Cottage Food Laws by State
Arkansas Cottage Food Laws
Arkansas's Food Freedom Act lets home cooks sell non-refrigerated, low-risk foods made in their own residence with no state license, inspection, or sales cap. Instead of a permit, the law relies on honest disclosure: every sale must tell the buyer the food came from an uninspected home kitchen. Meat, seafood, and anything needing temperature control stays out.
Annual sales cap
No cap
Permit
None
Training
Not required
Home inspection
No
Online sales
Allowed
Shipping
Allowed
Across state lines
Allowed
Wholesale
Not allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Arkansas
You can sell straight to the final customer from home, at farmers markets and events, online, or through a shop or grocery store that carries your products. Delivery can be by you, a helper, or a carrier such as the mail. Restaurants cannot use homemade food, and buyers cannot resell it. Sales to other states must follow federal law and the destination state's rules.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| From home |
Conditions apply
Sold from a retail space at the home, farm, ranch, or office where it is produced. |
| Farmers markets | Allowed |
| Events & festivals |
Conditions apply
State law exempts homemade products at festivals organized by a political subdivision lasting no more than seven consecutive days, and at county fairs and special events. |
| Roadside stands | Allowed |
| Online orders |
Conditions apply
The website must display the required label information. |
| Retail stores |
Conditions apply
A third-party vendor such as a retail shop or grocery store may sell your product directly to the final consumer, and must keep it separate from items made in a licensed food establishment. |
| Wholesale | Not allowed |
| Restaurants |
Conditions apply
ADH states homemade food cannot be sold to restaurants for use in the restaurant. |
What You Can Sell in Arkansas
Think shelf-stable: breads, cookies, cakes, fruit pies, candy, jams, dried goods, and popcorn are typical. Pickles and other acidified vegetables are allowed only when the finished pH is 4.6 or lower and you keep batch records. Dairy, cheesecake, cream fillings, raw-egg items, and fresh-cut produce are off the table. When unsure, ask your local health unit.
Non-time/temperature control for safety (non-TCS) food made in your private residence; meat, poultry, seafood, and TCS foods are excluded.
Bread
Candy
Dry goods
Preserves
Snacks
Allowed with conditions
- Pickled cucumbers and acidified vegetables — Recipe must come from an ADH-approved source or lab-tested process, or each batch tested with a calibrated pH meter to 4.6 or less; label a batch number and keep batch records.
- Alcohol-flavored candy — ADH lists candy flavored with alcohol under 5% alcohol by volume as allowed.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
No cap
- Must be made in your private residence, including a farm or ranch where you live
- Sale must be directly to the final consumer, who may not resell the product
- No meat, poultry, seafood, or TCS food
- Cannot be sold to or used by restaurants or other food service establishments
- Does not exempt you from tax law, federal law, or another state's laws
- No protection from liability if a product causes illness or injury
- Dairy products are barred under the Act per ADH guidance (Act 698 of 2025)
Local rules: The Act preempts counties, cities, and other local governments from prohibiting or regulating the production and sale of homemade food or drink products. Business licensing and tax rules still apply.
How to Start Selling in Arkansas
-
1
Confirm your product qualifies
Check the ADH Homemade Food Production Guide for your item; ask your local health unit's Environmental Health Specialist if it is not listed.
-
2
Test acidified foods
For pickles and similar items, use an approved or lab-tested recipe, or test each batch with a calibrated pH meter to confirm 4.6 or less, and keep batch records.
-
3
Optional: request an ID number
If you prefer not to print your name, address, and phone, request an identification number from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
-
4
Label your products
Include the production date, contact details or ID number, product name, ingredients in descending order, and the required residence statement.
-
5
Sell directly to consumers
Sell from home, at markets, online, or through a third-party shop, delivering in person or by carrier; for sales to other states, follow federal law and that state's rules.
What a Compliant Arkansas Label Looks Like
Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Produced: October 24, 2026
Sunflower Home Bakery
412 Maple Ave, Springfield, AR
(555) 010-0142
Ingredients:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Corn Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil; Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla; Sugar, Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Confectioner's Glaze, Carnauba Wax, FD&C Colors; Water, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Red 40.
Contains:
This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Arkansas must have a label that includes the following.
| Required field |
|---|
| All 9 FDA major allergens present |
| Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight |
| Business name |
| Business address |
| Product name |
| Phone number |
| Date of production |
| "Not inspected" disclosure statement |
Arkansas Labeling Notes
- Information goes on the package label; for bulk sales, on the container plus a separate written document given at sale.
- Unpackaged items need a placard at the point of sale, and online sellers must show the information on their website.
- Acidified products also need a unique batch number on the label.
Required Label Disclosure
This exact text must appear on every label you sell in Arkansas.
This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.
Quickly Cottage adds this to your label automatically.
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Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Arkansas Cottage Food — Common Questions
No state license, certification, or inspection is required for homemade non-TCS food sold under the Food Freedom Act; you may optionally request an ID number from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture to print in place of your name, address, and phone.
Arkansas does not set a dollar cap on cottage food sales.
The Food Freedom Act sets no training or certification requirement.
Online sales are allowed. Shipping is allowed. The website must display the required label information.
Not allowed: Meat, poultry, seafood, and jerky; Dairy products; Cheesecake and custard or cream-filled items; Items with raw or uncooked eggs; Fresh-cut fruit and vegetables; Frozen doughs; Nut butters; Garlic-in-oil mixtures; Any time/temperature control for safety food.
Resources and Law History
Who to contact
Arkansas Department of Health, Environmental Health (local health unit)
Agency website2017
Cottage Food Act (Act 399) governed home food production.
2021
Act 1040 (SB 248) created the Food Freedom Act, replacing the cottage food law, effective July 28, 2021.
2025
ADH's 2026 guide states dairy products may not be sold under the Act, citing Act 698 of 2025.
Law reference: Arkansas Cottage Food Law (Arkansas Code 20-57-501 et seq. (Food Freedom Act, Act 1040 of 2021)) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
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