Farmers Market Vendor Permit Guide for Washington (2026)

If you want market regulars to order between market days, you can set up a Homegrown storefront once WSDA confirms how they may pay, and try it free for 7 days.

Selling home foods at a Washington farmers market takes a paid state permit up front, not a free registration. The WSDA Cottage Food Permit is mandatory for home-baked goods and jams, and depending on what you sell, your county health department may get involved too. This guide walks through the permits most Washington market vendors run into, product by product, with what each one costs and where to apply.

What Permit Do You Need to Sell at a Washington Farmers Market?

You need the permit that matches your product, and it ranges from $0 for whole produce you grow to $355 for a cottage food permit, or more if your booth also needs a county permit (King County charges $126 to $1,008). Washington splits farmers market food between two agencies: the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), which licenses home kitchens and food processors, and your county health department, which permits food that is served, cut, sampled or kept cold at the booth. A third agency, the Department of Revenue, issues the business license and the add-ons for eggs, plants and scales.

Find your product in the table below, then read its section. If you sell several kinds of products, you need the permit for each one.

Scroll sideways to see every column.

We checked these on WSDA's cottage food, food processor, egg and nursery pages, the Department of Revenue's endorsement pages, King County's farmers market permit page and the Chelan-Douglas Health District farmers market handout on October 10, 2026. The business license ($50 to open) sits on top of most rows.

Most first-time vendors land in one of two rows. If you grow it, you mostly need a business license. If you bake it at home, you need the cottage food permit. For the full legal detail on the cottage food side, our Washington cottage food law guide covers the allowed foods, labels, inspection and penalties.

Is the WSDA Cottage Food Permit Required to Sell Home Foods at a Market?

Yes, in Washington you must hold a $355 WSDA Cottage Food Permit before you sell any food made in your home kitchen, including at a farmers market. A WSDA blog post from April 9, 2026 puts it plainly: "A Cottage Food Permit is required before selling any products." There is no free exemption for small vendors.

Here is what the permit gets you, per WSDA's Cottage Food page on October 10, 2026:

• $355 application fee, nonrefundable, for a permit that is valid for two years
• A home-kitchen inspection by a WSDA Food Safety Compliance Specialist before the permit is issued
• A $35,000 gross sales cap per year, counted per home and not per person, under RCW 69.22.050
• Up to 50 master products, and only the products printed on your permit
• Direct sales only: from your home, at farmers markets, craft fairs and other public venues, all inside Washington

The permit also has a display rule that matters at the booth. WAC 16-149-040 says "a copy of this permit shall be displayed at farmers markets, craft fairs, charitable organization functions and any other direct sale locations." Laminate a copy and clip it to your table.

Every product also needs a label with the statement "MADE IN A HOME KITCHEN THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO STANDARD INSPECTION CRITERIA." RCW 69.22.020 also requires your business name and permit number, the product name, the ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight or net volume, and allergen labeling. Our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Washington covers the application packet line by line.

What can a cottage food vendor sell at the booth?

You can sell up to 50 master products of low-risk food that does not need refrigeration, and only the products printed on your permit. WSDA's 2026 blog post lists breads, cookies and cakes; jams, jellies and fruit butters; candies and granola; and dry mixes, teas and spice blends. It lists these as not allowed:

• Meat, dairy and seafood products
• Salsas, pickled foods and canned vegetables
• Cream-filled pastries and custard pies
• Anything else that needs refrigeration to stay safe

If your product is on the not-allowed list, the path is a WSDA food processor license and a licensed kitchen, covered further down.

Can You Take Pre-Orders and Payment Online Before Market Day?

You can take cottage food orders online, but WSDA's FAQ says payment and hand-off must happen person to person, so do not plan on online card payment for cottage food without WSDA's written OK. The question comes up as soon as regulars want to reserve a loaf for Saturday, and Washington's own documents do not agree on it. Here is what each one says, word for word, as loaded on October 10, 2026:

1. The law. RCW 69.22.020 says cottage food products "may only be sold directly to the consumer and may not be sold by internet, mail order, or for retail sale outside the state."
2. The rule. WAC 16-149-040 lets you "maintain an internet website displaying available products provided any sales arising from the website are completed as in-person transactions."
3. WSDA's internet FAQ. "You can advertise your products on the Internet and take orders over the Internet." Its shipping answer adds: "Product delivery and payments must be directly from the producer to the end consumer in a person to person transaction and not delivered by mail or a courier service."
4. WSDA's sales FAQ. "Internet, mail, consignment, wholesale, & retail sales outside the state are prohibited."
5. WSDA's April 9, 2026 blog post. "Online, wholesale, and out-of-state sales are not allowed under this permit."
6. WSDA's 2026 cottage food brochure. "You can make sales through a personal website or social media sites such as Facebook, X, or Etsy, but you cannot ship your products to customers. They must pick up the product in person."

