Selling at and running markets in Connecticut.
Connecticut requires a Sales and Use Tax Permit from the Department of Revenue Services for anyone selling at a flea market, craft show or fair, even for one day. Cottage food makers are licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection, and temporary food stands go through the local health department of the event's town.
Updated
Sales tax.
Sales and Use Tax Permit
A permit is required for individuals and businesses alike regardless of how many sales are made, except for casual or isolated sales. Register online through myconneCT, display the permit at the booth or table, and note that selling without one carries fines.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Connecticut Department of Revenue Services
- When
- Anyone selling at a flea market, craft show, trade show, antique show or fair, even for one day
- Fee
- There is a $100 fee for registering to collect sales and use tax.
Selling homemade food (cottage food).
At a glance: license or permit, a $50 state fee, sales up to $50,000 a year. Compare all 50 states.
Cottage Food Operator license
Cottage food operators are licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection after local zoning approval, a food safety course and a water test for private wells. Sales are person-to-person only, capped at $50,000 in yearly gross sales, and some farmers' markets may still ask vendors for a food establishment license.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- When
- Making non-hazardous foods such as breads, cakes, jams and candy in a home kitchen for direct sale to consumers
- Fee
- Pay the $50 application fee to the Department of Consumer Protection.
Temporary food permits.
Local food service or itinerant permit for events
The state sends vendors to the local health department serving the town for food service licensing, since procedures vary by town. County fairs, carnivals and music festivals are temporary events outside the itinerant reciprocal permit, so vendors register with the event coordinator and get approvals from the local health department.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Local health department of the town where the event is held (Connecticut Department of Public Health oversees)
- When
- Food vendors at fairs, carnivals, festivals and other temporary events
Farmers markets and produce.
Certified farmers' market rules
A certified farmers' market has two or more farmers selling Connecticut Grown fresh produce, and may be Producer Only or Exempt (allowing resale of Connecticut Grown items). Non-certified markets may allow out-of-state farmers and non-Connecticut Grown products.
- Who
- Organizer and vendors
- From
- Connecticut Department of Agriculture
- When
- Markets and farmers who want certified farmers' market status
Business registration.
Trade name certificate (sole proprietors using a business name)
A trade name is filed with the town clerk where the business mainly operates and is only public notice of the name, not a business license or permit. State guidance says the filing fee is paid to the town clerk.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Town clerk
- When
- Individuals doing business under a name other than their own
- Fee
- $20 filing fee payable to the town clerk.
City and county permits in Connecticut.
Event permits, vendor licenses and food permits are mostly local. Pick your city or county:
Collect the paperwork with each application.
Ask vendors for their sales tax registration, cottage food registration or food permit and insurance certificate as required documents on your application form, and check them before you approve anyone.
Where the sources are unclear.
- The Department of Revenue Services page 'Vendors at Flea Markets' now returns a not-found page on portal.ct.gov; the same permit rule is stated on the Sales and Use Tax Information page cited.
- No official Connecticut page was found setting a state duty for event organizers about vendors' sales tax; ask the Department of Revenue Services.
- Connecticut temporary-event food permits are not issued by the state; fee and lead time vary by local health department.
Common questions.
Do I need a sales tax permit to sell at a craft fair in Connecticut?
Sales and Use Tax Permit (Connecticut Department of Revenue Services): A permit is required for individuals and businesses alike regardless of how many sales are made, except for casual or isolated sales. Register online through myconneCT, display the permit at the booth or table, and note that selling without one carries fines.
Can I sell homemade food at a farmers market in Connecticut?
Cottage Food Operator license (Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection): Cottage food operators are licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection after local zoning approval, a food safety course and a water test for private wells. Sales are person-to-person only, capped at $50,000 in yearly gross sales, and some farmers' markets may still ask vendors for a food establishment license.
Who issues temporary food permits for events in Connecticut?
Local food service or itinerant permit for events (Local health department of the town where the event is held (Connecticut Department of Public Health oversees)): The state sends vendors to the local health department serving the town for food service licensing, since procedures vary by town. County fairs, carnivals and music festivals are temporary events outside the itinerant reciprocal permit, so vendors register with the event coordinator and get approvals from the local health department.
Do I need a state business license to be a vendor in Connecticut?
Trade name certificate (sole proprietors using a business name) (Town clerk): A trade name is filed with the town clerk where the business mainly operates and is only public notice of the name, not a business license or permit. State guidance says the filing fee is paid to the town clerk.
Sources.
This page summarizes official state sources and isn't legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with each agency.
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages, checked on 2026-10-11. Details change; tell us at hello@bzar.app if something here is out of date.
- https://portal.ct.gov/drs/sales-tax/tax-information
- https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/cottage-foods/application-process
- https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/cottage-foods/sales-and-doing-business-in-connecticut
- https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/cottage-foods/accepted-cottage-food-products
- https://portal.ct.gov/dph/food-protection-program/itinerant-food-vendors
- https://portal.ct.gov/dph/food-protection-program/food-service-licensing
- https://portal.ct.gov/doag/knowledge-base/articles/farmers-markets/certified-vs-non-certified-farmers-markets
- https://business.ct.gov/knowledge-base/articles/trade-names
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