Cottage food law

Alabama cottage food laws, in plain English.

What you can make in your home kitchen in Alabama, where you can sell it, how much you can earn and whether you need a permit. No legalese, just the facts.

Updated for 2026 · Always confirm with your state

At a Glance

Home Kitchen
Allowed
Annual Sales Limit
No annual sales limit (cap removed by SB 160, 2021)
License / Permit
Not Required
Online Sales
Allowed
TCS / Refrigerated Foods
Not Allowed

Where You Can Sell

Alabama cottage food vendors are permitted to sell through the following channels:

Direct to Consumer Farmers Markets Roadside Stands Online / Internet
Wholesale / Retail
Not Allowed
Pop-Up / Craft Fairs
Allowed
Interstate Sales
In-State Only

Online Sales & Shipping

Carrier Shipping (In-State)
Allowed
In-Person Transaction Required
No

Online orders and in-state shipping allowed. Products may be delivered by mail or designated agent directly to consumers within Alabama.

License & Permit Requirements

Food Safety Course
Required
Kitchen Inspection
Not Required

Annual Sales Limits

No Annual Sales Cap — Alabama places no limit on your cottage food revenue. Grow as big as your kitchen (and your schedule) can handle!

Acidified & Fermented Foods

Acidified foods include pickles, hot sauces, salsas, fermented vegetables, and other products with a pH at or below 4.6. These are regulated separately in most states.

Acidified foods are allowed under Alabama's cottage food law.
No special acidified food course is required in Alabama.

Important Notes

No food service permit, but every cottage food operator submits a Cottage Food Review Form and a sample label to their county health department and keeps an ADPH-approved food safety course current. No sales cap. Sales go directly to consumers in Alabama — in person, by phone, online, by mail or through an agent. No wholesale.

Official Sources

Always verify cottage food laws directly with your state agency — laws change, and we want you selling with confidence.

Information last updated: October 11, 2026. Cottage food laws change frequently — always confirm with your state.

Ready to sell in Alabama?

Rules checked. Now open your shop.

A free Butter & Sage shop takes the orders, the payments and the pickup times, so you can stay in the kitchen. Neighbors in Alabama find you on our map and order ahead.

  • A free shop with your own look
  • Pre-orders with pickup or delivery times
  • Your shop on the local map and the farmers market directory
  • Labels with your state’s required statement filled in

Checking another state? All 50 are here.

Every state’s cottage food law, side by side.

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