Read together, a pre-order that a customer sends you online and pays for in cash or by card when they pick it up at your booth matches WSDA's FAQ. WSDA's 2026 brochure reads looser than the rest: it reads as if an online sale with in-person pickup is fine. A customer paying by card on a website before pickup does not match the other five, and the law itself is the strictest of the six, so ask WSDA in writing before you rely on the brochure's wording.

When the County Gets Involved: Who Needs a Health Department Permit?

Your county health department permits the food that is served, cut, sampled or kept cold at the booth. Washington's food code treats a market booth as a temporary food establishment: a booth "operating not more than three days a week at a fixed location, with a fixed menu, in conjunction with an approved, recurring, organized event, such as a farmers market," under WAC 246-215-01115.

The same rule lists booths that are not food establishments at all when that is all they offer, so they need no county food permit:

• Whole, minimally cut, unprocessed fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs that need no temperature control
• A cottage food operation or a WSDA-licensed food processing plant
• Shelf-stable food prepackaged in a licensed kitchen or plant
• Hot coffee or tea poured straight into single-use cups
• Dry foods with no further processing, like dry beans, in-shell nuts, coffee beans or tea leaves

That means a cottage food baker selling labeled, packaged cookies is outside the county system. RCW 69.22.100 says permitted cottage food operations "are not subject to ... permitting and inspection by a local health jurisdiction." The Chelan-Douglas Health District's 2026 farmers market handout says the same about jams and jellies: "A Health District Permit is not required to sell them at the market."

There is one wrinkle in Seattle. The City of Seattle's farmers market page, loaded October 10, 2026, tells cottage food and WSDA-licensed vendors they "may still need a Temporary Food Service Business permit from King County if you are doing retail sales or providing taste testing." If you sell in King County, call Public Health's food program (206-263-9566) before your first market and ask whether your setup needs one.

Vendors who do need a county permit include anyone who:

• Cooks or reheats food at the market
• Serves cut fruit, salads, drinks with milk or cream, or espresso
• Sells food that must be kept cold, like meat or dairy
• Hands out unpackaged samples of anything other than their own raw produce (produce samples need an exemption form instead, more on that below)

How Much Does a King County Farmers Market Permit Cost?

King County charges from $126 to $1,008 for a farmers market food permit, depending on how complex your food is and how many markets you attend in a year. One permit covers a whole market season, so a vendor at the same Wednesday market from spring to fall buys one permit, not one per week.

Swipe left to see the fee for each tier.

We checked these fees on Public Health Seattle and King County's farmers market food service permit page on October 10, 2026. The five-market and unlimited packages need a Certified Booth Operator card ($126 course, valid two years). Other counties set their own fees; King County is one example.

The packages only pay off if you sell at several markets. At three markets, a moderate vendor pays $945 in single permits, $882 for the five-market package plus the booth operator course, or $1,008 for unlimited plus the course. A complex vendor pays $1,323 in single permits, $945 for the five-market package plus the course, or $1,134 for unlimited plus the course.

King County also requires at least one person with a valid food worker card at the event at all times. If you sell in another county, find its health department on the Department of Health's list of local health jurisdictions and ask for its temporary food establishment application. Every local health jurisdiction runs its own application, from Clallam to Whatcom, and a few cover more than one county (Chelan and Douglas share one district).

Raw Produce and Bigger Operations: Do Farmers Need a Permit?

No food permit is needed to sell whole, raw produce you grow. WSDA's food processor page exempts anyone who "merely wash[es] and trim[s] a raw agricultural product and prepare[s] or package[s] for sale in their natural state," and the Chelan-Douglas Health District's handout says "any farmer or gardener may sell unprocessed farm produce without a permit from the Health District." Fresh basil, a bag of whole apples and a crate of tomatoes all fall here.

