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18 V.S.A. §4301 (definitions); 18 V.S.A. §4353 (licensing); 18 V.S.A. §4358 (exemptions); Act 42 (H.401, effective July 1, 2025)High confidence

Cottage food law · Vermont

VermontCottage Food Law

Vermont cottage food law — what actually applies when you sell from home.

Here's what Vermont allows under current cottage food rules: what you can sell, what you can't, and how to start legally.

Why this matters

What Vermont actually allows — and what it doesn't.

Vermont's cottage food program operates under 18 V.S.A. §§4301, 4353, 4358 (exemptions), with major expansion via Act 42 (H.401) effective July 1, 2025.

Act 42 Changes (July 1, 2025):

Revenue cap tripled: From $10,000 to $30,000 gross annual sales

Unified cap: Previously separate $10K cottage food + $10K other processed foods; now single $30K cap for cottage food operations

Annual revenue cap

$30,000 a year.

Annual gross cap

$30,000

18 V.S.A. §4301 (definitions); 18 V.S.A. §4353 (licensing); 18 V.S.A. §4358 (exemptions); Act 42 (H.401, effective July 1, 2025)

Required label language

Every package carries a statutory disclaimer.

The disclaimer below must appear on every package, in the exact casing the statute specifies:

Required on every label

Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health

— 18 V.S.A. §4301 (definitions); 18 V.S.A. §4353 (licensing); 18 V.S.A. §4358 (exemptions); Act 42 (H.401, effective July 1, 2025)

Sales channels

Where you can sell in Vermont — and where you can't.

Online ordering

YesYes

Shipping

YesYes

Seller delivery

YesYes

Third-party delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats)

ConditionalConditional

Interstate sales

NoNo

Wholesale to retail stores

NoNo

Registration & permits

Vermont requires registration before you sell.

Registration

Required

Type: cottage food registry

Labeling standard

Standard

Inspection

None

Food safety certification

Required

Type: state specific

Address privacy

Not available

Prohibited categories

What you can't sell under cottage food rules.

  • Tcs
  • Meat
  • Poultry
  • Fish
  • Shellfish
  • Eggs
  • Dairy
  • Cut Produce
  • Cooked Rice Beans Vegetables
  • Low Acid Canned Goods

How to start

Steps to a legal first sale in Vermont.

  1. Confirm your products qualify

    Verify your menu fits Vermont's cottage food rules. Most states restrict temperature-controlled, meat, seafood, and low-acid canned items; check the prohibited-foods list above.

  2. Register with your state agency

    Vermont requires cottage food operators to register before selling. Registration is free.

    Vermont registration portal

  3. Complete food safety certification

    Vermont requires food safety training before you can sell cottage food. Type: state specific.

  4. Label every product correctly

    Every label must include your name (or registered ID), product name, ingredients, allergens, and the statute-required disclaimer verbatim.

  5. Start taking orders

    Vermont allows online orders, in-state shipping, seller delivery. Route orders through your own channels.

About VibeKitchen

The storefront tool this guide comes from.

VibeKitchen is a storefront and order-management tool for home food sellers — your own ordering page, your own checkout, your own customers. We’re the reason this guide exists: we had to research every state’s cottage food rules to build the product, and we’re publishing what we learned.