Showing ordinances that apply to Ramapo College of New Jersey, NJ
Ramapo College of New Jersey is an unincorporated community (population 2,200) in Bergen County, New Jersey. Because Ramapo College of New Jersey is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bergen County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The cottage food operations rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Bergen County cottage food operations are permitted under NJ's Home Baker License law (N.J.A.C. 8:24-11, effective October 2021). Operators must obtain a Home Baker License from the NJ Department of Health. Sales limited to $50,000 annually. Products must be shelf-stable (no refrigeration required). Only direct-to-consumer sales; no wholesale.
New Jersey was the last state in the U.S. to legalize cottage food operations, finally enacting the Home Baker License law at N.J.A.C. 8:24-11 effective October 4, 2021, following the Heather Russinko v. Jefferson Township case. The law permits home baking of non-potentially hazardous baked goods with the following requirements: $100 Home Baker License from the NJ Department of Health (renewable annually), limited to $50,000 annual gross sales, only direct-to-consumer sales allowed (farmers markets, home pickup, event sales), no delivery via third-party platforms like Uber Eats or DoorDash, no wholesale or restaurant sales, no online sales with mail shipment. Permitted products include cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, breads, pastries, and other shelf-stable baked goods. Prohibited: items requiring refrigeration, custards, cream-filled pastries, cheesecakes, meat products, canned goods, fermented foods. Labeling requirements under N.J.A.C. 8:24-11.5 include business name, address, ingredients list with allergen disclosure (FDA 'Big 9': milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame), net weight, and the disclaimer 'Made in a home kitchen and not inspected by the Department of Health.' No commercial kitchen or health inspection required. Bergen County operators may still need municipal zoning approval as home occupation; most Bergen towns (Hackensack, Paramus, Teaneck, Fort Lee, Ridgewood) permit home bakers as home occupations with registration. Federal Cottage Food tax considerations: income over $400 requires Schedule C on Form 1040.
Operating without Home Baker License: cease and desist under N.J.A.C. 8:24-11 plus fines $100-$500 per day. Selling non-permitted foods: immediate stop plus potential health code violation $500-$5,000. Exceeding $50,000 revenue: commercial kitchen requirement plus back-licensing fees. Labeling violations: warnings then fines $100-$300. Third-party platform sales: license revocation. Home occupation zoning violations: municipal fines $100-$1,000.
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