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Start a home kitchen in District of Columbia

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

Cottage food law Microenterprise home kitchen (MEHKO-style)

Sales cap: No sales cap. The original $25,000 annual revenue cap was repealed by the Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Law 23-61). The MEHK statute (D.C. Code § 7-742.12) sets no revenue cap. No scheduled future cap changes found in primary sources.

Allowed foods: Cottage food — Allowed: only non-TCS (non-potentially-hazardous) foods on DC Health's approved list (25-K DCMR 103.5): baked goods without cream/custard/cheese/meat fillings, unfilled baked donuts, waffle cones, pizzelles, roasted coffee, cakes, cereals/trail mixes/granola, candies, pastries/pies/brownies/cookies/tortillas, snacks (caramel corn, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, pretzels, seeds, popcorn), fruit pies/empanadas/tamales, jams/jellies/syrups/marmalades/preserves, honey and honeycomb (requires DOEE beekeeping registration), dried pasta, dry herbs/seasonings, dry tea blends, dry baking mixes, vinegar and flavored vinegars. Not allowed: meat and poultry (TCS), canned fruit/vegetables/salsas, fruit or pumpkin butters, dehydrated meat/poultry, pressed juices, alcohol, pet treats, acidified or low-acid canned foods, reduced-oxygen or hermetically sealed packaging. MEHK — Allowed: fully cooked foods including meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables; washed raw fruits/vegetables (whole or chopped); other TCS foods cooked to required temperatures; bakery items needing no further cooking. Not allowed: raw sprouts; raw cookie dough; canned pickled products; milk/dairy products (incl. cheeses, ice cream, yogurt) and unpasteurized-milk cheese; mushrooms; garlic/vegetable-in-oil mixtures; jerky/dried meat products; sugar-free preserves; alcohol-infused, cannabis, CBD, kava, or kratom products; anything requiring a HACCP plan; food manufacturing; catering.

🥧 Cottage track in District of Columbia

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

Allowed foods: only non-TCS (non-potentially-hazardous) foods on DC Health's approved list (25-K DCMR 103.5): baked goods without cream/custard/cheese/meat fillings, unfilled baked donuts, waffle cones, pizzelles, roasted coffee, cakes, cereals/trail mixes/granola, candies, pastries/pies/brownies/cookies/tortillas, snacks (caramel corn, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, pretzels, seeds, popcorn), fruit pies/empanadas/tamales, jams/jellies/syrups/marmalades/preserves, honey and honeycomb (requires DOEE beekeeping registration), dried pasta, dry herbs/seasonings, dry tea blends, dry baking mixes, vinegar and flavored vinegars.

Prohibited foods: meat and poultry (TCS), canned fruit/vegetables/salsas, fruit or pumpkin butters, dehydrated meat/poultry, pressed juices, alcohol, pet treats, acidified or low-acid canned foods, reduced-oxygen or hermetically sealed packaging.

Sales cap (cottage track): No sales cap. The original $25,000 annual revenue cap was repealed by the Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Law 23-61). The MEHK statute (D.C. Code § 7-742.12) sets no revenue cap. No scheduled future cap changes found in primary sources.

Labeling (from the published steps):

  • Receive your certificate/ID number (cottage food) or permit (MEHK), label products per § 7-742.02(c), and start selling within DC — direct, retail, online, and (since June 2025) wholesale to licensed food establishments for cottage food

Where you may sell (from the published rules):

  • File your application with DC Health — the Cottage Food Registry Application (online portal) or, for MEHK, the Microenterprise Home Kitchen permit application (via food.safety@dc.gov) with written standard operating procedures
  • Receive your certificate/ID number (cottage food) or permit (MEHK), label products per § 7-742.02(c), and start selling within DC — direct, retail, online, and (since June 2025) wholesale to licensed food establishments for cottage food

🌮 Street track in District of Columbia

🌮 Street Food — Sidewalk & Mobile

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

  • For MEHK: additionally submit written standard operating procedures (food handling/storage, cleaning, refuse, temperature-control plans), pass an in-home inspection, and obtain the MEHK permit from DC Health (email food.safety@dc.gov); operators must also be eligible for a vending site permit under Title 37, Chapter 1A and sell in approved street vending zones.
  • in approved street vending zones for MEHK

The permit steps

  1. Obtain a Home Occupancy Permit from the DC Department of Buildings (DOB).
  2. Obtain a nationally accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification plus a DC-issued CFPM ID card from DC Health.
  3. If selling by weight, get proof of calibrated scale from the DLCP Office of Weights and Measures.
  4. Submit the Cottage Food Registry Application to DC Health (via the Division of Food Safety Portal); a pre-operational inspection may be required.
  5. Receive your Cottage Food Business Registration Certificate and ID number. Registration fee: $50 for 2 years (per DC Health FAQ).
  6. For MEHK: additionally submit written standard operating procedures (food handling/storage, cleaning, refuse, temperature-control plans), pass an in-home inspection, and obtain the MEHK permit from DC Health (email food.safety@dc.gov); operators must also be eligible for a vending site permit under Title 37, Chapter 1A and sell in approved street vending zones.

How it works, start to finish

  1. Decide your lane: shelf-stable cottage foods (baked goods, jams, candies) vs. ready-to-eat hot meals (MEHK).
  2. Get a Home Occupancy Permit from the DC Department of Buildings.
  3. Earn a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification and get the DC-issued CFPM ID card from DC Health.
  4. If selling by weight, have your scale calibrated by the DLCP Office of Weights and Measures.
  5. File your application with DC Health — the Cottage Food Registry Application (online portal) or, for MEHK, the Microenterprise Home Kitchen permit application (via food.safety@dc.gov) with written standard operating procedures.
  6. Pass any required pre-operational/in-home inspection by DC Health.
  7. Receive your certificate/ID number (cottage food) or permit (MEHK), label products per § 7-742.02(c), and start selling within DC — direct, retail, online, and (since June 2025) wholesale to licensed food establishments for cottage food; in approved street vending zones for MEHK.
  8. Renew registration every 2 years ($50) and keep CFPM certification current.

Where to apply in District of Columbia

Official sources — start with the agency or department that runs District of Columbia's program:

Inspection prep (general)

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

  • 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 District of Columbia law guide → · Check your eligibility → · Ask the guide about District of Columbia →

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