Alabama has one of the country's most permissive cottage food laws, with no annual sales cap. From a Lee County home kitchen you can sell non-hazardous foods, including online and shipped in-state, after passing an approved food safety course.
Alabama's Cottage Food Law (Act 2014-140, amended in 2021) is administered through the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Lee County health department, not the cities. The 2021 amendment removed the old $20,000 sales cap, so there is no limit on gross sales, and it opened online sales and in-state shipping. Permitted items are non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods such as baked goods, candies, jams, and dried herbs; anything needing refrigeration is excluded. The producer must pass an ADPH-approved food safety course, one of which Alabama Extension offers, and register with the county health department. Products carry an ingredient and allergen label.
Selling foods that require refrigeration, or skipping the required food safety course and registration, falls outside the cottage food exemption and pulls the operation under full ADPH food-establishment permitting, with stop-sale orders possible.
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See how Lee County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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