Last verified 2026-09-12. Regulator: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Virginia?
A Virginia cottage food label must show these 6 items:
- The name of the person who prepared the food product
- The physical address or post office box number of the person who prepared the food product
- The telephone number of the person who prepared the food product
- The date the food product was processed
- The statement: "NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION."
- The label goes on the principal display panel. If the package is too small to carry the label, sell the product with a sign that shows the same items.
What disclaimer must a Virginia cottage food label have?
Yes. A Virginia cottage food label must carry this statement, word for word:
NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION.
Does Virginia require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
No. Virginia does not require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food. Federal rules also exempt most small producers, unless the label makes a nutrient or health claim. If you want to add one, the Nutrition Label Maker prints it in the FDA layout for free.
What foods can you sell under the Virginia cottage food law?
Candies, jams and jellies that are not low-acid or acidified low-acid, dried fruits, dry herbs, dry seasonings, dry mixtures, coated and uncoated nuts, vinegars and flavored vinegars, popcorn, popcorn balls, cotton candy, dried pasta, dry baking mixes, roasted coffee, dried tea, cereals, trail mixes, granola, and baked goods. The product must not need time or temperature control after preparation. Separate exemptions cover pickles and other acidified vegetables with an equilibrium pH of 4.6 or lower, and honey from the resident's own hives.
Where can you sell cottage food in Virginia?
Sales at any location, through the internet, or by phone, to an individual in the Commonwealth for that person's own consumption. Delivery in person, by mail, or by delivery service. No resale, no consignment, and no sales to retail food establishments. Advertising on the internet is allowed.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Virginia?
No permit, no inspection, and no inspection fee. A private home that meets the exception in subsection C is exempt. VDACS may still inspect the home if it receives a consumer complaint.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Virginia?
No cap on the candy, dry goods, and baked goods list. Pickles and other acidified vegetables are capped at $9,000 in gross sales in a calendar year. Honey is capped at less than 250 gallons a year.
What else should you know about the Virginia rules?
Virginia has no cottage food program with a registration list. The rules are an exemption from the inspection and permit law. Internet sales and internet advertising are both allowed, but the buyer must be an individual in Virginia who buys for personal use. Honey sellers use a different statement: “PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION. WARNING: Do Not Feed Honey to Infants Under One Year Old.” The statute does not list ingredients, allergens, or net weight as required items. Local zoning and local business licence rules still apply.
How accurate is this page?
The label items, the allowed foods, the sales channels, the caps, and the permit exemption were read from Code of Virginia section 3.2-5130 on 2026-09-12. The agency page read the same day was the VDACS Food and Beverage Manufacturing page, which links to the same statute. VDACS has no separate cottage food page. Federal allergen labelling under the FDA rules is not addressed by the statute and is not confirmed here.