The line moves as soon as you process the produce:

• Cut or chopped salad mix sold ready to eat needs a WSDA food processor license, per the Chelan-Douglas handout
• Mechanically dried herbs and herbs dried for tea need a WSDA food processor license
• Sliced fruit for samples needs an exemption form from the health department in Chelan-Douglas and King County
• Jams and baked goods made from your fruit need the cottage food permit or a processor license

The same goes for a farm stand on your own property. The produce itself needs no food permit, and WSDA's 2026 cottage food brochure lists "your farm stand" among the places a cottage food permit holder can sell. What a stand can need is local: WSDA tells cottage food applicants to "check with your city and county about zoning ordinances and municipal laws that apply to conducting a business from your home." Our farm stand permit guide goes through the zoning side.

On the other end, if you want to sell wholesale or outgrow the cottage food limits, you need a WSDA Food Processor License instead of (or in addition to) the cottage food permit. It licenses a food processing facility, and WSDA inspects that facility before the license is approved. Under RCW 69.07.040 the yearly fee starts at $92 for gross sales of $0 to $50,000 and rises to $147 for $50,001 to $500,000. The City of Seattle's farmers market page notes the cottage food permit "is the only license that permits you to use your home kitchen to cook allowable foods on a commercial basis," so a processor license means a separate licensed kitchen, not your home kitchen.

What Licenses Do Eggs, Plants and Honey Need at a Washington Market?

These three products each have their own rule, and two of them are add-ons to your business license rather than food permits.

Eggs. Selling eggs from your own flock at your farm needs no license. Taking them to a farmers market does. WSDA's eggs page says farmers selling eggs at farmers markets "must comply with the requirements of RCW 69.25 and be licensed through the Washington State Department of Revenue (WSDOR) as an Egg Handler/Dealer." The Department of Revenue's egg endorsement costs $30 a year for your main location and $15 for each additional location. WSDA sells egg seals for cartons at $2.68 per 1,000 dozen. The Chelan-Douglas handout says eggs must be held at 45°F or less at the market, and it requires a county temporary food establishment permit for vendors selling eggs too.

Plants and starts. Anyone who sells $100 or more of live plants a year needs a nursery endorsement. The retail endorsement is $80.64 per location for $100 to $2,499 in plant sales, $176.64 for $2,500 to $14,999, and $350.40 at $15,000 and up, per the Department of Revenue's nursery endorsement page. Cut flowers alone are exempt, and so is anyone under $100 a year. RCW 15.13.280 lets a farmers market hold one nursery license that covers every vendor selling plants there, so ask your market manager before you buy your own.

Honey. The Chelan-Douglas handout says "a Health District permit is not required" for honey, and "beekeepers that extract their own honey and sell it in the raw form do not need a WSDA Food Processor's License." Once you add flavors, ingredients or honey from someone else's hives, you need the processor license.

Meat, dairy and seafood. In Chelan and Douglas counties, each has its own rule. The Chelan-Douglas handout says farmers can sell fresh or frozen USDA-inspected meat and must also file a temporary food establishment permit; vendors selling milk, cheese or butter need a WSDA milk producer license and milk processing plant license plus the county permit; and whole fresh or frozen fish need a Wholesale Fish Dealer's License from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, per the handout. The handout lists exceptions: WDFW-licensed commercial fishers with a direct retail endorsement selling salmon, crab and sturgeon, and retail sellers of whole fish bought from a licensed wholesale dealer, need no Health District permit as long as the fish are not processed. Filleting fish at the booth does bring in a Health District temporary food establishment permit. Other counties set their own rules, so check with yours before you bring meat, dairy or fish to a market.

The Business License Almost Everyone Needs: Who Has to Get One?

Most farmers market vendors need a Washington business license, and it is not free: opening one costs a $50 processing fee at the Department of Revenue, checked on DOR's variable fee page on October 10, 2026. The state tax registration itself carries no fee; the $50 is the processing fee on the Business License Application you file to get it, so a new vendor pays it once. Renewals cost $5 a year, and registering a trade name costs $5.

The Department of Revenue's licensing FAQ says you need a license if any of these is true:

• Your business needs a city or state endorsement (eggs, plants and scales are all state endorsements)
• You do business under a name other than your full legal name
• You plan to hire employees within the next 90 days
• You sell a product or service that requires sales tax
• Your gross income is $12,000 a year or more
• Your business must pay taxes or fees to the Department of Revenue
• You buy or process specialty wood products

For market vendors, two more sources close the gap. DOR's agriculture tax guide says "farmers that make retail sales" are "required to register with the Department," and it names farmers markets as retail sales. WSDA's 2026 blog post tells cottage food applicants they "will also need ... a business license through the Washington Department of Revenue." So a farmer selling at retail and a cottage food baker both need one, whatever their sales.

