Home Kitchen Laws in District of Columbia

Home kitchen laws in District of Columbia

The plain-English guide to selling food from home in District of Columbia.

Which laws apply

Cottage food law
Microenterprise home kitchen (MEHKO-style)

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 — shelf-stable foods in District of Columbia

🥧 Cottage Food — Shelf-Stable Cottage food law — the shelf-stable track in District of Columbia: foods are made at home and sold by preorder / pickup, not as restaurant-style 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 rules (from the published permit 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 sales are allowed (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 — sidewalk & mobile vendors in District of Columbia

🌮 Street Food — Sidewalk & Mobile

Street and mobile vendors do not cook from home kitchens — they sell in public places under different permits, and on this site they are walk-up only (no bookings).

Sales caps

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.

Permit steps

Obtain a Home Occupancy Permit from the DC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Obtain a nationally accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification plus a DC-issued CFPM ID card from DC Health.
If selling by weight, get proof of calibrated scale from the DLCP Office of Weights and Measures.
Submit the Cottage Food Registry Application to DC Health (via the Division of Food Safety Portal); a pre-operational inspection may be required.
Receive your Cottage Food Business Registration Certificate and ID number. Registration fee: $50 for 2 years (per DC Health FAQ).
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 to start in District of Columbia

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.

Recent changes

D.C. Law 26-7 (Certificate of Need Improvement Amendment Act of 2025), effective June 10, 2025: amended D.C. Code § 7-742.01(3) to add 'wholesale to licensed food establishments' to cottage food sales channels — cottage food businesses may now sell wholesale to restaurants and other food retailers within DC. D.C. Law 26-27 (Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025), effective August 23, 2025: centralizes farmers market permitting at DC Health, creates a grant program and fee waivers for markets in low-food-access areas, and requires a centralized online application portal by January 2028 (a key sales venue for cottage food vendors). Pending: B26-0370 (Vending Compliance and Modernization Amendment Act of 2025, Mayor's bill, introduced Sept 25, 2025) and B26-0332 (Vending Modernization Amendment Act of 2025) — both heard by the Committee on Public Works and Operations on Feb 24, 2026 and still in committee; they address vending enforcement/licensing, which affects MEHK vendors. Earlier: D.C. Law 23-61 (Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act of 2019), effective 2020, removed the $25,000 cap, allowed all direct sales, and made pre-operational inspections discretionary; D.C. Law 25-21 (Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act of 2023) created the MEHK permit.

Official sources

Start a home kitchen in District of Columbia → · Check your eligibility → · Compare states →

Not legal advice. Rules change — confirm everything with District of Columbia's health department before selling.