Can I sell food from home in Tennessee?

Q: Can I sell food from home in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee lets you make certain foods at home and sell them, under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act (homemade food items). No state permit, license or registration is needed (training, a food handler card or local rules may still apply; see below). There is no state sales cap. Last checked 2026-10-24. Not legal advice.

AllowedOnline: limitedShipping: limitedStores: limited

Yes. Tennessee lets you make certain foods at home and sell them, under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act (homemade food items). No state permit, license or registration is needed (training, a food handler card or local rules may still apply; see below). There is no state sales cap.

Not legal advice. This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm with your state agency and local health department, using the official sources below, before you sell.

Tennessee cottage food law at a glance

Home food sales allowed	yes Tennessee Food Freedom Act (homemade food items)
Law	Tenn. Code Ann. 53-1-118 and 53-1-102 (Food Freedom Act; amended by Pub. Ch. 431 of 2025, SB 484/HB 130)
Sales cap	No cap
Permit or registration	none. Exempt from state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging and labeling laws, except during a foodborne illness investigation. TDA issues no permits and does no inspections. No training required. The act preempts local bans and regulation.
Sell in person	yes
Take online orders	limited
Ship within the state	limited
Ship to other states	no
Sell to shops and cafes	limited
Where you can sell, details	Non-TCS: sold in person or remotely (phone, internet) by the producer, an agent, or a third-party vendor such as a retail shop or grocery store, and delivered by any of them or a third-party carrier. TCS (allowed since 7/1/2025): in-person sale only, by the producer or an in-person agent such as an on-property farm stand. Federal interstate rules still apply. Secondary sources say restaurant sales are not allowed.

yes = allowed; limited = allowed with conditions; no = not allowed; unverified = we could not confirm it from an official source.

What foods can you sell from home in Tennessee?

Allowed: Broad: most homemade foods and non-alcoholic beverages, non-TCS and, since 7/1/2025, TCS foods with limits. Poultry only within federal exemptions (9 CFR 381.10).

Not allowed: Meat, meat by-products and meat food products; fish and shellfish; alcoholic beverages and foods containing alcohol; unpasteurized milk; poultry outside the federal exemptions.

Label requirements in Tennessee

Required statement: This product was produced at a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens. exact wording from an official source

Other label items: Producer name, home address and phone; common name of the food; ingredients in descending order. For TCS foods, the production date (per the HB 130 summary). Info goes on the package label, a bulk-container label, a point-of-sale placard, or the web listing. Phone and custom orders need an oral disclosure, with details on request.

Selling from home in Tennessee? The Cottage Kitchen Toolkit prices your recipes for markets, pre-orders and shops. It scales batches and prints ingredient and allergen labels with Tennessee's required statement filled in. It also has this guide for all 50 states and DC. One-time price, and it works offline.

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Notes

The Food Freedom Act (HB 813) replaced the older cottage food rules; secondary sources say it took effect July 2022. Pub. Ch. 431 (signed 5/15/2025, effective 7/1/2025) added TCS foods for in-person sale. The label text was confirmed in HB 813 bill text and secondary sources, but the codified statute was not fetched (Justia blocked).

Sources

TDA: Tennessee Food Freedom Act official
TN General Assembly: HB 130 / SB 484 (Pub. Ch. 431, 2025) official
Senate Amendment SA0263 to SB 484 (TCS rules) official
HB 813 bill text (112th GA, Food Freedom Act) official
Forrager: Tennessee secondary

Last checked: 2026-10-24 · confidence: medium (high = key facts confirmed on an official page; medium = partly confirmed or secondary sources agree; low = a single secondary or outdated source). Summaries are our own wording, not the text of the law.

This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm with your state agency and local health department, using the official sources below, before you sell.

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