Oregon cottage food label requirements
Oregon's Cottage Food Exemption (Senate Bill 643 of 2023, with label rules in effect since April 18, 2024) has the most detailed label rule of any state on this site: a three-part statement on the front panel, a minimum letter height for everything on the label, a business phone number, an optional Unique Identification Number (UIN) in place of your address, and a statement about pets that live in your home.
Required statement (OAR 603-025-0325(1))
This product is homemade, is not prepared in an inspected food establishment, and must be stored and displayed separately if merchandised by a retailer.
Type size: Every line at least 1/16 inch tall, measured on a lower case "o".
Open the Oregon preset in the tool
Last checked October 19, 2026. Sources · Example label · FAQ
What a Oregon cottage food label must show
| Element | What to print | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Front-panel statement | The sentence quoted below, on the principal display panel. | OAR 603-025-0325(1) |
| Name of the food | For example "Hazelnut Shortbread". | 603-025-0325(2)(a) |
| Ingredients and sub-ingredients | In descending order by weight or volume. | 603-025-0325(2)(b) |
| Allergen warnings | As required by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). | 603-025-0325(2)(c) |
| Business name | The name of your cottage food establishment. | 603-025-0325(2)(d) |
| Address, or ODA UIN | Full street address, city, state and ZIP; or city, state and ZIP if your business is listed in a city directory; or your ODA Unique Identification Number. | 603-025-0325(2)(e) |
| Phone number | Your business phone. | 603-025-0325(2)(f) |
| Net weight or net volume | In both English and metric units, for example "Net Wt 6 oz (170 g)". | 603-025-0325(2)(g) |
| Nutrition information | Only if the label makes a nutrient content claim, health claim or other nutrition statement. | 603-025-0325(2)(h) |
| Pets statement | If pets live in the home: a statement that pets were present, naming the species (cat, dog, rabbit…). | 603-025-0325(2)(i) |
The rule applies to cottage food establishments and to licensed domestic kitchens alike, except the front-panel statement in (1), which is specific to cottage food.
Keep your home address off the label?
Yes, with an ODA Unique Identification Number (UIN). OAR 603-025-0325(2)(e) accepts the UIN in place of the address. If your business is listed in a city directory, city, state and ZIP are also enough. Your phone number is required either way (2)(f).
This is what the rule says, not legal advice. Check with your state agency before you print.
The Oregon statement, word for word
OAR 603-025-0325(1) quotes it in full:
This product is homemade, is not prepared in an inspected food establishment, and must be stored and displayed separately if merchandised by a retailer.
It must be on the label's principal display panel, the part buyers see first, usually the front. Our tool prints it as the first line of the label for that reason. The rule does not say whether it has to be in capitals.
The last part ("must be stored and displayed separately if merchandised by a retailer") is aimed at stores. ODA's guidance says a retailer that sells your cottage foods must agree to store and display them separately from other foods and put up a sign saying they are homemade and not prepared in an inspected food establishment, and you must keep a record of that agreement.
Type size and placement
Oregon sets a minimum for all labeling, not just the statement: print or type "conspicuous and easy to read", with a minimum height of 1/16 inch for a lower case "o", prominently displayed and not obscured by logos or artwork (OAR 603-025-0325(3)).
A lower case "o" is much shorter than the point size suggests. In Arial, the x-height is about 52% of the type size, so 1/16 inch (4.5 points) needs roughly 8.7-point type. When you choose Oregon, our tool raises every line to at least 9 points in the 4-inch PDF (printed at 100%). Measure a printed "o" with a ruler if you scale the label down or use a narrow font.
Selling online, at markets or through stores
ODA's March 2026 guidance says cottage foods may be sold directly to end users in any manner, including from home, online, by mail and at events. Selling to a retailer is allowed only if the food is packaged and labeled, with the separate-display and signage conditions described above. You cannot sell cottage foods to institutions such as restaurants, caterers, schools or hospitals.
About the UIN: ODA issues it for a $25 fee. It expires on June 30 after it is issued and can be renewed for $25. ODA says using an expired or unauthorized UIN counts as misbranding, and the number is personal to the applicant and address. In the tool, type the UIN in the registration field and tick "print instead of my street address".
Example Oregon cottage food label
A fictional Eugene baker with a dog at home, selling a 6-ounce bag of shortbread:
This product is homemade, is not prepared in an inspected food establishment, and must be stored and displayed separately if merchandised by a retailer.
Hazelnut Shortbread
Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (cream, salt), hazelnuts, sugar, salt.
Contains: Milk, Hazelnut, Wheat.
Net Wt 6 oz (170 g)
Willamette Hearth, 1450 River Rd, Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541) 555-0163
Pets were present in the residential dwelling: dog.
- The statement is printed first, on what would be the front panel.
- Every line is at least 9 points in the PDF, so a lower case "o" is taller than 1/16 inch at 100% print size.
- The pets statement uses the rule's own words and names the species. If no pets live in the home, leave the pets field empty and nothing is printed.
- The phone number is required in Oregon, whether you print the address or a UIN.
Open the Oregon preset in the tool
On your first visit the tool loads this example, with its made-up details marked as examples and a Start blank button. If you already have a recipe saved, it keeps your recipe and switches the state to Oregon.
Easy mistakes to avoid
- Putting the cottage food statement on the back label only.
- Small "fine print" ingredient lists: the 1/16-inch rule applies to every line.
- Leaving out the pets statement when there is a cat or dog in the house.
- Using a UIN after its June 30 expiry.
- Listing "chocolate chips" without their sub-ingredients. The rule names sub-ingredients explicitly.
Frequently asked questions
Is a phone number required on Oregon cottage food labels?
Yes. OAR 603-025-0325(2)(f) requires the phone number for the cottage food establishment, in addition to the address or UIN.
Can I use a P.O. box?
The rule offers three choices: your full street address, city, state and ZIP; city, state and ZIP if the business is listed in a city directory; or an ODA Unique Identification Number. A P.O. box is not one of them. If you do not want your street address on the label, the UIN is the option.
What if I have no pets?
Then you do not need a pets statement. The requirement in OAR 603-025-0325(2)(i) applies only "if there are pets in the residential dwelling".
What exactly does "1/16 inch lower case o" mean?
Measure the height of a lower case letter "o" on the printed label. It must be at least 1/16 inch (about 1.6 mm). In Arial that takes roughly 8.7-point type or larger, so the tool uses 9 points for Oregon labels.
Do Oregon cottage foods need a Nutrition Facts panel?
Only if the label makes a nutrient content claim, health claim or other nutritional statement (OAR 603-025-0325(2)(h)).
Does the statement have to be in capital letters?
The rule quotes it in sentence case and does not require capitals. It does require it on the principal display panel.
Sources
Last checked October 19, 2026. We read each of these official sources; quotes on this page are copied from them.
- OAR 603-025-0325: Labeling (DOA 4-2024, effective 4/18/2024)
- Oregon Department of Agriculture: Oregon's Cottage Food Exemption (March 2026, PDF)
- ODA: Cottage Food Exemption FAQ (PDF)
This page explains the rules in plain English. It is not legal advice. Rules change, and your county or market may ask for more, so check with the agency above before printing a large run.
How we check these rules, and what changed: How we verify · change log · report an error.
Other states
Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · Michigan · Ohio · Texas · All states and the label maker
Also useful: what goes on a food label (federal basics) and the ingredient label maker.