Cottage food rules
Arkansas Cottage Food Laws Update: What Changed
A plain look at the Arkansas rules change, so you know what applies to your home baking today.
On this page
What to remember
- The Cottage Food Act (Act 399 of 2017) was removed and replaced by the Food Freedom Act (Act 1040 of 2021).
- The old law allowed only a few specific homemade food products to be sold directly to consumers without a kitchen certified and inspected by the health department.
- Arkansas requires no state license to sell most homemade foods.
- Arkansas sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales, so your kitchen and your time are the real limits.
Start with the Arkansas Department of Health’s Homemade Food Production Guide. It was developed to provide standards, guidelines, and consistent information for food vendors and regulators, which makes it the plainest place to check what applies to you. If you are still working out whether selling from home is for you, how to apply for cottage food law walks through the order to do things in.
What the Food Freedom Act changed
The Food Freedom Act replaced the state’s Cottage Food law, which had allowed only a few specific homemade food products to be sold directly to consumers without being made in a kitchen certified and inspected by the health department. So the biggest change is scope. You are no longer reading from a short list of approved items the way home bakers used to.
The practical effect is that anything you saved before the change, or any advice a friend passes along from a few years back, may describe the law as it used to be. Work from the current state guide instead. If you want the wider picture of how a home food business gets set up, how to get a home bakery license covers it.
No state license and no sales cap
Two things surprise home bakers most. Arkansas requires no state license to sell most homemade foods, and the state sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales. That means growth is limited by your own kitchen and your own time rather than by a statutory cap. You can say yes to a bigger order without worrying that you will cross a number and trip a rule.
That does not mean there are no rules at all. It means the ceiling on your business is your oven, your fridge space, and the hours you can actually work, not a dollar figure written into the law. If you are also checking what other states ask, license to sell baked goods from home helps you separate what Arkansas asks of you from what other states do.
What to check before your next order
Open the current state guide
Go to the Arkansas Department of Health’s Homemade Food Production Guide and read the version that is live now, not a saved copy from last year.
Match your bakes to it
Read what the guide says about the foods you actually make. The old law named only a few specific products, so do not assume the same short list still applies.
Write down what you found
Keep a dated note of what you read and where you read it, so you have your own record to look back on.
Ask before you guess
If one of your bakes is not clearly covered, ask the Arkansas Department of Health before you take the order rather than after.
Keep your records straight
Write down what you sold, when, and to whom, and keep the copy of the state guide you worked from. Rules move. The Food Freedom Act is proof of that: the Cottage Food Act was removed and replaced in a single session. A dated note tells you which version you were following if a question ever comes up.
When you are ready to take orders, keep the money side just as tidy as the paperwork side. Your own shop, your own prices, and a clear record of every payment makes a busy month far easier to look back on.
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Common questions
Does Arkansas still have a cottage food law?
Not in the old form. During the 93rd Session of the Arkansas General Assembly, the Cottage Food Act (Act 399 of 2017) was removed and replaced by the Food Freedom Act (Act 1040 of 2021).
Do I need a license to sell homemade baked goods in Arkansas?
Arkansas requires no state license to sell most homemade foods. Check the Arkansas Department of Health's Homemade Food Production Guide for the foods you plan to sell.
Is there a dollar limit on cottage food sales in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales, so growth is limited by your own kitchen and time rather than by a statutory cap.
Where do I find the current Arkansas rules?
The Arkansas Department of Health's Homemade Food Production Guide was developed to provide standards, guidelines, and consistent information for food vendors and regulators. Read the current version rather than an older copy.
What did the old cottage food law allow?
The old law allowed only a few specific homemade food products to be sold directly to consumers without being made in a kitchen certified and inspected by the health department.
Sources
This is general information about Arkansas rules, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change, so check the current Arkansas Department of Health guide or ask the department about your own situation.