Cottage food rules
Cottage Food License in Alabama: What You Actually Need
The real steps to sell homemade bakes legally in Alabama, without hunting for a license that does not exist.
On this page
What to remember
- No state permit, no home inspection, and no food service license are required for cottage food sellers in Alabama.
- You register your cottage food operation with your county health department.
- You must attend and pass a food safety course approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health.
- Every label needs your operation name and address, an ingredients list, and a line saying the food is not inspected by the Health Department.
- In-home production of baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and dried herb and herb mixes is excluded from regulation by the State Department of Health.
The name trips people up. There is no license to apply for, which is why the search for one goes nowhere. What Alabama has is the Alabama Cottage Food Law, which went into effect in 2014 and was revised in 2021, and it sets out who can produce certain foods from a home kitchen and what they have to do first. If you are still deciding whether this is the right way to earn from home, cottage food laws by state shows how Alabama compares with everywhere else.
The steps that stand in for a license
Because there is no license, these required steps are what keep you on the right side of things. None of them take long, but skipping one is the difference between a hobby and a business you can talk about openly.
Register with your county health department
Alabama does not require a license or food service permit to sell homemade cottage foods. Instead you register your operation with your county health department. Call yours and ask what they want from a cottage food operation before you take your first order.
Take an approved food safety course
Anyone operating under the Alabama Cottage Food Law must attend and pass a food safety course approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Choose a course that fits your week
The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service offers a food safety course developed specifically for cottage food operations. Other courses are accepted too, including any taken through an ANSI accredited provider.
Print labels before you bake the next batch
Every item needs the name and address of your cottage food operation, an ingredients list, and a statement that the food is not inspected by the Health Department.
What you can sell under the law
Existing Alabama law excludes in-home cottage food production of baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and dried herb and herb mixes from regulation by the State Department of Health. If your plan is cakes, cookies, breads, small batch jam, or fudge, you are in the right place. If it is something else, ask your county health department before you build a menu around it. It also helps to know early what each bake actually costs you, so what you pay for a home bakery app does not eat the margin you were counting on.
Getting ready before the first order
The course and the registration are the gate, but the selling starts the week you decide to do it. Decide what you will bake, work out what a batch costs, and set your prices before a customer asks, because the first message usually comes from a friend who wants a deal. Home bakery app is a fair look at the tools bakers use for orders and recipes, and Brevl keeps recipes with real costing, ingredient inventory, and a weekly planner in the same place as your shop.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
One last thing worth saying plainly. The requirements above are what the state pages say today, and county health departments are the people who answer the phone when something is unclear. A two minute call before you sell is cheaper than guessing.
Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my home in Alabama?
No. Alabama does not require a license or food service permit for cottage foods. You register your operation with your county health department and pass an approved food safety course instead.
Will someone inspect my kitchen?
No home inspection is part of the cottage food path in Alabama. Your label tells customers the food is not inspected by the Health Department.
What has to be on my label?
The name and address of your cottage food operation, a statement that the food is not inspected by the Health Department, and a list of the ingredients.
Which food safety course should I take?
The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service offers a course developed specifically for cottage food operations. Courses taken through an ANSI accredited provider are also accepted.
When did the Alabama Cottage Food Law start?
It went into effect in 2014 and was revised in 2021.
What foods does it cover?
In-home cottage food production of baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and dried herb and herb mixes is excluded from regulation by the State Department of Health.
Sources
- Alabama Cottage Food Law, Alabama Department of Public Health
- Alabama Cottage Food Law: Basic Rules and Regulations, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
- Alabama Cottage Food Law (FCS-2058), Alabama Cooperative Extension System
- Alabama, Cottage Food Law Library
- Jefferson County Department of Health, cottage food guidance
- Sell Food Alabama: permits and steps
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with your county health department before you sell.