Kentucky Cottage Food Law
Tier: Okay. Sales caps under $25,000 and/or limited sales channels. Operable for a side business but you'll likely outgrow the rules at scale.
60000
Home-based processors may sell non-TCS baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries), candies, jams and jellies, fruit butters, dried goods, syrups (maple and sorghum only), granola, snacks, and similar shelf-stable items. Whole eggs (separate exemption, up to 60 dozen/week) and honey (up to 150 gallons/year) are also allowed under separate provisions.
Registration: Yes. Food handler cert: No.
Kentucky Revised Statutes §217.136 — Home-Based Food Processors; Exemption from Permit Requirement and Fair Packaging and Labeling Laws (§217.137 addresses home-based microprocessors)
Verbatim excerpt217.136 Home-based food processors -- Exemption from permit requirement and fair packaging and labeling laws -- Production, labeling, and sales of home-processed food products -- Inspections -- Registration system. (1) A home-based processor shall be exempt from KRS 217.035 and 217.037 if the following conditions are met: (a) All finished product containers are clean, sanitary, and properly labeled pursuant to subsection (3) of this section; (b) All home-processed foods produced under this exemption are neither adulterated nor misbranded pursuant to subsection (4) of this section; and (c) All glass containers for jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, and similar products are provided with suitable rigid metal covers. (2) A home-based processor shall not produce or process for sale acid foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, or low-acid canned foods. (3) A home-based processor shall label each of its food products and include the following information: (a) The name and address of the home-based processing operation; (b) The common or usual name of the food product; (c) The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight; (d) The net weight and volume of the food product by standard measure, or numerical count; (e) The following statement in ten (10) point type: "This product is home-produced and processed"; and (f) The date the product was processed. (5) Food products [...] may only be offered for sale directly to consumers within this state, including from the home-based processor's home, whether by pick-up or delivery, at a market, roadside stand, community event, or online. (12) Beginning January 1, 2020, a home-based processor shall be registered with the cabinet.
Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=48558 →
Kentucky Cottage Food Law — Full PDF report
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Kentucky Cottage Food Law — Official Guidance Summary
Official agency guidance changes without notice. The text below is reproduced for reference only — always confirm current rules on the agency website before relying on it.
- Kentucky Department for Public Healthhttps://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dphps/fsb/Pages/cottage-foods.aspx
Kentucky's cottage food rules are set by KRS §217.137. The summary below is drawn from Crosodo's verified statute research and official agency guidance. Always confirm current requirements on the state agency website before you sell.
Program basics
- Kentucky Revised Statutes §217.136 — Home-Based Food Processors; Exemption from Permit Requirement and Fair Packaging and Labeling Laws (§217.137 addresses home-based microprocessors)
- 60000
- Yes
- No
- Upon-complaint
Allowed products and sales channels
- Home-based processors may sell non-TCS baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries), candies, jams and jellies, fruit butters, dried goods, syrups (maple and sorghum only), granola, snacks, and similar shelf-stable items.
- Whole eggs (separate exemption, up to 60 dozen/week) and honey (up to 150 gallons/year) are also allowed under separate provisions.
- Acid foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, and low-acid canned foods are explicitly prohibited for home-based processors.
- Perishable items, pickles, salsas, sauces, ketchup, mustards, nut butters, oils, vinegars, pasta, fermented foods, juices, extracts, and meat jerkies are also prohibited under §217.136. (Acidified/low-acid canned foods may be sold through the separate home-based microprocessor pathway under §217.137.)
- Sales limited to direct-to-consumer only within Kentucky — from home (pickup or delivery), markets, roadside stands, community events, and online; shipping outside Kentucky is prohibited, and sales to restaurants or retail stores for resale are not allowed.
Labeling
- Labels must include: name and address of home-based processing operation, common/usual name of food product, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight/volume or count, date processed, allergen information, and the statement 'This product is home-produced and processed' in 10-point type.
Statute excerpt
- 217.136 Home-based food processors -- Exemption from permit requirement and fair packaging and labeling laws -- Production, labeling, and sales of home-processed food products -- Inspections -- Registration system.
- (1) A home-based processor shall be exempt from KRS 217.035 and 217.037 if the following conditions are met: (a) All finished product containers are clean, sanitary, and properly labeled pursuant to subsection (3) of this section; (b) All home-processed foods produced under this exemption are neither adulterated nor misbranded pursuant to subsection (4) of this section; and (c) All glass containers for jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, and similar products are provided with suitable rigid metal covers.
- (2) A home-based processor shall not produce or process for sale acid foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, or low-acid canned foods.
- (3) A home-based processor shall label each of its food products and include the following information: (a) The name and address of the home-based processing operation; (b) The common or usual name of the food product; (c) The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight; (d) The net weight and volume of the food product by standard measure, or numerical count; (e) The following statement in ten (10) point type: "This product is home-produced and processed"; and (f) The date the product was processed.
- (5) Food products [...] may only be offered for sale directly to consumers within this state, including from the home-based processor's home, whether by pick-up or delivery, at a market, roadside stand, community event, or online. (12) Beginning January 1, 2020, a home-based processor shall be registered with the cabinet.
Official sources
- State agency cottage food page: https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dphps/fsb/Pages/cottage-foods.aspx
- Statute: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44478
Summarized from official Kentucky cottage food statute research and agency guidance. Agency rules change — verify on the official site before relying on this information.
Kentucky Counties
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City zoning rules apply on top of the state cottage food law — home occupation, customer pickup, signage, and employees.
The Cottage Baker's Field Guide (PDF)
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Kentucky cottage food law — FAQ
Do I need a license or permit to sell homemade food in Kentucky?
Yes — Yes. Food handler certification: No.
What foods can I sell under the Kentucky cottage food law?
Home-based processors may sell non-TCS baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries), candies, jams and jellies, fruit butters, dried goods, syrups (maple and sorghum only), granola, snacks, and similar shelf-stable items. Whole eggs (separate exemption, up to 60 dozen/week) and honey (up to 150 gallons/year) are also allowed under separate provisions.
Is there a sales cap for cottage food in Kentucky?
60000
How good is Kentucky's cottage food law?
Kentucky is a Okay-tier cottage food state by Crosodo's rating criteria. Sales caps under $25,000 and/or limited sales channels. Operable for a side business but you'll likely outgrow the rules at scale.
Cottage food laws are amended every year. This is a starting reference, not legal advice. Verify with Kentucky Department for Public Health and your local health department before relying on this data.