Connecticut cottage food law
Sell cottage food in Connecticut
Connecticut cottage food law, label rules, and a free storefront. Connecticut's cottage food law lets home bakers sell directly to consumers up to a $50,000 sales cap — provided you sell directly to consumers, label every product correctly, and follow Connecticut's rules. CottageOps configures the Connecticut label disclosure for you, tracks your sales against the cap, and gives you a free storefront to take orders.
What Connecticut's cottage food law says
- Sales cap
- $50,000 per year, gross sales. In Connecticut this is a hard cap — once you reach it in a 12-month window, the lawful move is to stop selling under the cottage food exemption (or move to a fully licensed operation).
- Refrigerated (TCS) foods
- Connecticut's cottage food path is limited to shelf-stable goods — refrigerated (TCS) items aren't allowed under the exemption.
- Where you can sell
- Direct to Connecticut consumers — pickup, in-state delivery, farmers markets, and online sales to in-state customers.
Required label disclosure in Connecticut
Every Connecticut cottage food label must carry the product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight, a “Contains” allergen statement for any FDA major allergens, your name and address as the producer, and the Connecticut-required disclosure below. CottageOps fills the disclosure in for you, verbatim:
Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection.
Before you sell in Connecticut
Connecticut requires a permit and a kitchen inspection before you sell.
Before accepting orders in Connecticut, you'll need to obtain the required permit and pass a kitchen inspection. This can take weeks, so start the application early. You can build your storefront and menu in CottageOps now and switch on orders once you're cleared.
Full Connecticut cottage-food law
The detail behind the summary above: Connecticut's primary statute, the agency that enforces it, the revenue cap, what foods are allowed, refrigerated-food (TCS) rules, labeling notes, and the watch-outs to know before you sell.
- Primary statute
- Conn. Gen. Stat. §21a-62h (Connecticut Cottage Food Operation) (Connecticut Cottage Food Operation law)
- Revenue cap
- $50,000/year (raised from $25,000 in 2022). Hard cap.
- Allowed foods
- Non-TCS (shelf-stable) cottage foods including baked goods.
- Refrigerated (TCS) / prohibited
- Conservative shelf-stable only (engine refuses TCS labels for CT).
- Where you can sell
- Direct to consumer; a Cottage Food Operation permit AND a kitchen inspection are required before sale (permit + inspection tier).
- Labeling notes
- Disclosure (mixed Title-Case as the statute publishes it): "Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection." at ≥10pt.
- Watch-outs
- Permit + kitchen inspection required before sale (stronger gated tier).
- Verbatim mixed Title-Case ("not Subject") matters — do not normalise.
General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state agency. Last verified 2026-06-15.
Ready to start selling in Connecticut?
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Connecticut cottage food FAQ
What must a Connecticut cottage food label include?
A compliant Connecticut cottage food label needs the product name, the ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight (oz and/or grams), the "Contains" allergen statement for any FDA major allergens, the producer's name and address, and the Connecticut-required legal disclosure. Our free generator fills in the disclosure for you and lays out the rest automatically as you type.
What is the required cottage food disclosure in Connecticut?
Connecticut requires this exact disclosure on the label: "Made in a Cottage Food Operation that is not Subject to Routine Government Food Safety Inspection." You never type it — the generator applies the current Connecticut disclosure for you the moment you pick your state.
Can I sell TCS or refrigerated cottage food items in Connecticut?
No — Connecticut's cottage food path is limited to shelf-stable goods, so TCS items that need refrigeration are not allowed under the cottage food exemption. If you toggle "Contains a TCS item" the generator will flag that Connecticut doesn't permit it, so you don't print a non-compliant label.
Is this Connecticut cottage food label generator really free?
Yes. Building and previewing your Connecticut-compliant label is free with no account. CottageOps is free through 2026 — no credit card — and when you're ready to download or print the full-resolution label you just claim your free CottageOps account. In 2027 it's a flat $19/mo (or $190/yr).
More for Connecticut bakers, plus our guides for every other state:
Free in 2026 — no card required.
A free Connecticut storefront, the Connecticut label disclosure configured for you, and sales tracking — built in from day one. Cancel anytime; the most-recent month is refundable.
Start freeThis is general information, not legal advice — confirm with your Connecticut cottage food authority before selling. Last verified: 2026-06-13.