Knox County, TN Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)
Key Facts
- State law
- Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. 53-1-118
- County rule
- None separate
- State license
- Not required
- Sales cap
- None
- Local status
- Home occupation (§4.90)
Summary
Knox County sets no separate cottage-food rule. Tennessee's Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. 53-1-118) lets you make and sell most homemade, non-hazardous foods without a state license, permit, or inspection. Zoning still treats it as a home occupation, so 'cooking and preserving' must meet the section 4.90 conditions.
Foods made in home kitchens under the TFFA are exempt from all licensing, permitting, inspecting, packaging, and labeling laws of this state.
Full Breakdown
Homemade food is governed statewide, not by the county. Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, foods produced in a home-based kitchen are exempt from all licensing, permitting, inspecting, packaging, and labeling laws of this state, except when the Department of Health investigates a reported foodborne illness. Tennessee imposes no sales cap. A 2025 amendment allows certain time/temperature-controlled foods. Locally, selling homemade food is a home occupation: Knox County Zoning section 4.90 lists 'cooking and preserving' as a permitted home occupation, so it must be conducted by residents, use no more than 25% of the dwelling, and sell only products produced on the premises.
Violations & Fines
State exemption does not override zoning: a food business that breaks the section 4.90 home-occupation conditions is a county zoning violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to sell homemade food?
Does Knox County regulate cottage food?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
Compare Knox County to another location·View the Tennessee home business overview
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