Cottage food rules
Cottage Food Laws in TN: What Home Bakers Can Sell
What Tennessee's Food Freedom Act covers, in plain words, before you take your first order.
On this page
What to remember
- The law is the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, also called the Tennessee Cottage Food Law or the Cottage Food Industry Act.
- Homemade food produced and sold from a home kitchen is exempt from state licensing, permitting, and inspection.
- Canned goods go further here than in most states: acidified and low-acid canned foods can fall under the law.
- Read the state’s own page before you sell, because the details matter more than the headlines.
If you have been putting off selling because you assumed you needed a permit first, this is the guide to read. The short version is good news for a home baker in Tennessee. Below is what the law covers, the part that surprises most people, and the questions worth asking before you take your first paid order. If you want the wider picture on paperwork, cottage food laws and permits walks through what to check first.
What the Tennessee Food Freedom Act covers
The Act covers food you produce and sell from your home kitchen. Under present Tennessee law, that production and sale is exempt from licensing, permitting, and inspecting requirements. A separate summary of the law puts it plainly: food made in a home kitchen in Tennessee is exempt from state licensing, permitting, and inspection.
That exemption is the heart of it. For most home bakers, the first step is not an application form. It is knowing exactly what you make, writing it down, and being able to describe it clearly if anyone asks.
The canned goods rule that surprises people
Most states stop at baked goods, jams, and dry mixes. Tennessee does not. Tennessee is one of only about three states that allows acidified foods and low-acid canned foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, canned vegetables, and hot sauces under its cottage food law. If you have been canning for years and assumed it was off limits, that is worth reading twice.
What to check before you take your first order
Read the state page yourself
Start with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture page on the Tennessee Food Freedom Act. It is the shortest path to the current wording.
List what you actually sell
Baked goods, jams, and canned items do not sit in the same place. Write your menu out item by item.
Ask about the edge cases
If an item sits between categories, ask the state directly rather than trusting a forum post.
Check claims you read online
Old blog posts and social threads go stale. How to check what is true covers sorting real answers from noise.
Set up how you take orders
Decide how customers reach you and how they pay before you announce anything.
Keep records from day one
Orders, batches, and dates. It takes minutes and saves arguments later.
One more thing worth doing early: get your shop in order before the orders arrive. Brevl gives you a shop with your own photos, your colors, and your own web address, and you can take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. It works on a computer and on a phone.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
Where to go next
Once the law is clear, the practical questions move from paperwork to money. Cost of Bakesy is a fair look at what one app charges every month, and it helps you compare that against a flat fee with no cut of your sales.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from my home in Tennessee?
Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, production and sale of homemade food is exempt from licensing, permitting, and inspection requirements. Read the state's current page on the Act before you sell, since the wording is the thing that counts.
What is Tennessee's cottage food law called?
The Tennessee Food Freedom Act. It is also commonly called the Tennessee Cottage Food Law or the Cottage Food Industry Act.
Can I sell pickles, sauerkraut, or hot sauce under the law?
Tennessee is one of only about three states that allows acidified foods and low-acid canned foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, canned vegetables, and hot sauces under its cottage food law. Confirm the current wording before you list them.
Will someone inspect my home kitchen?
Food made in a home kitchen in Tennessee is exempt from state licensing, permitting, and inspection under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act. Check the state page for the current details.
Where can I check whether something I read about the law is true?
Go to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture page on the Act first. Our guide on [checking what is true](/blog/cottage-food-laws-reddit/) helps you sort real answers from stale forum posts.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change, so confirm the current wording with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture before you sell.