Business8 min read·Vol. 0

Selling cottage food in Tennessee (2026 guide)

A plain-English walkthrough of Tennessee's cottage food rules — who needs to register, what you can sell, the labeling requirements, and how the sales cap actually works. Includes the official statute, the state department links, and a county-level companion guide.

If you bake out of your home in Tennessee, the rules you live by are set by the state's cottage food law — currently Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53 – Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, Chapter 1 – General Provisions, Part 1, Section 53-1-125 (Tennessee Food Freedom Act, Public Chapter No. 862, SB 693). It's a Good-tier law on the Crosodo scale: workable for most home bakers — moderate restrictions and a reasonable cap. This post is the plain-English version. The full breakdown — every county-specific zoning rule, the registration link, the latest verified statute citation — lives on the Crosodo Tennessee state guide and the downloadable Tennessee PDF report.

Not legal advice. We're a small apparel brand that cares about home bakers. For anything serious, read the law directly and call the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

The quick facts

Cottage food tier: Good
Annual sales cap: No annual sales cap.
Registration required: No
Kitchen inspection: No
Food handler certification: No
Indirect sales (retail/online): Yes — indirect sales (retail/online/wholesale) are allowed.
Statute: Tenn. Code §53-1-125 (Food Freedom Act)

What you can sell

Any non-time/temperature control for safety (non-TCS) homemade food item produced at the producer's private residence is allowed, including baked goods, jams, jellies, candy, dried herbs, non-TCS beverages, and more. No prescribed list of allowed foods – the broad exemption covers all non-TCS homemade foods.

What's specifically excluded

Foods that require time or temperature control for safety (TCS foods) to prevent pathogenic microorganism growth are not covered by the Food Freedom Act exemption. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products requiring refrigeration, and other TCS foods require standard food establishment licensing.

Where you can sell

Direct-to-consumer is always covered: farmers markets, home pickup, delivery, roadside stands, events. The interesting question is indirect sales — through a coffee shop, a grocery, a third-party retailer, or online with shipping. On indirect sales here: The Tennessee Food Freedom Act (Public Chapter 862, effective July 1, 2022) broadly exempts production and sale of non-TCS homemade food items from all licensing, permitting, inspecting, packaging, and labeling laws. Sales may be direct to consumer in person or remotely. Local government ordinances restricting homemade food sales are preempted. Note: Prior to the 2022 Food Freedom Act, the older domestic kitchen regulations (TDA Chapter 0080-4-11) required a permit, inspection, and food safety certification, and limited sales to 100 units/week; the Food Freedom Act supersedes these requirements for qualifying non-TCS homemade foods.

Labeling requirements

Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, homemade food items are exempt from state packaging and labeling laws (except during DOH foodborne illness investigation). No specific labeling requirements are imposed by the statute. Best practice is to include product name, ingredients, and producer contact information.

Texas has the most detailed plain-English label walkthrough we've published — the structure translates well to most other states. See how to label cottage food in Texas for a copy-paste template you can adapt for Tennessee.

Common questions

Do I need to register before I start?

No — Tennessee does not require home bakers to register before selling cottage food. That said, you should still keep clean records, follow the labeling rules, and check whether your county or city imposes its own home-occupation permit or business license. County-level details for Tennessee are on the Crosodo Tennessee state guide.

Do I need a food handler certification?

No — Tennessee does not require a state-level food handler certification for cottage food. Many bakers take ServSafe Food Handler anyway (it's about $15 and takes 90 minutes); it's good practice and useful if a farmers market manager ever asks.

Is my home kitchen inspected?

No — Tennessee does not require routine home kitchen inspections for cottage food. That's the whole point of the law: your kitchen isn't a regulated facility.

What's the sales cap?

No annual sales cap.. No cap means scale is governed by your zoning and your time, not the cottage food law.

If you're just starting out

Read your statute. Tenn. Code §53-1-125 (Food Freedom Act) It's shorter than you think.
Check your county. State law is the floor; your county can add zoning rules on top. The Crosodo Tennessee state guide lists the top counties with their specific requirements.
Pick what you'll bake. The top selling sourdough loaves and beyond bread (cookies, buns, scones) posts cover what tends to actually sell at farmers markets.
Price it right. The cottage baker pricing post walks through unit economics — most new bakers underprice by 30%.
Label it correctly. Adapt the Texas label template to Tennessee's required disclaimer language.
Set up your back office. The cottage baker software stack post covers what we use day-to-day.

Official sources

If your county is missing from our Tennessee directory, tell us and we'll add it next. And if you want one of our sourdough varsity shirts while you proof your starter, the shop is here.

Crosodo Blog entries are recipe and craft notes from working cottage bakers. Recipes assume working with an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — see our state directory for legal details.