Washington County, AR Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- Not required
- Health inspection
- None
- Sales cap
- None
- Label
- Required with not-inspected notice
- Sales channel
- Direct to consumer
Summary
The Arkansas Food Freedom Act lets you make non-hazardous food at your Washington County home and sell it directly to consumers with no license, no health inspection, and no sales cap. Only a product label is required. It is one of the most permissive laws nationally.
"Homemade food or drink product" means a food or drink product that is processed at the private residence of the producer, including a farm or ranch where the producer resides, that is exempt from state licensure, inspection, certification, and packaging and labeling requirements, and that is non-time/temperature control for safety food.
Full Breakdown
Arkansas Code Section 20-57-501 et seq., enacted as Act 1040 of 2021, governs homemade food statewide and overrides county land-use for this activity. A homemade food or drink product processed at your private residence is exempt from state licensure, inspection, certification, and packaging requirements, so no Arkansas Department of Health permit or kitchen inspection is needed and there is no annual dollar cap. It covers shelf-stable, non-time/temperature-control foods sold directly to the consumer in person, online, or by delivery, and Arkansas even permits some items other states forbid. Each product must carry a label with the producer's name, address, and phone, the product name, ingredients, and a notice the food is not state-inspected. Meat, poultry, and refrigerated foods stay excluded.
Violations & Fines
Selling time/temperature-control foods, meat or poultry, or omitting the required label strips Food Freedom Act protection and subjects the seller to full retail food-establishment permitting and Arkansas Department of Health enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell homemade food in Washington County?
Is there a limit on how much I can sell?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Arkansas home business overview
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