Guide
North Carolina cottage food law for home bakers
What a home baker in North Carolina needs before the first sale: Home Processor inspection, the sales cap, online orders, delivery, and the exact label line, each with its source.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked source for your state before you sell. Last reviewed September 5, 2026.
The short version
North Carolina inspects the home kitchen before she sells, for free, issues no permit, and sets no sales cap. Online orders, pickup, delivery and sales to shops are all open once the inspection is done.
The application takes eight to twelve weeks, and a household pet in the home is a no.
Registering
The rule is administered by North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; the guide reads North Carolina Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; NCDA&CS Food Program, home processing.
She applies to the Department's Food Program; an inspector visits, leaves a report and a Notice of Inspection, and charges nothing. Plan on eight to twelve weeks. The home must be free of pests including privately owned pets, and a private well needs a coliform and E. coli test from the last year.
Where you can sell, and whether online counts
Once inspected she may sell direct, at markets, online, and to retail stores and restaurants. Labels are required on anything packaged for self-service, sold wholesale or sent by USPS or FedEx, and not on a product handed straight to the customer. The page does not spell out shipping inside the state or across the line; ask the Food Program before you rely on either.
What goes on the label
No required home-kitchen sentence. Product name, her name and address, net weight in ounces and grams, and the full ingredient list with every major allergen named.
No home-processing sentence is required
- The product name
- Her name and address
- Net weight in ounces or pounds with the gram equivalent
- Ingredients in descending order by weight, with every major allergen by its common name or in a Contains line
What you can bake and sell
Baked goods that hold at room temperature. Cream and cream cheese fillings and cheesecakes need a different kind of kitchen.
- Allowed: Baked goods that do not need refrigeration
- Not allowed: Bakery products with cream or cream cheese fillings, and cheesecakes
The sales cap
North Carolina sets no cap on cottage food sales.
Work out how much room you have left this year with the cottage food sales cap checker.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register to sell cottage food in North Carolina?
Yes, North Carolina requires registration before the first sale. A home kitchen inspection before the first sale; no permit is issued, she keeps the inspection report and the Notice of Inspection. Fee: Free.
Has the cottage food sales cap in North Carolina changed over time?
no cap from January 1, 2000.
Can I take orders online in North Carolina?
Yes, you can take orders online. You can hand an order over in person or send it anywhere inside the state.
Can I deliver or ship cottage food in North Carolina?
Delivery is allowed. The rule does not address shipping inside the state.
What does my North Carolina cottage food label need to say?
The label must include: The product name, Her name and address, Net weight in ounces or pounds with the gram equivalent, Ingredients in descending order by weight, with every major allergen by its common name or in a Contains line.
Sources
- NCDA&CS Food Program: Home Processorncagr.gov
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