Cottage food rules
Tennessee Cottage Food Laws Update: What Changed
What the July 1, 2025 change means for the bakes you sell from your kitchen.
On this page
What to remember
- The amendment took effect July 1, 2025.
- It amended the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. § 53-1-118.
- Certain time/temperature controlled foods are now covered.
- The Food Freedom Act is also called the Tennessee Cottage Food Law or the Cottage Food Industry Act.
- Food made in a home kitchen is exempt from state licensing, permitting, and inspection.
If you bake from your kitchen in Tennessee and sell what you make, this is the update to read before your next order. Start with our Tennessee cottage food laws list to see how the law is laid out, then come back here for what moved in 2025.
What changed on July 1, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025, the Tennessee legislature amended the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. § 53-1-118, to allow for the production and sale of certain time/temperature controlled foods. That term covers foods that have to be held at set temperatures to be safe, the ones that live in your fridge or your warm oven. The amendment brings certain of them inside the law, and the word certain is doing real work in that sentence. It is not a blanket yes for everything that needs refrigeration.
The safest move is to read the amendment text itself and match it to the exact things you sell, item by item. If cream cheese frosting is on your list, our guide to Tennessee cottage food laws and cream cheese walks through the dairy question so you are not guessing at the mixer.
How the law says you can sell
Under Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 130, homemade food items that do not contain dairy, meat, or poultry must be sold by the producer to the consumer, whether in person or remotely. In plain terms, you are the one selling to the person who eats it. Remote sales count, so a phone order or an order placed through your own shop is not automatically off the table. What the law describes is a direct line from your kitchen to your customer, not a chain of middle hands.
What to do before your next batch
Read the Food Freedom Act page
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture page on the Tennessee Food Freedom Act states the July 1, 2025 change. Read it before you plan a menu, not after you have baked.
List what you actually sell
Write down every item, including frostings, fillings, and toppings, so you can check each one instead of the whole tray.
Match each item to the law
If an item is not clearly covered, hold it back until you have checked. Certain does not mean all.
Keep selling direct
Under Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 130, items without dairy, meat, or poultry go from you to the consumer, in person or remotely.
Recheck each year
Laws move. Put a reminder in your phone to reread the page before your busy season starts.
If you bake in another state, or you are weighing a move, our guide on how to research your state’s cottage food laws shows where the official text lives so you can read the source yourself.
Price a batch before you sell it
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Tennessee runs one of the most open home food laws in the country under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, and food made in a home kitchen is exempt from state licensing, permitting, and inspection. That is a real advantage for a mom selling from home. The July 2025 amendment widens what you can make without turning the law into a free-for-all, so read it, list your bakes, and sell direct.
Common questions
What is the Tennessee Food Freedom Act?
It is the state law, T.C.A. § 53-1-118, that many people call the Tennessee Cottage Food Law or the Cottage Food Industry Act.
When did the update take effect?
July 1, 2025.
Can I now sell foods that need refrigeration?
The amendment allows for the production and sale of certain time/temperature controlled foods. It says certain, so check each item against the law text rather than assuming everything in that category is allowed.
Do I need a license or permit for my home kitchen?
Food made in a home kitchen is exempt from state licensing, permitting, and inspection under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, according to the Cottage Food Law Library.
Can I sell online or by phone?
Under Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 130, homemade items that do not contain dairy, meat, or poultry are sold by the producer to the consumer, whether in person or remotely.
Sources
This is general information about a state law, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change. Read the current text from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and talk to a professional about your own situation.