Cottage food laws in Daviess County, KY
Daviess County, Kentucky — zoning, permits, health department links, and free PDF reports for home bakers (2026).
Daviess County is a county in Kentucky (pop. 102,916). Under Kentucky's Okay-tier cottage food law (sales cap: 60000), home bakers must still clear local zoning and health rules in this county. Registration path: Yes. Start with Kentucky Department for Public Health (state cottage food page linked below), then confirm Daviess County health and planning requirements. Local notes for Daviess County: home kitchen allowed; inspection not required; home occupation permit not required. State baseline governs. Kentucky's $60,000 cap and registration requirement define this as an 'Okay' tier state. Owensboro is a mid-sized Western Kentucky city. No county-specific overrides found. Download the free PDF reports below for a portable summary, and always re-check official sources before you sell.
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Daviess County cottage food reports
Full statute, all counties in Kentucky, and authoritative source URLs.
State PDF
Zoning, permits, health department rules, and local sources for Daviess County.
County PDFTier: Okay
Kentucky has an Okay-tier cottage food law — meaningful sales caps and/or limited channels. Operable for a side business, but you'll likely outgrow the rules if you want to go full-time.
View state law →Health department
Many states delegate cottage food registration and inspection to the county health department. Contact theirs for the local process.
Home occupation rules
The county or city zoning code governs whether you can run a home-based food business — customer visits, signage, employees, floor area.
Home kitchen, inspection, and zoning rules for Daviess County
State baseline: KRS §217.137
- Home kitchen allowed
- Yes
- Restrictions
- Kentucky allows non-TCS baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries), candies, jams and jellies, fruit butters, dried goods, syrups (maple and sorghum only), granola, snacks. Annual sales cap of $60,000. Registration required ($50/year). Direct-to-consumer only. No food handler certification required. Kitchen use restrictions: no more than two non-commercial ranges/ovens and no more than three refrigerators. Commercial equipment prohibited.
- Separate dedicated kitchen
- No
- Pet restrictions
- No specific state pet restriction, but standard sanitation practices apply.
- Water supply
- No specific state requirement beyond standard sanitation.
- Handwashing
- Standard handwashing practices required.
- Food storage
- Non-TCS foods only. Prohibited: acid/acidified foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, low-acid canned foods, pickles, salsas, sauces, ketchup, mustards, nut butters, oils, vinegars, pasta, fermented foods, juices, extracts, meat jerkies. Home-based microprocessor pathway (§217.137) allows acidified/low-acid canned foods with additional requirements.
- Inspection required
- Upon-complaint
- Inspection trigger
- Complaint-based inspections only. $50/year registration with the state.
- Home occupation permit
- Conditional
- Permit details
- Owensboro and Daviess County may have home occupation zoning requirements. No specific Daviess County cottage food ordinance identified beyond the state registration requirement.
- Local business license
- Varies
- On-site customer pickup
- Yes
- On-site signage
- Conditional
- Delivery / pickup
- Direct-to-consumer sales only at home, farmers markets, events. No wholesale or indirect sales. $60,000 annual cap.
- Max employees in home
- Not specified in state statute.
- Relevant code section
- No specific Daviess County code section identified. State law governs: KRS §217.137.
State baseline governs. Kentucky's $60,000 cap and registration requirement define this as an 'Okay' tier state. Owensboro is a mid-sized Western Kentucky city. No county-specific overrides found.
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)
Full Kentucky state report (with PDF download) →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 →
Daviess County cottage food — FAQ
Is a home kitchen allowed for cottage food in Daviess County, Kentucky?
According to our research: home kitchen is allowed. Restrictions: Kentucky allows non-TCS baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries), candies, jams and jellies, fruit butters, dried goods, syrups (maple and sorghum only), granola, snacks. Annual sales cap of $60,000. Registration required ($50/year). Direct-to-consumer only. No food handler certification required. Kitchen use restrictions: no more than two non-commercial ranges/ovens and no more than three refrigerators. Commercial equipment prohibited.
Is a health inspection required for home bakers in Daviess County?
Inspection: Upon-complaint. Trigger: Complaint-based inspections only. $50/year registration with the state..
Do I need a home occupation permit in Daviess County?
Home occupation permit: Conditional. Owensboro and Daviess County may have home occupation zoning requirements. No specific Daviess County cottage food ordinance identified beyond the state registration requirement.
What is the Kentucky cottage food sales cap?
Kentucky state law caps cottage food sales at 60000. County rules may add permits or zoning limits on top.
Where to verify Daviess County rules
Daviess County vs. bordering counties
| Regulation | Daviess County This county | Hancock County | Henderson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home kitchen allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Separate dedicated kitchen | No | No | No |
| Pets allowed | No specific state pet restriction, but standard sanitation practices apply. | Pets and children must be excluded from the kitchen during food production per KRS §217.136 and associated regulations. | Pets and children must be excluded from the kitchen during food production per KRS §217.136 and associated regulations. |
| Inspection required | Upon-complaint | No | No |
| On-site customer pickup | Yes | Yes | No |
| On-site signage | Conditional | Conditional | No |
| Delivery / pickup | Direct-to-consumer sales only at home, farmers markets, events. No wholesale or indirect sales. $60,000 annual cap. | Direct-to-consumer only. Permitted venues: home (on-premises pickup), farmers markets, certified roadside stands, community events, fairs, … | Direct-to-consumer only. Permitted venues: home (on-premises pickup), farmers markets, certified roadside stands, community events, fairs, … |
| Home occupation permit | Conditional | Varies | Varies |
| Local business license | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Restrictions | Kentucky allows non-TCS baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries), candies, jams and jellies, fruit butters, dried goods, syrups… | Kentucky Home-Based Processor (HBP) law (KRS §217.136) allows production and direct sale of non-TCS shelf-stable foods from a primary resid… | Kentucky Home-Based Processor (HBP) law (KRS §217.136) allows production and direct sale of non-TCS shelf-stable foods from a primary resid… |
| Food storage | Non-TCS foods only. Prohibited: acid/acidified foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, low-acid canned foods, pickle… | Non-TCS (non-potentially hazardous), shelf-stable foods only. No commercial refrigerators permitted beyond household limits (up to three st… | Non-TCS (non-potentially hazardous), shelf-stable foods only. No commercial refrigerators permitted beyond household limits (up to three st… |
| Population | 102,916 | 9,058 | 44,770 |
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