Cottage food in Pennsylvania: 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 PDA before you sell a ticket or open your space.

At a glance

• No cottage food law here. Your home route is the PDA Limited Food Establishment (LFE) registration. PDA
• Covers: non-TCS foods with no refrigeration, like baked goods, jams, acidified foods, candy and dry mixes. LFE packet
• Sales cap: none found. PDA
• Registration and fee: $35, then $35 a year. Apply 60+ days ahead for plan review and a home inspection. PDA
• Doesn't cover: ticketed or plated dinners. Fruit pie, yes. Pork and sauerkraut, no: meat, dairy, eggs, cut produce and cooked vegetables are all TCS. LFE packet
• Home-kitchen meal law: pending. HB 2750 was introduced 2026-08-26 and sits in House Agriculture committee. HB 2750

Quick answers

What does cottage food cover in Pennsylvania? There's no cottage food law. The home route is the PDA Limited Food Establishment registration, $35 then $35 a year. PDA It covers non-TCS foods like baked goods, jams, acidified foods, candy and dry mixes. LFE packet

Is there a home food sales cap in Pennsylvania? None found. The Limited Food Establishment registration has no sales cap on record. PDA

Does Pennsylvania's home food registration cover a ticketed dinner? No. Meat, dairy, eggs, cut produce and cooked vegetables are all TCS, so they're out. LFE packet A ticketed dinner needs a local licence instead, like a $275 Philadelphia caterer licence. City of Philadelphia

What this means for a dinner

• Start with a free dinner for friends at home before your first micro hospitality night. In Philadelphia the licence question starts when it turns regular; in Pittsburgh, once money changes hands or it's public. Philly Mag 2023 Art. III ACHD
• Philadelphia doesn't allow the LFE at all. Home-prepped food is barred from any food facility. LFE packet Phila. regs
• A ticketed dinner needs a local licence instead. A Philadelphia caterer licence is $275. City of Philadelphia
• In Allegheny County, a shared kitchen user permit (for a chef renting a kitchen) is $140 plan review plus $280 a year at Class III, more at Class IV. Your menu sets the class. ACHD fees Shared kitchens

Your city

• Philadelphia: organizer checklist · venue host checklist
• Pittsburgh: organizer checklist · venue host checklist

Learn more

• PDA Limited Food Establishment
• LFE application packet
• HB 2750 bill text

Not legal advice. Confirm with a lawyer and PDA before you act.