Auburn, WA Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

What is a Cottage Food Permit? A Cottage Food Permit allows a resident of Washington state to make food that is not potentially hazardous such as baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters, dry spice blends, or dry tea blends in their primary residential kitchen. Click here to get an overview of the Cottage Foods Permit Cottage Food Facts The application fee is $355 and is nonrefundable after it is received by our office ​Verify that your food products are allowed before you submit an application The permit is valid for two years from the date of issuance A Cottage Food Permit must be issued before you sell your product The permit is valid only for the person applying and their primary domestic residence identified on the application If you move you must submit a new application with the fee On average, the application process takes 6-8 weeks from the time a complete application is received by our office and when the permit is issued Your products can only be sold directly to the consumer and not wholesale (resold by somebody else). For information about selling a food product wholesale, please visit the Food Processors page. The maximum number of products allowed is 50 master products. A product can have a variation(s) and still be counted as one product. Gross sales of Cottage Food products may not exceed $35,000 annually Check with your city and county about zoning ordinances and municipal laws that apply to conducting a business from your home All information included in the application is subject to the Washington State Public Records Act, including recipes, so do not submit recipes with your application Click here for more useful links regarding Cottage Food permits Click here for Inspection Criteria to pass a Cottage Food Inspection