Sales tax depends on the product. DOR's agriculture guide lists flowers, plants and starts, goat milk soap, candles and decorative pieces as taxable, while food like apples sold at a stand is exempt from sales tax. Market sales are still reported under the retailing business and occupation (B&O) tax classification.

Do You Need a City Business License or an LLC?

You might need a city license, and you do not need an LLC. The Washington State Farmers Market Association (WSFMA) says "there are around 60 cities in Washington that require an additional business license to operate in the City," and some offer exemptions. Seattle is one example: the vendor resources page of Seattle's Neighborhood Farmers Markets says farmers are exempt from Seattle's city license, but all other food businesses need one to sell in Seattle. Your market manager will know the local rule.

None of the state or county pages we read on October 10, 2026 requires an LLC to sell at a farmers market. WSFMA says the annual business license and excise tax return apply "no matter how you set up your business," from a sole proprietorship to an LLC or corporation. An LLC is a liability and tax decision you can make later; it is not a permit. One paperwork difference to know: the Department of Revenue's FAQ says sole proprietors who are not employers usually do not need a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), while all other business types must apply for one.

WSFMA also says market managers "are familiar with the local requirements and may have ways in place to help vendors comply" with city licenses, so ask before you pay for one.

Sampling Rules: Can You Hand Out Samples at a Washington Market?

You can, but samples usually bring in the county even when your product does not. Sampling is handled at the county level. In King County, sampling of anything beyond your own raw produce falls under the moderate tier, so it is bundled into a $315 single-market permit rather than sold as a separate sampling permit, and the minimal tier says "no sampling." Washington counties handle it in a few different ways:

• Produce samples in King County: the Neighborhood Farmers Markets' vendor page says a farmer offering fruit and vegetable samples needs to "submit an Application for Exemption from the Health Department," which "is free, but you'll need a handwash set-up at your market booth."
• Produce samples in Chelan and Douglas counties: "Farmers that offer individual samples of sliced fruits and vegetables must submit a Health District Exemption from Food Establishment Permit Application."
• Cottage food samples: the Chelan-Douglas handout says "a Temporary Food Establishment Permit may be required for sampling" jams and processed foods, and Seattle's page says King County may require one for "taste testing."
• Food worker card: the Neighborhood Farmers Markets' page says farmers offering produce samples count as food workers, so carry a $10 Washington food worker card.

Check your county's rules before you plan samples. If the county wants a permit just for tasting, compare its cost with what samples actually sell for you; our farmers market sampling tips cover how to run a tasting that pays for itself.

Do You Need to Register Your Scale?

Yes, if you price anything by weight, every scale needs a $16 yearly registration. WSDA's device registration page says scales used for commercial purposes "must be registered annually" and "prior to being used for commercial purposes," through the Business Licensing Service. A small scale (0 to 400 pounds) costs $16 a year, and "failure to register your device(s) may result in civil penalties of $100.00 per device."

WSFMA adds two more requirements for a vendor scale: it needs a certificate of compliance, and it has to be a certified scale that has been inspected. If you sell by the bunch, the pint or the piece, you skip this entirely.

Seattle's Neighborhood Farmers Markets tell vendors they "must only use scales that are certified NTEP/legal for trade," which is the marking to look for when you buy one. WSFMA says WSDA's Weights and Measures program publishes a brochure on vendor scales at farmers markets in English and Spanish and takes questions at wtsmeasures@agr.wa.gov. For phone questions about your scale or its registration, WSDA's device registration page lists Weights and Measures at (360) 902-1822.

What Does the Market Itself Ask For?

Every market adds its own application on top of the state and county permits, and it usually covers insurance, booth fees and product rules. Here is what Washington markets commonly ask for, per WSFMA's vendor resources page on October 10, 2026:

• Liability insurance. "Vendors can expect that a farmers market will require Commercial General Liability and vehicle insurance," and the market may ask to be named as an additional insured on your certificate. Our farmers market vendor insurance guide compares the policy types.
• Booth fees. "Sometimes it is a flat rate, some markets charge a percentage, others charge a combination of the two," usually collected at the end of each market day.
• Vendor membership. Some markets require every vendor to join the market organization, renewed with the yearly application.
• Your UBI number. WSFMA says a market can look up your business license number to verify that your scale license is current.

Big-city markets can be stricter. Seattle's Neighborhood Farmers Markets run seven markets that allow "local farmers and food only (no crafts)," and the City of Seattle says food businesses selling at a Seattle farmers market "must use ingredients from Washington state farms." Their become-a-vendor page also tells food businesses still waiting on health permits that they may secure them after acceptance. Our farmers market vendor application tips cover how to get through a competitive application.

