Where are the official Virginia cottage food rules?

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services publishes them. Start at the Virginia statute compilation. Use the statute compilation when you need the code text.

Can I sell cottage food at a farmers market in Virginia?

Often yes, if the food is on the state's allowed list and you meet the label and sales rules. The market can still require its own application. Confirm both.

Is this legal advice?

No. This page was reviewed in October 2026 and points you to the state sources. If a sales cap or food list here disagrees with the state page, use the state page.

VA · Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Virginia cottage food laws

Virginia's cottage food rules, including the sales cap and whether you can take an online order, have been changing. Read the statute compilation, then confirm the current rule with the agriculture department before you turn down or accept a wholesale offer.

Open the official source

Official source: Virginia statute compilation. Reviewed October 2026. Not legal advice.

What the Virginia law decides

Virginia cottage food law answers these points. The state page is the current list. A county health department or a farmers market can add a form, a fee, or a product ban.

Which foods are allowed, and which foods need refrigeration or a pH test
The current sales cap, or whether the state has removed it
Where you can sell: farmers markets, online orders, shipping, and stores
The label, including allergens and any home-kitchen statement
Registration, a food-handler class, or a county permit

Sell it only after the rule checks out

A cottage food page is market research, not a promise of income. Price the product, find a market in Virginia, and sell one batch before you buy equipment.

Virginia farmers markets Price checker Cottage food selling guide Test a business idea