Cottage food label requirements in Colorado
Colorado Cottage Foods Act, C.R.S. § 25-4-1614 (amended by HB26-1033 "Tamale Act", amendments effective Jan 1, 2027). Regulated by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Checked against state sources on .
The statement your label needs
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.
No type-size rule stated for the statement; keep it clearly legible.
What is different in Colorado
- Point-of-sale placard required (in person and online) with home-kitchen/not-for-resale statement
- Producer must be a Colorado resident or LLC of 2 or fewer resident members
- Major law change Jan 1, 2027: registration, $150k cap, TCS foods allowed
- Products may not be resold
- Permit
- No permit or registration for most baked goods. Through Dec 31, 2026: no license, permit or registration; approved food safety course required. From Jan 1, 2027 (HB26-1033): annual registration with CDPHE and a department-issued registration number required.
- Sales cap
- $10,000 a year. $10,000 net revenue per eligible food product per calendar year through 2026; from Jan 1, 2027: $150,000 gross revenue total, adjusted annually for inflation.
- Where you can sell
- Directly to informed end consumers in Colorado: from home, internet, farmers' markets, roadside stands, CSAs, non-food storefronts; not through retail food establishments.
- Online orders
- Yes
- Ship in state
- Not addressed clearly by state sources
- Ship out of state
- No
- Sell to shops / cafés
- No
- Allowed foods
- Non-potentially hazardous foods: baked goods without cream/custard fillings, candy, jams, honey, pickled produce (pH 4.6 or below), dried mixes, spices, teas, flour, nuts, whole eggs (250 dozen/month). From 2027: one TCS food type (e.g. tamales) with up to five variations.
What a Colorado cottage food label must show
- Product name
- Producer name
- Physical address where the food was prepared (from 2027: registration number and county where prepared)
- Producer's current phone number or email
- Production date
- Complete list of ingredients
- The required statement (above)
- From 2027: CDPHE-provided website for illness reporting and registration verification
Federal rules still apply on top: ingredients in descending order by weight (21 CFR 101.4), the nine major allergens declared by name (FALCPA and the FASTER Act), and net quantity in ounces and grams (21 CFR 101.7). Colorado allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is not clearly addressed, and products may not cross state lines.
Make a Colorado label now
The Colorado statement is already on it. Type your ingredients, tick the allergens and print on Avery sheets or a thermal roll. To have the ingredient order and allergens worked out from a costed recipe, use the workbench.
Still missing: business name and address.
Print at 100% scale with no margins. Check the result against Colorado’s rules above before selling.
True size. Colorado statement.
Colorado cottage food questions
What statement has to be on a Colorado cottage food label?
Colorado requires: “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.”.
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Colorado?
No permit or registration for most baked goods. Through Dec 31, 2026: no license, permit or registration; approved food safety course required. From Jan 1, 2027 (HB26-1033): annual registration with CDPHE and a department-issued registration number required.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Colorado?
Yes: $10,000 in gross sales a year. $10,000 net revenue per eligible food product per calendar year through 2026; from Jan 1, 2027: $150,000 gross revenue total, adjusted annually for inflation.
Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Colorado?
Colorado allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is not clearly addressed, and products may not cross state lines.
Sources
- HB26-1033 Tamale Act (signed act) (statute)
- Colorado General Assembly: HB26-1033 (statute)
- Boulder County: Cottage Foods Checklist (agency)
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) (agency)
Checked October 17, 2026. This is a checklist built from the sources above, not legal advice. Rules change; your county or the agency has the final word. Spotted something out of date? The about page explains how we check.
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