How to Start a Cottage Food Business in Lakewood, WA
Lakewood is home to nearly 1,200 home-based businesses, and that number keeps climbing. Plenty of them start in garages, spare bedrooms, workshops, and at kitchen tables across the city.
If your kitchen is where you do your best work, Washington's cottage food law gives you a legal, low-cost way to turn it into a business. Getting started comes down to three credentials and a few weeks of lead time.
Why home-based businesses are booming in Lakewood
Americans filed a record 5.4 million new business applications in 2021, a 53 percent jump over pre-pandemic levels, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics. Lakewood saw the same surge.
Our home-based businesses span transportation, consulting, education, construction, manufacturing, real estate, finance, creative services, and food. Many start with low overhead while owners balance family, build a second income, or test an idea before signing a lease.
Location helps. Lakewood sits in the South Puget Sound along the I-5 corridor, with direct access to Tacoma, Seattle, and Olympia, plus Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the Port of Tacoma nearby. Costs run lower than larger metro markets, and the city's cultural diversity feeds a food scene full of globally inspired flavors. For a home baker or jam maker, that is a real advantage.
What counts as a cottage food business?
A cottage food business makes non-perishable, low-risk foods in a home kitchen and sells them directly to consumers. Think baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and dry mixes. Foods that need refrigeration to stay safe, like cheesecakes or fresh salsas, fall outside the program.
There is a ceiling worth knowing before you start. Cottage food operations may earn up to $35,000 in gross sales per year, a cap Washington raised from $25,000 in 2023. The program is built for testing an idea and earning supplemental income, not for running a full production business. Once your sales pass $35,000, you outgrow the permit and need a Washington State Food Processor's License instead.
For many Lakewood entrepreneurs, that ceiling is the right size to start.
The steps to get licensed
Three credentials are required to operate a cottage food business legally:
| Step | Issuing Office | Cost | Typical Timeline |
| Business license | WA Department of Revenue | $50 master license + $5 processing, plus a $90 City of Lakewood endorsement | About 10 days for the license, 5 for the endorsement |
| Cottage food permit | WSDA Food Safety | Permit fee set by WSDA, valid two years | Varies, apply early |
| Food worker card | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department | $10 | About 60 minutes online |
Step one: register your business. Apply for a master business license through the Washington Department of Revenue. The license is $50 plus a $5 processing fee, and your City of Lakewood endorsement adds $90. The state's Business Licensing Service can help by phone at 360-705-6741 or at bls@dor.wa.gov.
Step two: get your WSDA cottage food permit. The Washington State Department of Agriculture reviews your recipes, labels, and home kitchen before issuing the permit. Reach the program at 360-902-1876 or cottagefoods@agr.wa.gov.
Step three: earn your food worker card. Complete the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department course, which costs $10 and takes about an hour online. The card is valid for two years, and renewing within 60 days of expiration extends the next one to three years. You retest each time you renew.
Requirements change, so confirm the current details directly with each office before you apply.
When you need a City of Lakewood permit
Most home cooks will not need one. Under Lakewood Municipal Code 18A.40.110, a cottage food business permitted by WSDA does not need a separate City of Lakewood permit.
You need a city permit only if customers will come to your home, or if the residence shows an outward appearance of a business, such as signage or steady traffic. The home-occupation rules also require the business to stay secondary to the home's residential use, all activity to happen indoors, and the work to be done by a family member or resident.
If you are unsure where your plans land, the city's Economic Development team can walk you through it before you invest.
Selling at markets and events
Farmers markets and community events are where many cottage food businesses find their first regular customers. If you plan to offer samples, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department asks for a Sampling and Tasting Courtesy Application, submitted to food@tpchd.org with a copy of your WSDA license at least 14 days before the event. Questions on sampling go to Amanda Peters, RS, at 253-649-1705.
Ready to turn your kitchen into a business? The City of Lakewood's Economic Development program is here to help you start, license, and grow. Reach out before you launch and we will point you to the right office for every step.
Connect with Lakewood
Whether you are baking from a home kitchen today or planning a storefront tomorrow, we want to help you build it here.
- Explore retail opportunities and the local restaurant and food scene
- Learn what it is like living and working in Lakewood
- Talk with our Business Concierge about your plans
- See more Lakewood business news
Yes. To sell homemade cottage foods you need a Washington State business license, a WSDA cottage food permit, and a food worker card from your county health department. Selling without these is not legal, even for small home operations.
Only non-perishable, low-risk foods such as baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and dry mixes. Foods that require refrigeration for safety, including cream pies, cheesecakes, and fresh salsas, are not allowed under the cottage food permit.
Up to $35,000 in gross sales per year. The state raised this cap from $25,000 in 2023. Once your sales exceed $35,000, you need a Washington State Food Processor's License instead of a cottage food permit.
You can sell directly to consumers at farmers markets, community events, and similar venues. If you want to offer samples, submit a Sampling and Tasting Courtesy Application to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department at least 14 days before the event.
In most cases, no. A WSDA-permitted cottage food business does not need a separate city permit unless customers visit your home or your residence shows an outward appearance of a business. The home-occupation rules are set out in Lakewood Municipal Code 18A.40.110.
Plan for a few weeks. The business license takes about 10 days and the city endorsement about 5, the food worker card takes roughly an hour, and the WSDA permit timeline varies, so apply early.
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