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Colorado: the home-kitchen movement

Cottage food (restricted) Cottage food law

Colorado's Cottage Foods Act (C.R.S. 25-4-1614) exempts home producers from licensure and inspection for shelf-stable foods sold direct to consumers — and the 2026 'Tamale Act' (HB26-1033, signed June 4, 2026, taking effect January 1, 2027) massively expands it: refrigerated foods like tamales, burritos, and tortas (plus meat) become legal from home kitchens, the sales cap jumps from $10,000 to $150,000 per year, and producers must register annually with the state health department.

Where it stands

HB26-1033, the 'Tamale Act,' signed by the Governor on June 4, 2026 (2026 Session Laws, Ch. 375; sponsors Reps. Ryan Gonzalez and Monica Duran, Sens. Robert Rodriguez and Byron Pelton) — STATUS: became law 6/4/2026; main provisions begin January 1, 2027 per the official CDPHE cottage foods page ('The Tamale Bill HB26-1033 was passed. It begins January 1, 2027.'). The act: (1) allows sale of packaged foods requiring time and temperature control for safety (tamales, burritos, tortas — one type, up to 5 products) and meat/meat products; (2) raises the annual sales cap from $10,000 to $150,000 per calendar year, adjusted annually for inflation (Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CPI), with an anti-circumvention clause; (3) requires annual registration with CDPHE before selling, a state-issued registration number printed on every label, and a publicly accessible electronic registry updated monthly; (4) requires a time-and-temperature-control food-safety course for refrigerated-food producers, sets transport limits (one transport, ≤2 hours at safe holding temps) and bans pre-sale cooling/reheating; (5) authorizes fines up to $100/violation and up to $1,000 investigation-cost recovery; three violations in 12 months bars the producer from selling temperature-controlled foods. No other 2024–2026 changes to the Colorado Cottage Foods Act were verified from primary sources.

Residents can find and support local kitchens through the Colorado hub — browse kitchens, read the law guide, and see what is cooking near you.

Read the full Colorado law guide →

Cottage food fight in Colorado

5 supporter(s) and 0 opposition entr(ies) on this page carry this track tag — see Supporters / Opposition below.

• 2026 — HB26-1033 — the Tamale Act (cottage expansion)
  HB26-1033, the 'Tamale Act' (signed June 4, 2026; main provisions January 1, 2027), is a cottage food expansion: it allows packaged time/temperature-control foods (tamales, burritos, tortas) and meat products, and raises the annual sales cap from $10,000 to $150,000 (CPI-adjusted), with annual CDPHE registration. Source

How we got here

• 2026 — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
  HB26-1033, the 'Tamale Act,' signed by the Governor on June 4, 2026 (2026 Session Laws, Ch. Source
• — Cottage food law
  Ryan Gonzalez and Monica Duran, Sens. Source
• 2026 — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
  Robert Rodriguez and Byron Pelton) — STATUS: became law 6/4/2026; main provisions begin January 1, 2027 per the official CDPHE cottage foods page ('The Tamale Bill HB26-1033 was passed. Source
• 2027 — Cottage food law
  It begins January 1, 2027.'). Source
• 2026 — HB26-1033 — the Tamale Act (cottage expansion) Cottage food fight
  HB26-1033, the 'Tamale Act' (signed June 4, 2026; main provisions January 1, 2027), is a cottage food expansion: it allows packaged time/temperature-control foods (tamales, burritos, tortas) and meat products, and raises the annual sales cap from $10,000 to $150,000 (CPI-adjusted), with annual CDPHE registration. Source

Supporters

On the public record supporting home kitchens in Colorado.

Opposition

No on-record opposition has been verified for this state yet.

The deciders

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee — official record

Contact the deciders

A pre-written letter in Colorado's own terminology. The buttons open it in your email — addressed by you to the office above. Nothing sends until you press send.

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