Alabama's Cottage Food Law lets you sell approved home-produced foods from a Madison County home with no permit or health inspection. A 2021 amendment removed the sales cap, so there is no dollar limit. You must pass an approved food-safety course.
Alabama Code Section 22-20-5.1 governs cottage food statewide and overrides county zoning for this activity. It covers non-potentially-hazardous foods made at home, such as cakes, breads, candies, jams, and dried herbs, sold directly to consumers in person, by phone, or online. Act 2021-456 removed the former $20,000 annual sales cap, making Alabama one of the most permissive states. No health permit or kitchen inspection is required, but the operator must complete and maintain certification for a food-safety course approved by the Department of Public Health, and each product must carry a label with the operator's name and address and a statement that the food is not inspected by the department.
Selling potentially hazardous time or temperature-control foods, operating without the required food-safety certification, or omitting the mandatory label and home disclaimer strips cottage-food protection and subjects the seller to full retail food-establishment permitting and enforcement.
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See how Madison County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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