Selling Food From Home in Arkansas: Cottage Food Rules (2026)

Homemade non-TCS (shelf-stable) foods and drinks: baked goods, jams, dry goods, honey, pickled/acidified vegetables with equilibrium pH <= 4.6, microgreens, etc. No meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, or other TCS foods without an ADH permit; no sales to restaurants for use in dishes. Sales allowed in person, by phone, or online, by the producer, an agent, or a third-party vendor (retail shops and grocery stores), with delivery by mail or parcel carrier; out-of-state sales possible if federal law is followed. No sales cap.

None - exempt from Arkansas Department of Health permitting and inspection; no registration or food safety training required. Product disclosure/labeling required (producer info or state ID number, production date, ingredients, exempt-from-inspection statement).

1. Read the primary source (linked below) — caps and food lists are specific and they change.
2. Label honestly — most programs require your name, address or registration, and a made-in-a-home-kitchen disclosure on packaging.
3. Get your free EIN at irs.gov and open a separate account for food money.
4. Take payment at order time — prepaid orders with a weekly cutoff are how home sellers stay profitable AND within caps.
5. Build the storefront — a menu page, order-ahead with cutoffs, your own business line. Our free guide covers the whole playbook.

Verified 2026-07 against: healthy.arkansas.gov · webftp.blr.arkansas.gov · www.uaex.uada.edu. Rules change — confirm with the primary source before acting; this guide is information, not legal advice.