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

home-based processor: non-potentially-hazardous shelf-stable foods from the regulation's list (breads, cakes, cookies, fruit/pecan pies, high-acid jams and jellies, preserves, fruit butter, candy, dried herbs/spices/grains, granola, trail mix, nuts, syrups, popcorn); acidified and low-acid canned foods (salsa, pickles, sauces) require the separate Microprocessor program with university training and recipe approval

Annual registration with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (form DFS-250), $50/year fee, April 1 - March 31 registration year; subject to annual inspection authority. Microprocessors additionally need a UK-administered workshop and recipe approval. Sales are direct-to-consumer within Kentucky only: from home by pickup or delivery, markets, roadside stands, community events, or online (no common-carrier shipping, no retail/wholesale). $60,000 annual gross income cap per KRS 217.015 definition.

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: apps.legislature.ky.gov · apps.legislature.ky.gov · www.chfs.ky.gov · www.chfs.ky.gov. Rules change — confirm with the primary source before acting; this guide is information, not legal advice.