Colorado Cottage Food Law
A complete guide to cottage food regulations in Colorado (CO) — revenue limits, allowed products, labeling, and permitting requirements.
Requirements & Restrictions
Permitting & Registration
- Food Handler Certification
- Required
- Business License
- Not required
- State Registration
- Not required
Where You Can Sell
- Direct to end consumer
- Farmers markets
- Online (direct to consumer)
Allowed Products
- Pickled fruits and vegetables with a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below
- Dry spices
- Dry teas
- Dehydrated produce
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Honey
- Jams
- Jellies
- Preserves
- Fruit butter
- Flour
- Candies
- Fruit empanadas
- Tortillas and other similar products that do not require refrigeration for safety
- Whole eggs (up to 250 dozen per month)
- Baked goods such as muffins, fruit pies, cookies, and cakes
- Roasted coffee beans
- Buttercream made with ghee or vegetable oil
- Cotton candy
- Fudge
- Freeze-dried produce
Prohibited Products
- Any meat product such as bacon, jerky, chicharron, poultry, fish and shellfish products (also prohibited as ingredients or toppings)
- Baked or fried goods having cream, custard or meringue fillings or toppings
- Cakes or pastries with buttercream (unless made with ghee or vegetable oil) frosting
- Sauces such as barbeque, hot, pasta, pizza, or salad dressing
- Beverages
- Condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce
- Pumpkin pie
- Sweet potato pie
- Cream pies
- Cut fresh fruits and vegetables
- Fruit or vegetable juices or concentrates
- Fruit or vegetable purees
- Pepper jelly or jams made with fresh peppers or homemade dehydrated peppers
- Freeze dried meals
- Cannabidiol (CBD) containing products
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) containing products
Labeling Requirements
The following information must appear on every cottage food product label sold in Colorado:
Required Disclaimer
This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens, such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale.
Additional Notes
1. REVENUE CAP (per-product, not total): Per the CDPHE Fact Sheet (last revised September 2015), each individual product (each flavor of jam, type of spice, type of cake, etc.) is capped at $10,000 net revenue annually — this is a per-product cap, not a total business cap, so annualRevenueLimitCents is null. 2. LABELING: The label must include: product name; producer's name, address where the food was prepared, and producer's current telephone number OR email address; date on which the food was produced; complete list of ingredients; and the required disclaimer. Phone and email are listed as alternatives ('telephone number or email address'), so either satisfies the requirement. 3. TRAINING: Producers must complete a food safety training course prior to starting a cottage foods business — options include CSU Extension in-person course (certificate valid 3 years), a Food Handlers Card via online training, or a local public health agency food safety course. 4. SELLING: Foods must be sold directly to the end consumer. Sales to restaurants, grocery stores, or any entity for further distribution or resale are prohibited. 5. EGGS: Whole eggs (up to 250 dozen/month) have additional specific labeling requirements including the address of origin, packaging date, and a safe handling statement if not treated for Salmonella, plus 'These eggs do not come from a government-approved source.' 6. PENDING LAW — HB26-1033 ('Expanding the Colorado Cottage Foods Act', also called the 'Tamale Act') was signed into law on June 4, 2026 and takes effect January 1, 2027. It will: raise the annual revenue cap to $150,000 net (per calendar year, inflation-adjusted annually); require producers to register with CDPHE before selling; allow sale of one type of refrigerated/TCS food (with up to 5 variations) and meat/meat products; require enhanced food safety training for TCS food sellers. These changes are NOT reflected in the fields above as they are not yet in effect. 7. The CDPHE page notes it describes products that are 'non-potentially hazardous (do not require refrigeration for safety)' as the operative eligibility standard under current law.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the annual revenue limit for cottage food businesses in Colorado?
- Colorado does not impose a stated annual revenue limit on cottage food producers.
- Do I need a food handler certification to sell cottage food in Colorado?
- Yes. Colorado requires cottage food producers to hold a valid food handler certification.
- Is a business license required for cottage food sales in Colorado?
- No. Colorado does not require a business license to operate a cottage food business.
- Does Colorado require cottage food producers to register with the state?
- No. Colorado does not require cottage food producers to register with a state agency.
- Where can I legally sell cottage food products in Colorado?
- In Colorado, cottage food products may be sold at: Direct to end consumer, Farmers markets, Online (direct to consumer).
- What allergen labeling standard applies to cottage food in Colorado?
- Colorado follows the CUSTOM for cottage food labeling.
- What products are allowed under Colorado cottage food law?
- The following product categories are permitted for cottage food production in Colorado: Pickled fruits and vegetables with a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below, Dry spices, Dry teas, Dehydrated produce, Nuts, Seeds, Honey, Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Fruit butter, Flour, Candies, Fruit empanadas, Tortillas and other similar products that do not require refrigeration for safety, Whole eggs (up to 250 dozen per month), Baked goods such as muffins, fruit pies, cookies, and cakes, Roasted coffee beans, Buttercream made with ghee or vegetable oil, Cotton candy, Fudge, Freeze-dried produce.
- What products are prohibited under Colorado cottage food law?
- The following products may not be sold under Colorado's cottage food exemption: Any meat product such as bacon, jerky, chicharron, poultry, fish and shellfish products (also prohibited as ingredients or toppings), Baked or fried goods having cream, custard or meringue fillings or toppings, Cakes or pastries with buttercream (unless made with ghee or vegetable oil) frosting, Sauces such as barbeque, hot, pasta, pizza, or salad dressing, Beverages, Condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce, Pumpkin pie, Sweet potato pie, Cream pies, Cut fresh fruits and vegetables, Fruit or vegetable juices or concentrates, Fruit or vegetable purees, Pepper jelly or jams made with fresh peppers or homemade dehydrated peppers, Freeze dried meals, Cannabidiol (CBD) containing products, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) containing products.