Cottage food labels: what each state requires, plus a free template
If there's one thing every cottage food law agrees on, it's the label. Even states that ask for no permit and no registration still want a label that tells buyers who made the food and that it came from a home kitchen. A few states go further and fix the exact sentence, word for word.
Here's what each state asks for, and a template that covers the common ground.
The template
Most states want some version of these, in roughly this order:
- Product name ("Country Sourdough Loaf")
- Your name or business name, and your address (or a state ID number, where allowed)
- Ingredients, from most to least by weight
- Allergens (wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame, fish, shellfish)
- Net weight (Florida and Missouri's market-stand path ask for it)
- Date it was made (required in Arizona, in Colorado, and in Texas for refrigerated foods)
- Your state's required statement, exactly as written below
The required statement, state by state
| State | The sentence (copy it exactly where it's fixed) | Other must-haves |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | "THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION." | Name, address or DSHS ID number. Refrigerated foods also need the date made and a safe-handling statement in at least 12-point type |
| Florida | "Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations." In at least 10-point type, in a color that contrasts with the label | Name and address, product name, ingredients by weight, net weight or volume, allergens |
| Arizona | "This product was produced in a home kitchen that may come in contact with common food allergens and pet allergens and is not subject to public health inspection." | Name and ADHS registration number, ingredients, production date, and the ADHS website line. Online listings need all of it too |
| Colorado | "This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale." | Product name, your name, address and phone or email, production date, ingredients. A shorter sign at the point of sale. From 2027, a registration number and county replace the address |
| Oklahoma | Through Oct 31, 2026: "This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from government licensing and inspection." From Nov 1, 2026: "This product was produced in a facility that is exempt from government licensing and inspection." | Name and phone, address (or ODAFF registration number), description, ingredients, allergens, at least 10-point font. Online sales show it on the webpage |
| Missouri | No fixed wording. The label must say the food isn't inspected by the state or local health department | Name and address. Market stands under the Food Code also need the product name, ingredients and net weight |
The full details and official sources are in each state guide.
A few things that trip people up
- Fixed means fixed. In Texas, Florida, Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma, a paraphrase isn't good enough. Copy the sentence exactly.
- Online counts. Arizona and Oklahoma want the label information on the page where people order, not just on the package (a photo of your label works in Arizona).
- Dates change things. Oklahoma's sentence changes on November 1, 2026, and Colorado's address rule changes on January 1, 2027. If you print labels in bulk, don't print too far ahead!
- Allergens are worth listing even where they aren't required. It's what buyers look for first.
Making labels without the headache
This is the part I built the Label maker for. With Coop+, you save a recipe once (ingredients, allergens, net weight) and Coop prints labels with your shop name and your state's required sentence already on them. It works on regular paper or label sheets, and it fits everything on the label for you.
There's a step-by-step lesson for it here, and your listings on Coop can show the same statement to buyers before they order.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your state's current label rules before you print.
Cole Coleman, founder of Coop
Find it near you
The cities with the most listings on Coop.
- Homemade baked goods near Dallas, TX322 listings
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