Start a Home Kitchen in Delaware

The steps, the costs, where to apply, and how to get inspection-ready — in Delaware's own program terms.

Cottage food law

Sales cap: No sales cap — the Cottage Food Regulations set no gross-sales limit (no cap provision found in 16 DE Admin. Code 4458A).

Allowed foods: Allowed: only non-time/temperature-controlled-for-safety (non-TCS) foods on the Division's approved list — traditional baked goods (cakes, breads, cookies, rolls, muffins, brownies, fruit pies, pastries); jams, jellies and other fruit preserves; candy products (fudge, lollipops, chocolates, tortes, hard candy, rock candy). Not allowed: anything TCS (foods needing refrigeration), bakery items with TCS components (cream, custard, meat fillings), fresh dairy, canned or pickled/acidified products, and any product containing cannabis.

🥧 Cottage track in Delaware

🥧 Cottage Food — Shelf-Stable Cottage food law — the shelf-stable track: preorder / pickup, never reservations.

Prohibited foods: anything TCS (foods needing refrigeration), bakery items with TCS components (cream, custard, meat fillings), fresh dairy, canned or pickled/acidified products, and any product containing cannabis.

Sales cap (cottage track): No sales cap — the Cottage Food Regulations set no gross-sales limit (no cap provision found in 16 DE Admin. Code 4458A).

Labeling (from the published steps):

Assemble the application: owner info, product list with ingredients plus example labels, kitchen floor plan with appliances and storage areas, and venues where products will be sold
Label every product: CFE name, product name, 'town/city, Delaware', phone or email, net weight or unit count, production date or lot number, ingredients by weight, allergens, and the statement 'This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections'

Where you may sell (from the published rules):

Delaware direct sales only — no online sales, no wholesale, no out-of-state sales (early-2027 proposal would change this)
Pass the pre-operational home-kitchen inspection, then sell direct to Delaware consumers at farmers markets and approved venues only — no online or wholesale sales (expansion coming in the proposed early-2027 update)

🌮 Street track in Delaware

🌮 Street Food — Sidewalk & Mobile

Street and mobile vendors do not cook from home kitchens — a different permit stack, and walk-up sales only.

No distinct street-vendor (sidewalk / mobile) regime is documented in Delaware's published data on this site yet — mobile food is permitted separately from home kitchens; check with the local health department.

The permit steps

Complete an Office of Food Protection-approved food-safety course (e.g., ServSafe; course certificate required with application)
Assemble the application: owner info, product list with ingredients plus example labels, kitchen floor plan with appliances and storage areas, and venues where products will be sold
Private well? Attach satisfactory chemical/bacteriological water analysis (within 60 days) and DNREC sewage approval; public water and sewer need nothing further
Submit application to the DHSS Division of Public Health (Office of Food Protection) with the $30 annual registration fee (registration year April 1–March 31)
Pass the pre-operational home-kitchen inspection; the Division then adds you to the Delaware State Registry of Cottage Food Establishments
Label every product: CFE name, product name, 'town/city, Delaware', phone or email, net weight or unit count, production date or lot number, ingredients by weight, allergens, and the statement 'This food is made in a Cottage Food Establishment and is NOT subject to routine Government Food Safety Inspections'
Renew annually with a new application and fee; display the registration certificate at every venue; Delaware direct sales only — no online sales, no wholesale, no out-of-state sales (early-2027 proposal would change this)

How it works, start to finish

Pick only shelf-stable, non-TCS products (baked goods, jams/jellies, candy) — no refrigerated, meat, dairy, canned/pickled, or cannabis items.
Complete a food-safety course approved by the Office of Food Protection (ServSafe, Delaware DineSafe, or UD Cooperative Extension training).
Prepare your application: business details, full product list with ingredients and sample labels, a kitchen floor plan, and the venues where you will sell.
If you have a private well, get a satisfactory water test (within 60 days) and sewage approval; public water needs nothing further.
Submit the application plus the $30 annual fee to the Division of Public Health, Office of Food Protection.
Pass the pre-operational home-kitchen inspection, then sell direct to Delaware consumers at farmers markets and approved venues only — no online or wholesale sales (expansion coming in the proposed early-2027 update).
Renew every year (April 1–March 31 cycle) and display your registration certificate at each sales venue.

Where to apply in Delaware

Official sources — start with the agency or department that runs Delaware's program:

Inspection prep (general)

General prep that applies in most programs — your law guide and health department have the specifics for Delaware:

Write your standard operating procedures: foods handled, prep methods, cleaning schedule, refuse disposal, and your time/temperature control plan.
Complete the food safety training your program requires and keep the certificate where an inspector can see it.
Have a calibrated food thermometer, proper cold storage, and labels that meet your program's rules.
Keep pets out of the kitchen during production, and separate household and business ingredients.

Read the full Delaware law guide → · Check your eligibility → · Ask the guide about Delaware →

🎓 Training & money help in Delaware

Links verified from the state's official sources and movement research — confirm current program details with the provider.