How Much Do All the Permits Cost by Vendor Type?

A Washington market vendor's state and county paperwork runs from $50 for a produce grower to $415 for a cottage food baker to $501 for a cooked-food booth at one King County market. Booth fees and insurance come on top and vary by market.

Swipe left to see each vendor type's costs.

Totals use the fees we checked on October 10, 2026: $50 business license processing fee (Department of Revenue), $355 cottage food permit (WSDA), $10 food worker card (Department of Health), $16 small scale, $30 egg endorsement and $80.64 retail nursery endorsement (Department of Revenue and WSDA), and King County's $315 moderate or $441 complex single-market permits. City licenses, trade names, booth fees and insurance are not included.

Spread over a season, the numbers are smaller than they look. A cottage food baker's $355 permit works out to $177.50 a year over its two-year term, and the $35,000 cap equals about $673 in sales a week if you sold all 52 weeks.

Where to Apply: Every Agency in the Order You Need It

Apply in this order, because later steps ask for paperwork from earlier ones. WSDA's cottage food application asks for your business license and food worker card, and most markets ask for your license number and permits with the vendor application.

• Match your products to a permit. Use the table at the top of this guide. Write down every product you plan to sell, because a cottage food permit only covers the products printed on it.
• Get your food worker card. $10 from your local health department or the state's only authorized online program at foodworkercard.wa.gov. Cottage food vendors and anyone handling unpackaged food need one.
• Open your Washington business license. Apply with the Department of Revenue ($50 to open) and add any endorsements at the same time: eggs ($30), plants ($80.64 and up) and each scale ($16).
• Apply to WSDA if you make food. The WSDA Cottage Food page has the application for the $355 permit; the Food Processors page has the processor application. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for cottage food.
• Ask your county health department about the booth. If you serve, cut, sample or chill food, apply for a temporary food establishment permit or an exemption. The King County farmers market permit page shows how the tiers work; check your own county for exact fees.
• Apply to your market. Send the market's application with your license number, permits and insurance certificate, and ask whether your city requires its own business license.

How Do You Turn Market Regulars Into Pre-Orders Between Markets?

Once your permits are in place, the next problem is the customer who shows up at 11:30 after your tomato starts sold out, or the regular who wants a dozen eggs set aside. A Homegrown storefront gives your booth one link and a printable QR code for your sign, so customers can browse your products, place an order and choose your market booth as the pickup spot. It costs $10 a month billed annually ($12.50 billed monthly), with no percentage fees beyond standard payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30, which you pay; customers are not charged a fee on top.

Compare that with the setups most Washington market vendors start with:

Scroll sideways to compare every fee.

We checked Square's fees page and findhomegrown.com/signup on October 10, 2026. Square Free has "no monthly subscription costs"; its in-person rate is 2.6% + 15¢. Square's page says "You do not need to purchase hardware" and lists Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, so the Square row counts no reader cost; a card reader is extra. The 50-order column is processing on fifty $20 orders plus the month's subscription.

Cash and a card reader keep every payment person to person, which is what WSDA's FAQ describes for cottage food. Take the order online or by message and collect cash or a card tap at pickup, and regulars can still reserve before Saturday in the setup that matches WSDA's FAQ. What you give up is one link that lists your products and pickup days. Homegrown lists your products with your pickup days, keeps a customer list you own, and collects and remits sales tax on the products that need it, like plant starts or candles.

Here is what Homegrown does not do. Every Homegrown order is paid by card at checkout ("Orders come in, prepaid," per the signup page), so for cottage food it does not match WSDA's person-to-person payment wording; get WSDA's written answer before you use it for cottage food, and if WSDA approves online payment with in-person pickup for your setup, Homegrown fits that workflow. It does not track your $35,000 cap or apply for any permit for you. Customers create a Homegrown account to place their first order, and there is no drops (timed product release) feature. Your storefront is listed on the Homegrown marketplace, but plan on most orders coming from people you send to your own link.

If you grow produce, raise plants or sell under a license other than the cottage food permit, the cottage food internet limits are not the rule you are working under, so pre-orders between markets are where a storefront earns its $10. Set up a Homegrown storefront, put the QR code on your booth sign, and let regulars order Thursday for Saturday pickup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to sell at a farmers market in Washington?

