Washington lets you sell certain homemade shelf-stable foods from a Whatcom County kitchen under a WSDA Cottage Food Operation Permit. Unlike many states, Washington requires a home-kitchen inspection, caps gross sales at $35,000 a year, and allows only direct sales to the consumer.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture runs the cottage food program statewide under RCW 69.22 and WAC 16-149, so the rules are the same in Whatcom County as anywhere in Washington. Permitted products are not potentially hazardous, shelf-stable items like breads, cookies, jams, and candies. A permit is required, your home kitchen is inspected before approval, and gross sales are capped at $35,000 per year. Sales must be direct to the consumer; Washington does not allow shipping cottage foods by mail or courier, or wholesaling to stores. Every product needs a label with ingredients, allergens, and the required home-kitchen statement.
Selling potentially hazardous foods, skipping the permit or inspection, shipping by mail, or exceeding the $35,000 cap strips the exemption and can trigger full WSDA food-establishment permitting and enforcement.
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See how Whatcom County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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