Selling homemade non-hazardous foods from a Pierce County home requires a Washington Cottage Food Operation permit from the state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) under RCW 69.22 and Chapter 16-149 WAC, with a $35,000 annual gross sales cap.
In Pierce County, home food businesses are licensed at the state level. Chapter 16-149 WAC implements RCW 69.22 and requires that all cottage food operations be permitted every two years by WSDA. A cottage food operation is a person who produces cottage food products - non-potentially-hazardous baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, and preserves - only in the home kitchen of their primary Washington residence and only for direct sale to the consumer. Before permitting, WSDA reviews recipes and labels and inspects the home kitchen, and the operator must hold a valid food worker card. Gross sales are capped at $35,000 per calendar year. The home kitchen must still comply with Pierce County home-occupation zoning under PCC 18A.37.110.
Selling cottage foods without a WSDA permit, or exceeding the allowed product list or the $35,000 annual sales cap, violates RCW 69.22 and Chapter 16-149 WAC and can lead WSDA to deny, suspend, or revoke the permit and pursue enforcement.
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