Cottage food quick guide · Last reviewed October 2026
Selling homemade food in Virginia
- Sales cap
- No cap; $9,000 for acidified foods
- Permit or registration
- None
- Online & shipping
- Phone, online, and mail within Virginia
- Sell through stores
- No stores, restaurants, or resale
- Refrigerated foods
- No; pickles and acidified salsa allowed up to $9,000 a year
Allowed from a home kitchen
Sourdough bread · Cookies & brownies · Fruit pie · Strawberry jam · Shelf-stable salsa · Hot sauce · Canned pickles · Granola · Spice rubs & seasoning blends · Roasted coffee · Loose-leaf tea blends · Dried fruit & fruit leather · Freeze-dried candy · Chocolates & truffles · Toffee, fudge & caramels · Marshmallows · Pure honey · Fruit-infused vinegar
Needs a commercial kitchen or other license
Pumpkin pie · Cheesecake · Cake with cream cheese frosting · Meat tamales · Low-sugar or freezer jam · Pepper jelly · Fresh salsa (refrigerated) · Sauerkraut & kimchi · Canned tomato sauce · Infused honey · Vanilla extract · 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 · Nut butter · 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
- Check that the product is on Virginia's exempt list and doesn't need refrigeration. VDACS may review the recipe or ask for lab tests.
- No permit, inspection, or fee is needed for exempt products made in your own home.
- Pickles and acidified vegetables need a finished pH of 4.6 or below (use an electronic meter) and are capped at $9,000 a year in sales.
- Sell only to Virginia consumers, in person, by phone, or online, and deliver in person, by mail, or by delivery service.
- Label every product.
Key label items
Use the exact required wording shown in the full guide and on the agency's site.
- “NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION”
- Name, physical address or P.O. box, and phone number
- Date processed
- Product name and net weight
- Ingredients and sub-ingredients
- Honey only: “PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION. WARNING: Do Not Feed Honey to Infants Under One Year Old.”