Guide
Pennsylvania cottage food law for home bakers
What a home baker in Pennsylvania needs before the first sale: Limited Food Establishment registration, 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
Pennsylvania registers home kitchens as Limited Food Establishments for $35 a year after a plan review and an inspection, sets no sales cap, and allows internet sales from the kitchen. A market or event stall may need a Retail Food Facility License on top.
Because the kitchen is inspected, there is no not-inspected sentence on the label, whatever the internet says.
Registering
The rule is administered by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; the guide reads Pennsylvania Food Safety Act; Department of Agriculture Limited Food Establishment program.
Check local zoning first, then file the application, a business plan and the fee at least sixty days before opening; the Department reviews the plan within fifteen business days and inspects the kitchen before approval, and on a routine basis after. Registration is $35 and the renewal is $35 a year.
Where you can sell, and whether online counts
The registration covers direct sales from the kitchen including internet sales, and wholesale. Selling across the state line, which the Department counts internet sales as when the buyer is elsewhere, brings federal registration with the FDA. Delivery and shipping inside the state are not addressed; ask your regional office.
What goes on the label
Five things: the product name, her name and address, the ingredients in descending order, the allergen declaration and the net weight or unit count. The packet notes some labeling exemptions for baked goods sold direct.
Pennsylvania inspects a Limited Food Establishment, so there is no not-inspected sentence to print; several websites list one and the Department's own packet does not
- The product name
- Her name and address as the manufacturer
- Ingredients in descending order by weight
- The allergen declaration when one applies
- Net weight or unit count
What you can bake and sell
Only foods that stay safe without refrigeration once finished. A jam, salsa or hot sauce needs a laboratory test before registration; a cream-filled cake is out.
- Allowed: Baked goods and other foods that do not need refrigeration once finished
- Not allowed: Anything potentially hazardous: cream or custard fillings, cheesecake; acidified foods need a laboratory test first
The sales cap
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Yes, Pennsylvania requires registration before the first sale. Registration as a Limited Food Establishment, with a business plan and a home inspection before approval, filed at least sixty days before she opens. The fee is $35. $35, and $35 at each annual renewal.
Has the cottage food sales cap in Pennsylvania changed over time?
no cap from January 1, 2000.
Can I take orders online in Pennsylvania?
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 Pennsylvania?
The rule does not address delivery. The rule does not address shipping inside the state.
What does my Pennsylvania cottage food label need to say?
The label must include: The product name, Her name and address as the manufacturer, Ingredients in descending order by weight, The allergen declaration when one applies, Net weight or unit count.
Sources
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