
When you need a commercial / commissary kitchen
Selling TCS foods outside program or beyond inspected scope requires a licensed kitchen
Administered by
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) · N.C. Home Processor program

Source: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). Cottage food laws change often — confirm current rules before selling.

Good to know

Not a true 'cottage food' law — requires a free pre-approval home-kitchen inspection, but then allows unlimited sales including online, grocery and restaurant. No revenue cap, no fee.

Outgrowing cottage food? When you need a licensed kitchen, see North Carolina food-business requirements, estimate the build with the cost-to-open calculator, and check whether you need a hood.

Frequently asked

Can I sell homemade food in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina has a cottage food framework (Home Processor (inspected)) that lets individuals make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from a home kitchen. There is no sales cap. You still must follow the state's rules on allowed foods, labeling, and where you can sell. Administered by North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS).
What foods can I sell under North Carolina's cottage food law?
Baked goods (no cream/custard fillings), jams/jellies/preserves, fruit butters, hard candy, fudge, toffee, chocolate confections, honey, granola, popcorn; acidified foods (pickles/salsa/hot sauce) with NC State course + testing Not allowed: TCS/refrigerated foods outside scope, meat, low-acid canned goods
When do I need a commercial or commissary kitchen in North Carolina?
Selling TCS foods outside program or beyond inspected scope requires a licensed kitchen At that point, see the requirements and permit fees for your area.
Do I need a license or registration for cottage food in North Carolina?
Free home-kitchen inspection required before selling (process ~8–12 weeks); no license fee

Food-business permits in North Carolina's biggest counties

Local food-permit cost, plan review and the health-department contact for the counties people look up most.

Catawba County
Wake County
Durham County
Union County
Alamance County
← All states
Published by Resultex Media Group LLC · Independent & vendor-neutral · Educational only, not legal or engineering advice · Last verified October 2026