What has to be on a cottage food label?

Most states require the product name, your business name and address, the ingredient list in descending order by weight, the net weight, an allergen declaration, and a specific “home kitchen / not inspected” disclaimer — often at a legally mandated minimum font size. The exact wording and size differ by state.

Does the disclaimer wording matter?

Yes. Many states mandate verbatim wording and a minimum point size (for example California requires “Made in a Home Kitchen” at 12-point). Using another state's wording or a smaller size can fail inspection. CottageCompliance inserts the exact statutory text for your state.

Is this legal advice?

No. CottageCompliance provides general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.

Cottage food labels · 10 states covered

The label that passes inspection — written for your state.

Every state mandates a different “home kitchen” disclaimer, at a different font size, with different required fields. Pick your state, fill in your recipe, and get a print-ready label with the exact statutory wording, ingredients ordered by weight, and allergens declared automatically.

Build my label — free preview →

No account. No download to try it. Sources cited and dated for every state.

Exact wording, exact size

We store each state's verbatim disclaimer and its legally required minimum point size — CA's 12-pt “Made in a Home Kitchen”, Florida's 10-pt contrasting-color line, and more.

Ingredients & allergens, done right

Ingredients are reordered by weight (the near-universal rule) and the 9 major FDA allergens are detected and declared in a “Contains:” line.

Honest about the law

Where a state imposes no disclaimer (e.g. North Carolina, Pennsylvania), we say so instead of inventing one. Each rule is dated and sourced.

Build your compliant label

Your state Product name Business / producer name Address of the operation

Permit / registration no. (if your state requires it) Issuing agency (CA: county)

Phone number (required in some states) Date made (required in some states)

Municipality where you prepare the food (New Jersey: required, and it is not the address — “Montclair, NJ”) Pets in the home (Oregon: name the species) Net weight Ingredients — one per line, heaviest first optional: add “ | grams” to auto-sort

Tip: add “ | 500” after an ingredient to give its weight in grams — we'll sort the list by predominance the way the law requires.

Pick your state to see your compliant label.

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Full label, every state we cover
Exact disclaimer + allergen check
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Clean label

$12 one-time

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Print-ready PDF — single label or Avery sheet (5164 / 5163 / 5160)
Re-print any time as your recipe changes

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CottageCompliance provides general information based on each state's published cottage food rules, dated to when we last verified them. It is not legal advice. Always confirm with your state or local health agency before selling.