Retail Residential Kitchen Permit
This permit only covers foods you can safely keep at room temperature, like cookies, jams, and other baked goods.
Foods you can prepare and sell under this permit include:
- Baked goods, like cookies and brownies
- Confectioneries
- Jams and jellies
- Vinegars
- Other foods that don’t need to be kept hot or cold to stay safe
You can’t prepare foods that require time or temperature control to be kept safe (TCS foods) under this permit. For example, you cannot prepare:
- Sugar-free jams and jellies (sugar acts as a preservative for safety)
- Raw or heat-treated meat or fish
- Certain cut produce, including melons
- Leafy greens and tomatoes
- Any food that needs hot or cold holding to stay safe
This permit also doesn’t cover certain preparation methods, including acidification, hot-fill canning, vacuum packaging, or curing and smoking. The only exception is jams and jellies processed in sealed containers.
This permit covers retail sales only. That means you’re selling directly to your customers. If you want to sell wholesale, for example to a grocery store or restaurant that will resell your food, you’ll need a wholesale license from the state.
You can’t use this permit to sell food made in your residential kitchen outside Massachusetts.
Who Can Apply
You can apply for this permit if you want to prepare “cottage foods” in your home kitchen and sell them directly to customers. Cottage foods are shelf-stable foods that don’t need refrigeration. You can sell online, by mail, or at other direct-to-consumer venues, like farmers markets. You can’t sell directly to customers at your home. City zoning rules don’t allow selling merchandise in person from a residence.
You and the other members of your household who live in the home must do all the food preparation yourselves. This permit doesn’t allow you to hire outside employees or use brokers, wholesalers, or warehouses to store, sell, or distribute your food.
The person preparing food in your kitchen must hold an active Food Manager Certification during all production hours. You get this certification by passing a test through a program accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). You must also complete food allergen awareness training.
Before You Apply
You’ll need a plan review of your kitchen. A plan review ensures your kitchen layout and equipment meet health safety codes before you open. This is part of the application process.
You’re responsible for getting any other permits or approvals your business needs. For example, a home coffee bean roasting business may need a Long-Form Permit to vent roasting equipment exhaust outside. Our team will help you understand if you need other permits depending on what you plan to prepare in your kitchen.
Required Documents
Gather these documents before you start your application:
- A completed Residential Retail Kitchen Application
- A completed Kitchen Permit Plan Review worksheet
- A letter or email from your property owner acknowledging that you'll run your business from that property. If you own your home, write and sign the letter yourself.
- Two sets of floor plans, at least 11 inches by 17 inches, showing your kitchen’s layout, equipment, and food prep and storage areas
- A list of the foods you plan to prepare and sell, including where you’ll source your ingredients
- Standardized recipes for each food you plan to prepare
- Planned days and hours of operation
- A sample of your product label
- A full-time, on-site Food Manager Certification for whoever manages food safety in your kitchen.
- Your Food Allergen Awareness Certification
You’ll also need to let us know whether you have pets in the home. Pets need to stay out of the kitchen and storage areas while you’re preparing food.
Fees
This permit costs $100 per year.
How to Pay
- Online. We’ll send a one-time payment link to your email address. You can pay by credit or debit card.
- In person. Pay by credit card, debit card, check, money order, or cash in person at ISD Health. Cash and credit card payments in person are due by 3:30 p.m.
- By mail. Mail your check or money order to us.
How to Apply
You can apply by email, in person at ISD, or by mail. All three options use the same required documents. Download and fill out the application form and [plan review worksheet] before you begin.
Typically, application and plan reviews take less than a week to complete. We schedule your inspection based on your availability.
Getting this permit happens in three steps.
- Schedule a plan review appointment with the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) Health Division. Call 617-635-5326 or request an online plan review at ISDHealth@boston.gov. We’ll let you know if your plan review needs to happen in person or if an email submission is OK.
- Email your completed application, the plan review worksheet, and your required documents to ISDHealth@boston.gov.
- We’ll send you a one-time payment link where you can pay the permit fee.
Once your application is approved, request an opening inspection by calling 617-635-5326 or emailing ISDHealth@boston.gov.
- Bring your completed application, required documents, and a way to pay to ISD Health, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
Inspectional Services Health Division
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02118
-
Inspectional Services Health Division
- Pay your fees in person at ISD.
- Schedule a plan review appointment with the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) Health Division. Call 617-635-5326 or request an online plan review at ISDHealth@boston.gov.
- Download and fill out the application and plan review worksheet, and gather your required documents.
- Mail everything to us, along with all required documents and payment for fees:
-
Inspectional Services Health Division
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02118
-
Inspectional Services Health Division
After You Apply
We review your plan review submission and application. Reviewers look closely at your plans, equipment specifications, kitchen layout, and how you plan to operate day to day.
Once your application is approved, request an opening inspection. Call 617-635-5326 or email ISDHealth@boston.gov. We can usually send someone to inspect your kitchen within one or two business days. Be ready to operate when the inspector comes.
If you pass inspection, we’ll issue your Retail Residential Kitchen Permit. We’ll send you the permit via email.
Rules to Follow
Once you’re approved and operating:
- Store business food separately from your personal food.
- Keep children and infants out of the kitchen during food preparation, processing, and packaging.
- Keep pets and guests out of the kitchen and storage areas while you’re preparing food for sale, and don’t run laundry appliances during food prep.
- Make sure trash cans have lids that seal securely.
- Display your Retail Residential Kitchen Permit in your kitchen any time you’re preparing foods for sale.
- Include your business name and ISD-issued permit number on all advertising and online listings for your business.
- Check with ISD before adding any exterior signage.
Read the full Retail Residential Kitchen Ordinance and Commissioner's Bulletin for the complete list of requirements.
After you’re operating, your kitchen is subject to an annual inspection, or a random inspection, by the Health Division.
Renewals
Your permit is effective January 1 - December 31 of each year. You must renew annually. We’ll send a renewal bill around the second week of November each year. The renewal fee is $100 and you can pay online.
Inspections aren’t tied to the permit renewal process. We inspect your business annually. We will get in touch with you to check about a good time for your annual inspection.
