Cottage food label requirements in Arkansas
Food Freedom Act, Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-57-501 to 20-57-507 (Act 1040 of 2021, SB 248). Regulated by Arkansas Department of Health (no permit; exempt from state licensing). Checked against state sources on .
The statement your label needs
This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.
No type-size rule stated for the statement; keep it clearly legible.
What is different in Arkansas
- Third-party vendors, retail shops and grocery stores may sell the products
- Delivery by producer, agent, vendor, or third-party carrier allowed
- Sales may occur in another state if seller complies with federal law
- Not allowed in food service establishments
- Online sales: disclosures must appear on the website; unpackaged items need a placard
- Permit
- No permit or registration for most baked goods. Homemade food or drink products sold in compliance are exempt from state licensure, certification, inspection, and packaging and labeling requirements. Producer may request a Department of Agriculture ID number in place of address/phone for safety.
- Sales cap
- No annual sales cap found in state sources
- Where you can sell
- Directly to the informed end consumer by the producer, an agent, or a third-party vendor (including retail shops or grocery stores); from retail space at the farm, ranch, home or office, or at a third-party vendor's retail location.
- Online orders
- Yes
- Ship in state
- Yes
- Ship out of state
- Yes
- Sell to shops / cafés
- Limited
- Allowed foods
- Non-TCS homemade food or drink products, including acidified vegetables (pH 4.6 or less) with approved/tested recipe or batch pH testing. No meat, poultry, seafood, or TCS foods.
What a Arkansas cottage food label must show
- Date the product was manufactured, produced, or processed
- Name, address, and telephone number of the producer (or Dept. of Agriculture ID number)
- Common or usual name of the product
- Ingredients in descending order of predominance
- The required statement (above)
Federal rules still apply on top: ingredients in descending order by weight (21 CFR 101.4), the nine major allergens declared by name (FALCPA and the FASTER Act), and net quantity in ounces and grams (21 CFR 101.7). Arkansas allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is allowed, and so is shipping to other states.
Make a Arkansas label now
The Arkansas statement is already on it. Type your ingredients, tick the allergens and print on Avery sheets or a thermal roll. To have the ingredient order and allergens worked out from a costed recipe, use the workbench.
Still missing: business name and address.
Print at 100% scale with no margins. Check the result against Arkansas’s rules above before selling.
True size. Arkansas statement.
Arkansas cottage food questions
What statement has to be on a Arkansas cottage food label?
Arkansas requires: “This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.”.
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from home in Arkansas?
No permit or registration for most baked goods. Homemade food or drink products sold in compliance are exempt from state licensure, certification, inspection, and packaging and labeling requirements. Producer may request a Department of Agriculture ID number in place of address/phone for safety.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Arkansas?
No annual cap appears in the state sources we checked. No cap in the Food Freedom Act.
Can I sell cottage food online or ship it in Arkansas?
Arkansas allows cottage food orders online or by phone. Shipping within the state is allowed, and so is shipping to other states.
Sources
Checked October 17, 2026. This is a checklist built from the sources above, not legal advice. Rules change; your county or the agency has the final word. Spotted something out of date? The about page explains how we check.
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