Cottage Food Law Map › Handouts › Pennsylvania

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Cottage food quick guide · Last reviewed October 2026

Selling homemade food in Pennsylvania

Mendocino
Food Consulting

Sales cap
No cap stated
Permit or registration
PDA registration and inspection, $35/yr
Online & shipping
Internet sales from home; interstate may need FDA registration
Sell through stores
Some retail stores; no wholesale or restaurants
Refrigerated foods
No

Allowed from a home kitchen

Sourdough bread · Cookies & brownies · Fruit pie · Strawberry jam · Granola · Spice rubs & seasoning blends · Freeze-dried candy · Chocolates & truffles · Toffee, fudge & caramels

Needs a commercial kitchen or other license

Pumpkin pie · Cheesecake · Cake with cream cheese frosting · Meat tamales · Fresh salsa (refrigerated) · Garlic or herb-infused oil‡ · Home-cooked meals‡ · Beef jerky‡ · Cheese & yogurt‡ · Cold-pressed juice‡ · Kombucha‡

Ask the agency first

Cake with buttercream · Macarons · Fruit tamales · Low-sugar or freezer jam · Pepper jelly · Shelf-stable salsa · Hot sauce · Canned pickles · Sauerkraut & kimchi · Canned tomato sauce · Roasted coffee · Loose-leaf tea blends · Dried fruit & fruit leather · Marshmallows · Nut butter · Pure honey · Infused honey · Vanilla extract · Fruit-infused vinegar · Mustard (no egg)

Every product has conditions, such as registration, training, labeling, and sales limits. See the full guide for each one. ‡ General rule; not specifically addressed in this state's guidance.

How to start

  1. Confirm each product is shelf-stable and doesn't need refrigeration.
  2. Apply to PDA at least 60 days before selling. Plan review takes about 15 business days.
  3. Pass a PDA kitchen inspection and pay the $35 fee, renewed yearly.
  4. Farmers market and event sales may need a separate retail food facility license.
  5. Label every product.

Key label items

Use the exact required wording shown in the full guide and on the agency's site.

  • Product name
  • Ingredients in descending order by weight
  • Net weight or volume
  • Business name and address
  • Allergen declaration, if applicable

Scan for the full Pennsylvania guide: product-by-product rules, label details, and official sources.

your-site.netlify.app/cottage-food-laws/pennsylvania/

Created by Mendocino Food Consulting (mendocinofoodconsulting.com). Food science questions about your product? Book a call: calendly.com/mendocinofoodconsulting. We are food scientists, not attorneys.

General information only, not legal advice, and no warranty that it is complete or current. Quick facts come from 50-state trackers; product rules come from the state sources listed in the full guide. Cities and counties may add their own rules, and selling across state lines can bring in federal FDA requirements. Confirm with your state agency or local health department before selling. Last reviewed October 2026.

Free to print and share. Read the full Pennsylvania guide

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