New York calls its program the Home Processor Exemption rather than a "cottage food law," and it's the only one of the six states here that requires you to register with the state before you sell anything — a step that's free, but not optional.
The exact disclosure wording New York accepts
The Department of Agriculture and Markets requires one of three equivalent phrasings, printed in type at least 1/16 inch tall:
- "Made in a Home Kitchen."
- "Made at Home by [Name]."
- "Made in the Home Kitchen of [Name]."
Any one of the three satisfies the requirement — New York is more flexible here than Texas, Florida, Michigan, or Ohio, each of which mandates a single fixed sentence.
What else belongs on the label
Beyond the disclosure line, New York requires the common or usual name of the product; an ingredient list in order of predominance by weight; the net quantity of contents; the processor's name and full address; and all nine major allergens recognized under federal law (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame) clearly identified if present. That's the full nine-allergen list, including sesame, which some older cottage-food guidance in other states hasn't caught up to yet.
Registration is required before you sell — and it isn't free-form
Unlike Ohio or Florida, New York doesn't let you start selling on the strength of the label alone. You have to submit a Home Processor Registration Request to the Department of Agriculture and Markets — by email or by mail to their Albany office — before your first sale. There's currently no fee. If your kitchen uses a private well rather than a public water supply, you also need to include a current lab test showing negative results for Total Coliform and E. coli. Approval generally takes about two weeks, the registration doesn't expire on a schedule, but it's tied to a specific kitchen location — if you move, you register again. Sales must stay inside New York State: farms, farm stands, farmers markets, craft fairs, flea markets, home delivery, and online orders are all fine as long as the buyer is in New York, but interstate shipping isn't covered by the exemption. Wholesale to in-state restaurants, cafés, and grocery stores is permitted.
Using the free generator for a New York label
Select New York in the generator on this site's homepage and it fills in the processor's name and address, product name, ingredients in order of predominance, net quantity, and the full nine-allergen line, then lets you choose which of the three accepted disclosure phrasings to use, live in the preview, sized to satisfy the 1/16-inch minimum. Print directly or save it as a PDF.
Required label elements at a glance
- Common or usual name of the product
- Ingredient list, in order of predominance by weight
- Net quantity of contents
- Processor's name and full address
- All nine major allergens clearly identified (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame)
- One of three exact disclosure phrasings (below), ≥1/16-inch type
Minimum type size
At least 1/16 inch tall.
Sales cap
No stated gross-sales dollar cap, but all sales must stay inside New York State — no interstate or out-of-state shipping under the exemption.
Permit / registration
Registration (not a paid license) with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets is required before selling — submit a Home Processor Registration Request; if you use a private well, you'll also need a current lab test showing negative Total Coliform and E. coli. Approval typically takes about two weeks and doesn't expire, but is tied to your kitchen location, so moving requires re-registering.