Build a compliant cottage food label
Most states require a set label: your business name, the product name, the ingredients, the allergens and a home-kitchen disclosure line. The exact wording of that disclosure changes by state. This tool assembles a preview from your state's own rules, with the required disclosure shown word for word where your state sets one.
How to use it
Choose your state.
The builder loads its required elements and exact disclosure wording.
Fill in your product details.
Business name, product name, ingredients, allergens and net weight.
Copy your finished label.
The checklist ticks off each required element as you go.
Live label preview
Required elements
Pick your state, fill in your product and the preview redraws as you type. The checklist beside it ticks off each required element as you complete it, so you can see what is still missing before you print.
Get your state's free cottage food checklist
Your label draft stays in this browser, yours to copy now. Pick your state and the free one-page checklist arrives in your inbox, the whole path in order.
Nothing you typed into the label is sent. Only your email address and the state you pick are sent. Instant download, plus law-change alerts for your state. Unsubscribe anytime.
What every cottage food label needs
The elements are similar from state to state. Your business name, the product name, the ingredient list in descending order by weight, the major allergens, the net weight and, in most states, a disclosure line that names the food as a home-kitchen product. The part your state writes word for word is that disclosure sentence.
A worked example: a Texas cookie label
Filled in, a compliant Texas label carries the operation name, the product name, the ingredients, the allergens and the state's disclosure statement, which Texas requires in capital letters:
THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.
Reproduced from Texas cottage food labeling rules. Ten states set no single required sentence; there you list the elements and confirm the wording with your state. See the full labeling guide.
Label builder FAQ
What has to be on a cottage food label?
Most states require your business name, the product name, the ingredient list, the major allergens, the net weight and a home-kitchen disclosure line. The exact set changes by state. This builder shows your state's required elements as a live checklist and ticks each one as you fill it.
Does my cottage food label need a home-kitchen disclosure?
In most states, yes. The disclosure tells the buyer the food was made in a home kitchen that is not licensed or inspected. Many states set the exact words and expect them verbatim. Ten states set no single disclosure sentence; there you list the required elements and confirm the wording with your state.
Are cottage food label rules the same in every state?
No. The elements are similar, but the required disclosure wording differs from state to state and some states set none at all. Always use your own state's wording. This builder loads it for you where your state publishes one.
This tool assembles a preview from what each state publishes. It is educational information, not legal advice. It does not come from a state agency. Label rules change and vary by product. Confirm the current wording with your state before you print a run.