Cottage food rules
Arkansas Cottage Food Laws: What Home Bakers Need to Know
The plain version of the Arkansas rules, so you can start selling without guessing.
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What to remember
- The Cottage Food Act of 2017 was replaced by the Food Freedom Act, Act 1040 of 2021.
- The law covers non-potentially hazardous foods.
- A cottage food production operation needs no permit or license from the Arkansas Department of Health.
- The kitchen where you bake is not licensed or inspected by the health department.
- Arkansas sets no dollar cap on cottage food sales.
If you have been putting off selling your bakes because you assumed a license came first, the Arkansas rules are kinder than you think. Here is what the law actually says, in the order you will meet it, plus a plain look at what changed in the Arkansas rules so you are not working from an old blog post.
What the Food Freedom Act changed
For a while, Arkansas home producers worked under the Cottage Food Act, Act 399 of 2017. During the 93rd Session of the Arkansas General Assembly, that act was removed and replaced by the Food Freedom Act, Act 1040 of 2021. If a friend or a Facebook group is still quoting the 2017 version, that is where the confusion usually starts.
The Food Freedom Act exempts certain producers of homemade food or drink products from licensure, certification, and inspection. That single sentence does most of the work. If your baking fits inside the law, the state is not asking you to buy a permit before you take your first order.
What you can sell from your own kitchen
Arkansas cottage food rules allow for the sale of non-potentially hazardous foods. That is the line the law draws, and it is the one thing worth being sure about before you print a menu or take a big order. If you are unsure whether a particular recipe sits inside that line, get the answer settled first rather than after the cakes are baked.
No license, no inspection, no sales cap
A cottage food production operation is not required to have any permit or license from the Arkansas Department of Health. The kitchen where cottage food items are prepared is not required to be licensed or inspected by the health department either. In practice, that means no inspection appointment, no fee, and no waiting on paperwork before you bake.
Arkansas also sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales. There is no ceiling to bump into at the end of the year, so what you earn comes down to your kitchen, your oven, and the hours you can give it. For a mom selling from home, that is the difference between a hobby and a real income. If you ever want the fuller license anyway, how to get a home bakery license walks through that route.
Open the free bake pricing calculator
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Getting paid and staying organized
With no sales cap in the law, the thing that limits you is time and oven space, not a statute. That makes the boring parts matter more: knowing what a batch costs you, knowing what you have on the shelf, and knowing who is picking up what on Saturday. Brevl handles recipes with real costing, ingredient inventory, and a weekly planner, and a real person answers when you get stuck, usually within minutes. If you want the wider picture on permits and paperwork in other situations, license to sell baked goods from home covers it.
One more thing worth doing early: keep a simple record of what you sold and when. Not because Arkansas demands it under this law, but because you cannot price well or plan a week without it. If you sell across a state line, the rules change, so compare before you promise delivery. Tennessee cottage food laws is a useful read if you are near the border.
Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my Arkansas kitchen?
No. A cottage food production operation is not required to have any permit or license from the Arkansas Department of Health.
Is there a limit on how much I can sell?
Arkansas sets no dollar limit on cottage food sales. How much you earn depends on your own kitchen and time rather than a cap in the law.
Will my kitchen be inspected?
No. Kitchens where cottage food items are prepared are not required to be licensed or inspected by the health department.
What is the Food Freedom Act?
It is Act 1040 of 2021. It replaced the Cottage Food Act of 2017 and exempts certain producers of homemade food or drink products from licensure, certification, and inspection.
What can I sell under the law?
Arkansas cottage food rules allow for the sale of non-potentially hazardous foods. Confirm where your recipe stands before you build a business around it.
Sources
This is general information about Arkansas rules as published, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change, so check with the Arkansas Department of Health before you rely on anything here for your own situation.