Delaware cottage food law
Sell cottage food in Delaware
Delaware cottage food law, label rules, and a free storefront. Delaware's cottage food law lets home bakers sell directly to consumers with no statewide sales cap — provided you sell directly to consumers, label every product correctly, and follow Delaware's rules. CottageOps configures the Delaware label disclosure for you, tracks your sales against the cap, and gives you a free storefront to take orders.
What Delaware's cottage food law says
- Sales cap
- No statewide sales cap — Delaware doesn't set an annual revenue ceiling on cottage food sales.
- Refrigerated (TCS) foods
- Delaware'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 Delaware consumers — pickup, in-state delivery, farmers markets, and online sales to in-state customers.
Required label disclosure in Delaware
Every Delaware 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 Delaware-required disclosure below. CottageOps fills the disclosure in for you, verbatim:
This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections.
Before you sell in Delaware
Delaware requires a permit and a kitchen inspection before you sell.
Before accepting orders in Delaware, 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 Delaware cottage-food law
The detail behind the summary above: Delaware'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
- 16 Del. Admin. Code 4458A (Delaware Cottage Food Establishment regulations) (Delaware Cottage Food Establishment regulations)
- Enforcing agency
- Delaware Health and Social Services, Office of Food Protection
- Revenue cap
- No cap stored (⚖️ a historic $25,000 cap may apply — confirm).
- Allowed foods
- Non-TCS (shelf-stable) cottage foods including baked goods.
- Refrigerated (TCS) / prohibited
- Conservative shelf-stable only (engine refuses TCS labels for DE).
- Where you can sell
- Direct to consumer; a permit AND a kitchen inspection are required before sale (permit + inspection tier).
- Labeling notes
- Disclosure "This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections." ("NOT" capitalized as published) at ≥10pt.
- Watch-outs
- Permit + kitchen inspection required before sale (stronger gated tier).
- Historic $25k cap flagged for confirmation in the engine.
General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state agency. Last verified 2026-06-15.
Ready to start selling in Delaware?
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Delaware cottage food FAQ
What must a Delaware cottage food label include?
A compliant Delaware 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 Delaware-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 Delaware?
Delaware requires this exact disclosure on the label: "This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections." You never type it — the generator applies the current Delaware disclosure for you the moment you pick your state.
Can I sell TCS or refrigerated cottage food items in Delaware?
No — Delaware'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 Delaware doesn't permit it, so you don't print a non-compliant label.
Is this Delaware cottage food label generator really free?
Yes. Building and previewing your Delaware-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 Delaware bakers, plus our guides for every other state:
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A free Delaware storefront, the Delaware 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 Delaware cottage food authority before selling. Last verified: 2026-06-13.