It depends on what you sell. Home-baked goods, jams and candies need a WSDA Cottage Food Permit ($355 for two years, $35,000 yearly cap). Prepared food, food that needs refrigeration, most samples and, in some counties, eggs need a county health department permit, which in King County runs $126 to $1,008. Raw produce from your own garden or farm needs no food permit, and most vendors also need a Washington business license.

How much does the Washington Cottage Food Permit cost?

Washington's cottage food permit from WSDA costs $355 for a two-year permit, nonrefundable once WSDA receives it, with a $35,000 gross annual sales cap per home. Add a $10 food worker card and $50 to open a business license, and a new cottage food vendor pays $415 in state fees before selling at a farmers market. There is no free cottage food exemption in Washington.

Do I also need a county permit in Washington?

Only for certain foods. Under RCW 69.22.100, a permitted cottage food vendor selling packaged products does not need a local health permit, and whole produce you grow needs none either. You do need one if you serve prepared food, serve cut food or sample processed food, or sell food that must be kept cold at the market; farmers offering sliced samples of their own produce file an exemption form instead in King County and Chelan-Douglas. In King County, confirm with Public Health before your first market whether your cottage food sales or tastings need a permit, because the City of Seattle's page says one may still apply for retail sales or taste testing. King County's farmers market permits range from $126 for one market of packaged food to $1,008 for unlimited markets of cooked food, and the five-market and unlimited packages also need a $126 booth operator course.

Is raw produce exempt in Washington?

Yes. Whole, uncut produce from your own farm or garden needs no WSDA permit and no county health permit, because washing and trimming a raw crop is exempt from the food processor license. Cut salad mix, mechanically dried herbs or herbs dried for tea, and sliced samples are different: they need a processor license or a county exemption form. You still need a business license to sell at retail.

Do I need a business license in Washington?

Almost always, if you sell at a farmers market. The Department of Revenue's agriculture guide says farmers making retail sales, including at farmers markets, must register, WSDA tells cottage food vendors they need one, and DOR requires one at $12,000 a year in gross income, for any taxable sale, or for any endorsement such as eggs, plants or a scale. Opening one costs a $50 processing fee, and about 60 Washington cities add their own city license.

Can you sell at a Washington farmers market without a license?

In practice, no. The Department of Revenue's agriculture tax guide says farmers that make retail sales, which it says includes sales at farmers markets, are required to register, and WSDA tells cottage food vendors they need a business license as well as the $355 permit. Prepared food adds a county permit on top, so the $50 business license is the one piece of paperwork nearly every Washington market vendor shares.

How long does it take to get a cottage food permit in Washington?

WSDA's Cottage Food page says the process averages 6 to 8 weeks from the time WSDA receives a complete application, while its April 9, 2026 blog post says to allow 4 to 6 weeks. The time includes the review and the home-kitchen inspection. Apply at least two months before your first farmers market date.

Related Reading

These six guides answer the next questions Washington market vendors ask once their permits are sorted, from the full cottage food rulebook to the permit rules one state south:

• Washington Cottage Food Law: the full list of allowed and banned foods, label rules, the inspection checklist and the penalties for selling without a permit
• How to Start a Cottage Food Business in Washington: the application packet step by step, with costs worked out
• Best Platform to Sell Baked Goods in Washington: ordering tools compared against WSDA's payment rules
• Oregon Farmers Market Vendor Permits: the rules if you also sell at markets across the Columbia River, where a different agency issues the permits
• Farmers Market Vendor Permits by State: our state-by-state index of farmers market permit guides
• Best Payment Methods for Farmers Market Vendors: cash, card readers and payment apps compared on fees and speed at a busy booth

The Bottom Line

Washington asks for a paid state permit up front if you make food at home: the $355 WSDA Cottage Food Permit, with a $35,000 cap and no free exemption. Prepared food and most sampling add a county permit on top, and so do eggs in some counties; plants and scales add endorsements, and almost everyone needs a $50 state business license. Line up the food worker card, business license, WSDA permit, county permit and market application in that order, and give the cottage food permit 6 to 8 weeks.

Once you are cleared to sell, take orders ahead for anything outside the cottage food permit and keep cottage food payment in person until WSDA tells you otherwise in writing. Set up a Homegrown storefront for $10 a month billed annually, with 0% commission and 2.9% + $0.30 card processing that you pay, and check other states on our farmers market vendor permits by state guide.

*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules change and county fees vary. Verify your state's current rules with WSDA, the Department of Revenue and your county health department before selling. Last updated: October 2026.*