Arkansas Cottage Food Law (2026): Selling Baked Goods from Home

At a glance

Sales limit

The state sets no yearly sales limit.

License or permit

No state permit or registration is required.

Food safety training

No food safety training is required by the state.

Online orders

Allowed: a 'transaction' may be in person, by telephone, or online.

Label statement

“This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection.”

Homemade food or drink product (Arkansas Food Freedom Act)

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-57-501 to 20-57-507 (Food Freedom Act); § 20-57-201(1)(B) (exemption from 'food service establishment') · Act 1040 of 2021 (SB 248; Sens. B. Davis and B. Ballinger, Rep. Payton), approved 2021-04-29; replaced the cottage food law (Act 72 of 2011, as amended). § 20-57-503 amended by Act 205 of 2023, eff. 2023-08-01 (code history note)

Yearly sales limit

No state limit
No sales cap in the statute or in ADH guidance.

Permit or registration

Not required by the state

Food safety training

Where you make it

The producer's private residence, which may include a farm or ranch where the producer lives (§ 20-57-503). The statute does not say 'primary' residence and sets no kitchen rules (no rules on pets, separate equipment, or water supply).

Selling in person

Allowed. Directly between the seller and the informed end consumer (§ 20-57-504(b)); at a retail space at the home, farm, ranch, or office where the food is made, at farmers' markets, or at a third-party vendor's retail location (§§ 20-57-503, 20-57-506(b)).

Phone and online orders

Allowed: a 'transaction' may be in person, by telephone, or online (§ 20-57-503). Online listings must show the required information (§ 20-57-505(b)).

Delivery and shipping

Allowed by the producer, the producer's agent, a third-party vendor, or a third-party carrier (§ 20-57-504(b)).

Selling out of state

Allowed by Arkansas law if the seller follows all federal laws (§ 20-57-504(b)); the other state's laws still apply (§ 20-57-507). Home and Hearth Baker supports in-state sales only.

Stores and wholesale

Third-party vendors such as a retail shop or grocery store may sell the products to informed end consumers (§ 20-57-504(b)); they must keep them separate from licensed food items (§ 20-57-506(c)). Not to restaurants or other food service establishments for use there (§ 20-57-506(a)).

Examples you can sell

Non-time/temperature control for safety (non-TCS) foods made at home; no meat, poultry, seafood, or TCS foods (§ 20-57-504(b)). ADH guide (2026-05-21) sets limits of final pH 4.6 or below or water activity 0.85 or below, and no refrigeration needed.

Breads, biscuits, biscotti, quick breads, pretzels (ADH)
Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, pastries (ADH)
Fruit-filled pies, pineapple upside-down cake (ADH)
Candy: bon bons, brittle, caramels, chocolate, fudge, hard candy, popcorn balls (ADH)
Chocolate-covered nuts, dried fruit, uncut fruit and berries, marshmallows, pretzels (ADH)
Icings: buttercream, fondant, gumpaste, flat icing, glaze, royal icing; sugar art and edible images (ADH)
Jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades, conserves, apple butter, fruit syrup, sorghum (ADH; full sugar only)
Honey, including creamed honey and honey flavored with dry non-TCS ingredients; maple syrup (ADH)
Candy flavored with alcohol under 5% alcohol by volume (ADH, citing A.C.A. § 3-2-413)
Pickled cucumbers and other acidified vegetables at pH 4.6 or below, with approved or tested recipe, batch numbers and records (§ 20-57-503)

Not allowed

Meat, poultry, seafood (§ 20-57-504(b)); also wild game (ADH)
Time/temperature control for safety foods, including cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes, cut melons, raw sprouts, garlic-in-oil mixtures (§ 20-57-503; ADH)
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, sour cream (ADH guide; see open questions on the legal basis)
Cheesecake; banana cream, meringue, pumpkin and squash pies; custard or pudding pies, cakes and cupcakes; Tres Leches cake (ADH)
Cream-based fillings; non-baked products with raw or pasteurized eggs (raw cookie dough, soft meringue, mousse, tiramisu) (ADH)
Icings based on egg, cream, milk, or cream cheese unless documented as non-TCS (ADH)
Lard, bacon grease, and other animal fats (ADH)
Jams and jellies made with reduced sugar or sugar substitutes (ADH)
Pizza and frozen doughs (ADH)
Alcohol-flavored products, except candy under 5% alcohol by volume (ADH)

The statement your labels must carry

This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.

Common questions about Arkansas’s cottage food law

Can I sell baked goods from home in Arkansas?

Yes. Arkansas lets home bakers sell food made in their own kitchen as a homemade food or drink product (Arkansas Food Freedom Act). Most baked goods that don’t need refrigeration qualify; see the examples on this page.

Do I need a license or permit to sell baked goods in Arkansas?

No state permit or registration is required.

How much can I sell from home in Arkansas?

The state sets no yearly sales limit.

Do I need food safety training in Arkansas?

No food safety training is required by the state.

Can I sell online or ship my baked goods in Arkansas?

Online and phone orders: Allowed: a 'transaction' may be in person, by telephone, or online. Delivery and shipping: Allowed by the producer, the producer's agent, a third-party vendor, or a third-party carrier.

What must a cottage food label say in Arkansas?

Labels must carry this statement: “This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.”. Most states also require the product name, ingredients in order of weight, allergens, net weight, and your name and address.

Selling home-baked goods in Arkansas