Home processing in North Carolina: the checklist

Not legal advice. This is a starting checklist, checked 2026-09-25. Rules change and differ by county and city. Talk to a lawyer and confirm with NCDA&CS before you sell a ticket or open your space.

At a glance

• No cottage food law. Home food runs through the state home processor program instead. G.S. 106 Art. 12 NCDA&CS
• Covers: shelf-stable foods like non-refrigerated baked goods, jams, candy, dry mixes and acidified foods. NCDA&CS
• Sales cap: none stated by NCDA&CS, and none in statute (unverified). NCDA&CS
• Registration and fee: one home inspection, 8 to 12 weeks' wait, no fee listed (unverified). No pets, "even if only at night." NCDA&CS
• Doesn't cover: your pulled pork. Nothing that needs refrigeration is allowed, so ticketed or plated dinners are out. NCDA&CS
• Home-kitchen meal law: none (unverified). HB 833 only widens packaged foods and has sat in committee since April 2025. NCGA

Quick answers

What does cottage food cover in North Carolina? There's no cottage food law. The state home processor program covers shelf-stable foods like non-refrigerated baked goods, jams, candy, dry mixes and acidified foods. G.S. 106 Art. 12 NCDA&CS

Is there a sales cap on home processing in North Carolina? No stated cap. NCDA&CS lists none, and there's none in statute (unverified). NCDA&CS

Does North Carolina home processing cover a ticketed dinner? No. Nothing that needs refrigeration is allowed. A ticketed dinner needs a county food service permit, $120 a year, run from a permitted or shared kitchen. NCDA&CS G.S. 130A-248

What this means for a dinner

• Start with a free dinner for friends at home. The licence question starts when money changes hands. In Buncombe (Asheville), that includes "tips, donations, or ticket sales." Buncombe
• A ticketed micro hospitality night needs a county food service permit, $120 a year, run from a permitted or shared kitchen. G.S. 130A-248
• The $75 temporary permit only works inside a fair, festival or similar event, not a standalone dinner. G.S. 130A-247 G.S. 130A-248
• Selling take-home treats? Label self-service, wholesale or shipped food. Food sold straight to the buyer on demand is exempt. NCDA&CS

Your city

• Asheville: organizer checklist · venue host checklist
• Charlotte: organizer checklist · venue host checklist

Learn more

• NCDA&CS home processor program
• NCDA&CS: starting a food business
• G.S. 130A-248, food establishment permits

Not legal advice. Confirm with a lawyer and NCDA&CS before you act.