Pennsylvania cottage food law
Sell cottage food in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania cottage food law, label rules, and a free storefront. Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania's rules. CottageOps configures the Pennsylvania label disclosure for you, tracks your sales against the cap, and gives you a free storefront to take orders.
What Pennsylvania's cottage food law says
- Sales cap
- No statewide sales cap — Pennsylvania doesn't set an annual revenue ceiling on cottage food sales.
- Refrigerated (TCS) foods
- Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania consumers — pickup, in-state delivery, farmers markets, and online sales to in-state customers.
Required label disclosure in Pennsylvania
Every Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania-required disclosure below. CottageOps fills the disclosure in for you, verbatim:
This product is homemade and is not prepared in an inspected food establishment.
Before you sell in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires a permit and a kitchen inspection before you sell.
Before accepting orders in Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania cottage-food law
The detail behind the summary above: Pennsylvania'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
- 3 Pa.C.S. §§5721–5737 (Pennsylvania Food Safety Act); 7 Pa. Code Ch. 46 (Limited Food Establishment program) (Pennsylvania Limited Food Establishment (LFE) program)
- Enforcing agency
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety
- Revenue cap
- No cap.
- Allowed foods
- Foods registered under the Limited Food Establishment program; LFE permits more than typical cottage states, but CottageOps treats PA conservatively as shelf-stable only.
- Refrigerated (TCS) / prohibited
- Conservative shelf-stable only (engine refuses TCS labels for PA), though the LFE regime may permit more — confirm.
- Where you can sell
- Direct to consumer; LFE registration AND a kitchen inspection are required before sale (permit + inspection tier).
- Labeling notes
- PDA-mandated LFE label disclosure (agency-codified, ≥10pt contrasting color): "This product is homemade and is not prepared in an inspected food establishment." There is no exact statute-quoted sentence — this is the consistently-mandated LFE retail-label wording.
- Watch-outs
- LFE registration + kitchen inspection required before sale (stronger gated tier).
- Disclosure is agency-codified, not statute-quoted — attorney to rubber-stamp.
General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state agency. Last verified 2026-06-15.
Ready to start selling in Pennsylvania?
Make a free Pennsylvania label in seconds, then claim your free CottageOps storefront. Free in 2026 — no card required. $19/mo in 2027, no transaction fees.
Pennsylvania cottage food FAQ
What must a Pennsylvania cottage food label include?
A compliant Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania requires this exact disclosure on the label: "This product is homemade and is not prepared in an inspected food establishment." You never type it — the generator applies the current Pennsylvania disclosure for you the moment you pick your state.
Can I sell TCS or refrigerated cottage food items in Pennsylvania?
No — Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania doesn't permit it, so you don't print a non-compliant label.
Is this Pennsylvania cottage food label generator really free?
Yes. Building and previewing your Pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania bakers, plus our guides for every other state:
Free in 2026 — no card required.
A free Pennsylvania storefront, the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania cottage food authority before selling. Last verified: 2026-06-13.