District of Columbia: the home-kitchen movement
Permit program (home meals) Cottage food law · Microenterprise home kitchen (MEHKO-style)
DC runs two home-kitchen regimes, both administered by the DC Department of Health: a cottage food program for shelf-stable (non-TCS) foods (D.C. Code §§ 7-742.01–7-742.03) and a Microenterprise Home Kitchen (MEHK) permit for ready-to-eat hot meals sold from vending carts in approved street vending zones (D.C. Code §§ 7-742.11–7-742.12). There is no food freedom act and no local opt-in — DC is a single District-wide jurisdiction.
Status, history, and administering agency are verified from the state law guide's primary sources. Supporter/opposition research for this state is still in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.
Where it stands
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.
Residents can find and support local kitchens through the District of Columbia hub — browse kitchens, read the law guide, and see what is cooking near you.
Cottage food fight in District of Columbia
- 2019 — D.C. Law 23-61 — Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act
D.C. Law 23-61, the Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act of 2019 (effective 2020), removed the $25,000 cap, allowed all direct sales, and made pre-operational inspections discretionary. Source - — Cottage food law
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. Source
Street vendor fight in District of Columbia
- 2023 — D.C. Law 25-21 — Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act
D.C. Law 25-21, the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act of 2023, created the Microenterprise Home Kitchen (MEHK) permit for ready-to-eat hot meals sold from vending carts in approved street vending zones. Source - 2025 — Cottage food law
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. Source
How we got here
- 2025 — Cottage food law
Law 26-7 (Certificate of Need Improvement Amendment Act of 2025), effective June 10, 2025: amended D.C. Source - — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
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. Source - 2025 — Cottage food law
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). Source - 2025 — Cottage food law Street vendor fight
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. Source - 2019 — D.C. Law 23-61 — Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act Cottage food fight
D.C. Law 23-61, the Cottage Food Expansion Amendment Act of 2019 (effective 2020), removed the $25,000 cap, allowed all direct sales, and made pre-operational inspections discretionary. Source - 2023 — D.C. Law 25-21 — Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act Street vendor fight
D.C. Law 25-21, the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act of 2023, created the Microenterprise Home Kitchen (MEHK) permit for ready-to-eat hot meals sold from vending carts in approved street vending zones. Source
Supporters
Supporter research for this state is in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.
Opposition
No on-record opposition has been verified for this state yet.
The deciders
Governor
Office of the Governor of District of Columbia (name not yet verified in this research pass)
Contact the deciders
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