How to Get a Domestic Kitchen License in Oregon

The Domestic Kitchen License makes sense if:

• You've outgrown the cottage food sales cap (~$52,700/year)
• You want to sell refrigerated or potentially hazardous foods (cream-filled pastries, fresh pasta, refrigerated sauces, etc.)
• You want to sell to stores, restaurants, or wholesale — not just direct to consumers
• You want to remove the product restrictions of cottage food

If you're still under the cottage food cap and only selling shelf-stable goods directly to consumers, you probably don't need this yet. Start with the Cottage Food roadmap.

ODA issues two types of domestic kitchen licenses:

Type 11 — Bakery

For businesses that only make baked goods (bread, cookies, cakes, pastries, etc.). If you're strictly a baker, this is your license.

Type 16 — Food Processor

For businesses making other food products — jams, sauces, pickles, granola, spice blends, prepared meals, etc. Also covers bakeries that make non-baked items too.

If you make both baked goods and other products, go with Type 16. It covers everything.

Same as cottage food — every person preparing food needs one.

→ Washington County Food Handler Certification

This is the big difference from cottage food. ODA will inspect your home kitchen before issuing the license. They're not looking for a commercial-grade setup — they know it's a home kitchen. But they do expect:

Basic requirements:

• Clean, sanitary surfaces and equipment
• Proper handwashing station (your kitchen sink works if it has hot and cold water and soap)
• Adequate refrigeration at proper temperatures (below 41°F)
• Proper food storage (off the floor, in sealed containers, away from chemicals)
• Pest control measures (screens on windows, no evidence of pests)
• Separate storage for personal food vs. business food (can be different shelves in the same fridge)
• Thermometer in your fridge
• Proper waste disposal

Things that commonly trip people up:

• Pets in the kitchen during production — not allowed
• Household chemicals stored near food prep areas — move them
• No thermometer in the fridge — get a cheap one
• Clutter on countertops — clear your workspace

Think of it as proving that you'd be comfortable having a health inspector watch you work. If your kitchen is clean and organized, you'll pass.

→ ODA: Domestic Kitchen Requirements (PDF)

Submit your application to ODA. The process:

After you submit the application, ODA will schedule an inspection of your kitchen. Once you pass, your license is issued.

→ ODA: Domestic Kitchen Licensing

Domestic kitchen products need proper labeling — more detailed than cottage food labels:

1. Product name
2. Ingredients list (descending by weight)
3. Net weight or volume
4. Allergen declaration (the 9 major allergens)
5. Your business name and address (or ODA license number)
6. Nutritional information — may be required depending on product type and volume. Check with ODA.

Note: You do NOT need the "made in a home kitchen" disclaimer that cottage food requires. Your kitchen is now licensed and inspected — that's the whole point.

This is where the domestic kitchen license opens doors:

You can sell:

• Directly to consumers (from home, delivery, farmers markets)
• Online within Oregon (delivery or pickup)
• To retail stores (grocery stores, specialty shops)
• To restaurants and cafés
• Wholesale

Basically: Anywhere that cottage food can sell, plus stores, restaurants, and wholesale. No sales cap.

ODA expects you to maintain production and sales records. This is more formal than cottage food's simple sales log:

• Production records (what you made, when, batch sizes)
• Ingredient sourcing (where you buy your ingredients)
• Sales records (what sold, to whom, when)
• Temperature logs (if producing temperature-sensitive products)

This protects you in case of a recall or food safety question — and it makes you a more organized business.

You've got a licensed kitchen. You can sell anywhere. Now you need customers — both neighbors who buy direct and businesses who want to stock your products.

List on Marketless Farmer for the neighbor side. For wholesale and restaurant accounts, your ODA license is your calling card — it tells buyers you're legit.

$10/month for a producer listing. Cancel anytime. Oregon-first.