Cottage Food Label Requirements in North Carolina
What North Carolina legally requires on your cottage food label — the required statement, sales cap, registration rules, and what you can (and can't) sell.
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This is not legal advice.
Cottage food laws change frequently and vary by county or local health department. Always confirm current requirements with North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Home Processing Program or a local food safety professional before printing labels or selling product. View the official source. Last verified: 2026-08.
North Carolina does not run a standard "cottage food law" — it uses an inspected Home Processing Program instead, which is meaningfully different from the other 9 states on this page. Confirm current label approval requirements directly with NCDA&CS at homeprocessing@ncagr.gov before printing labels.
Required Label Statement
Exact wording North Carolina requires
“North Carolina does not require a "made in a home kitchen" style disclaimer, because Home Processing Program kitchens are inspected by NCDA&CS. Your product name, ingredients, allergens, weight, and manufacturer name/address are required — and your label design must be submitted to and approved by NCDA&CS before you sell.”
Because there is no statutory disclaimer statement, exact formatting rules are set case-by-case during NCDA&CS label approval — submit your label design as part of your application.
Sales Cap & Registration
Annual Sales Cap
Registration & Permitting
Food Safety Course
What You Can (and Can't) Sell
Allowed
Not Allowed
Selling something that needs a full Nutrition Facts panel (like packaged prepared meals) instead of a cottage food disclosure? See our meal prep labeling guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does North Carolina have a cottage food law?
Not in the traditional sense. NCDA&CS runs a Home Processing Program instead: your kitchen gets inspected, and in exchange you don't need a "made in a home kitchen" disclaimer — but your label must be reviewed and approved by NCDA&CS before you sell.
What has to be on a North Carolina home-processed food label?
Product name, ingredient list, allergens, net weight, and your business name and address — submitted to NCDA&CS for approval as part of the Home Processing Program application.
Is my kitchen inspected in North Carolina?
Yes — inspection is part of the NCDA&CS Home Processing Program, unlike states that skip inspection in exchange for a home-kitchen warning label.
Is there a sales cap in North Carolina?
No annual gross sales cap is imposed under the Home Processing Program.