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Cottage Food Laws in Alabama

Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify

Yes. In Alabama you can make shelf-stable foods such as baked goods, candy, jams and roasted coffee in your home kitchen and sell them without a food service permit, and there is no limit on how much you earn. You must pass an approved food safety course, label every item, and have your county health department review your labels and certificate. You can only sell directly to customers in Alabama, in person, by phone or online.[3][1]

At a glance

Permit neededNo food service permit, but you must submit a review form to your county health department, which reviews your label and food safety certificate.[3][1]
FeeVaries by county; ask your county health department[1]
Sales capNone[1]
TrainingAn approved food safety course, kept current. The Extension course and any course from an ANSI-accredited program (one accredited by the American National Standards Institute) count.[1]
LabelsFood name, business name and address, ingredients, a statement that the food is not inspected by the health department, and an allergen disclaimer, in at least 10-point type[1]
Where you can sellDirectly to customers in Alabama only. You cannot sell through restaurants, shops or other permitted food businesses, or on consignment.[1]
Online and shippingYou can sell online and mail orders, as long as the customer is in Alabama[1]
AgencyYour county health department (Alabama Department of Public Health)[1]

Step by step

Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.

  1. Check that your food is allowed

    Your food must be shelf-stable: it cannot need to be kept cold or hot to stay safe, and it cannot contain meat, poultry or fish. Pickles, salsa and other fermented or acidified foods need a pH (acidity) test first, and freeze-dried foods need a water activity test (a measure of how much free water is left in the food). The tests must come from a processing authority (a food-safety expert or lab qualified to test it); for pH, the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service is also accepted.[1]

  2. Take an approved food safety course

    The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service offers a food safety course made for cottage food operators. Other food safety courses are accepted too, including any from an ANSI-accredited program (one accredited by the American National Standards Institute). When your certificate expires, take a course again.[1]

  3. Make a label for every product

    Every item you sell needs a label, in type at least 10 points high, showing the food's common name, your business name, your home or P.O. Box address, the ingredients from most to least, a statement that the food is not inspected by the health department, and a warning that it may contain allergens. A scannable QR code cannot take the place of your contact details or ingredient list.[1][4]

  4. Send the review form to your county health department

    Fill in the Cottage Food Review Form and take it to your county health department with a copy of your label, your current food safety certificate, and any pH or water activity test results. They review the paperwork, not your kitchen. They can give you written confirmation of the review if you need it for a business license.[2][1]

    Fee: Set by each county health department; ask yoursReview Form for Cottage Foods Producer

  5. Sell directly to customers in Alabama

    Sell in person, by phone or online, and hand over the food yourself, send someone to deliver it for you, or mail it, as long as the customer is in Alabama. You can sell from your own stand, tent, cart or storefront, but not from a business that holds a health department permit.[1][3]

What you can and can't sell[3][1]

Allowed

  • Cakes, breads, Danish pastries, donuts, pastries and pies
  • Jams, jellies and fruit preserves
  • Candy
  • Dried and dehydrated herbs, herb mixes, vegetables and fruits
  • Roasted coffee
  • Dried baking mixes
  • Fermented or preserved vegetables and fruit, after a pH test
  • Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, after a water activity test
  • Shelf-stable foods with less than 3% alcohol

Not allowed

  • Foods that must be kept cold or hot to stay safe
  • Meat, poultry and fish, including jerky and baked goods with meat in them
  • Fermented foods that produce alcohol

Local rules

These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.

What it costs

StepFee
Send the review form to your county health departmentSet by each county health department; ask yours
Total if every fee applies to you$0

Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Send the review form to your county health department.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a limit on how much I can sell?

No. Alabama used to cap cottage food sales, but the 2021 change to the law removed the cap.[1][3]

Can I ship my cookies?

Yes, within Alabama. You can mail orders to customers, or have someone deliver for you, as long as the customer receiving the food is in Alabama. You cannot ship out of state.[1][2]

Can I sell my baked goods in a coffee shop or store?

No. Restaurants and other permitted food businesses cannot sell food made in a private home, and stores cannot sell it for you on consignment. You must sell to the customer yourself.[1]

Will the health department inspect my kitchen?

No. The county health department only reviews your food safety certificate and your labels. The state can still stop sales of, seize or hold a food suspected of making people sick.[1][3]

Can I sell at a farmers market?

Ask the market's authority first. ADPH says state-sanctioned farmers markets are under the Farmers Market Authority at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, and that it is best to check with it about selling there.[1]

Can I sell pickles, salsa or freeze-dried fruit?

Yes, after testing. Pickles and salsa need a pH (acidity) test from a processing authority or the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, and freeze-dried foods need a water activity test. Your own pH meter readings are not accepted for approval.[1]

Can I advertise on social media?

Yes. The cottage food law does not prohibit advertising.[1]

Sources

  1. Cottage Food, Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging. Checked October 25, 2026.
  2. Review Form for Cottage Foods Producer (Rev. 6/7/24), Alabama Department of Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
  3. SB160 (2021 Regular Session), Enrolled: amending Section 22-20-5.1, Code of Alabama 1975, Alabama Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026. Enrolled bill, not the codified section. Its extracted text loses strike-through, so deleted words (the $20,000 cap, the internet sales ban) appear inline; quotes were taken only from text that survives in the amended section. The codified § 22-20-5.1 page on ALISON blocked automated reading.
  4. Ala. Admin. Code ch. 420-3-22, Food Establishment Sanitation (rule 420-3-22-.01), Alabama State Committee of Public Health / Alabama Legislative Services Agency. Checked October 25, 2026.
  5. Alabama Cottage Food Law, Jefferson County Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), through your county health department or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.