Cottage food label requirements in Virginia
Home Food Processing Exemption (private home kitchen exemption), Va. Code § 3.2-5130(C)(3) (as amended through 2026 Acts c. 605). Regulated by Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Checked against state sources on .
The statement your label needs
NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION.
Type size and placement: Label placed on the principal display panel; if package too small, a sign at point of sale with the same information.
What is different in Virginia
- 2026 amendment allows internet/phone sales and delivery in person, by mail or delivery service to Virginia individuals
- Sales only to Virginia individuals for own consumption
- Cannot sell to or for use in retail food establishments
- Pickles/acidified vegetables have separate $9,000 annual cap
- Permit
- No permit or registration for most baked goods. Exempt from VDACS inspection; no registration and no annual fee. Must still comply with applicable food laws.
- Sales cap
- No annual sales cap found in state sources
- Where you can sell
- At any location, online or by phone, to an individual in Virginia for his own consumption, not for resale or consignment; not to retail food establishments.
- Online orders
- Yes
- Ship in state
- Yes
- Ship out of state
- No
- Sell to shops / cafés
- No
- Allowed foods
- Non-TCS candies, jams and jellies, dried fruits, dry herbs/seasonings/mixes, nuts, vinegars, popcorn, cotton candy, dried pasta, dry baking mixes, roasted coffee, dried tea, cereals, trail mixes, granola, and baked goods that need no time/temperature control.
What a Virginia cottage food label must show
- Name of the person preparing the food
- Physical address or post office box number
- Telephone number
- Date the food product was processed
- The required statement (above)
- Standard labeling per VDACS: product name, net weight, ingredients and sub-ingredients, possibly nutrition information
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). Virginia allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is allowed, and products may not cross state lines.
Make a Virginia label now
The Virginia 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 Virginia’s rules above before selling.
True size. Virginia statement.
Virginia cottage food questions
What statement has to be on a Virginia cottage food label?
Virginia requires: “NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION.” (Label placed on the principal display panel; if package too small, a sign at point of sale with the same information).
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Virginia?
No permit or registration for most baked goods. Exempt from VDACS inspection; no registration and no annual fee. Must still comply with applicable food laws.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Virginia?
No annual cap appears in the state sources we checked. No cap for baked goods and other C(3) foods; separate $9,000/year cap applies only to home pickles and acidified vegetables under C(4).
Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Virginia?
Virginia allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is allowed, and products may not cross state lines.
Sources
- Va. Code § 3.2-5130 (Virginia LIS) (statute)
- VDACS Home Kitchen Food Processing Exemption FAQ (rev. 07/2024) (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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