Tennessee's Food Freedom Act lets you make and sell most homemade foods from a Williamson County kitchen with no license, no inspection, and no sales cap. Products go directly to the consumer, and the exemption is one of the broadest in the country.
Cottage food in Williamson County is governed by the Tennessee Food Freedom Act at Tenn. Code Ann. § 53-1-118, not by a county permit. Foods produced in a home kitchen under the Act are exempt from state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling requirements, except when the Department of Health investigates a reported foodborne illness. There is no revenue cap and no unit limit. Sales must be direct to the end consumer, in person, online, by mail, or at events, rather than wholesale to stores or restaurants. Both shelf-stable and, since 2025, certain temperature-controlled foods may qualify. Producers should still disclose allergens and handle food safely.
Selling through wholesale or retail channels rather than direct to the consumer falls outside the Food Freedom Act and pulls the operation under full state food-manufacturing licensing and inspection, enforced by the Department of Health.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Williamson County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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