Arkansas cottage food law
Sell cottage food in Arkansas
Arkansas cottage food law, label rules, and a free storefront. Arkansas's cottage food law lets home bakers sell directly to consumers with no statewide sales cap — provided you sell directly to consumers, label every product correctly, and follow Arkansas's rules. CottageOps configures the Arkansas label disclosure for you, tracks your sales against the cap, and gives you a free storefront to take orders.
What Arkansas's cottage food law says
- Sales cap
- No statewide sales cap — Arkansas doesn't set an annual revenue ceiling on cottage food sales.
- Refrigerated (TCS) foods
- Arkansas's cottage food path is limited to shelf-stable goods — refrigerated (TCS) items aren't allowed under the exemption.
- Where you can sell
- Direct to Arkansas consumers — pickup, in-state delivery, farmers markets, and online sales to in-state customers.
Required label disclosure in Arkansas
Every Arkansas cottage food label must carry the product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight, a “Contains” allergen statement for any FDA major allergens, your name and address as the producer, and the Arkansas-required disclosure below. CottageOps fills the disclosure in for you, verbatim:
This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens.
Before you sell in Arkansas
Arkansas doesn't require a permit to start.
Arkansas lets cottage food bakers start selling without a state permit or inspection — set up your storefront, add your menu, and you can begin taking orders.
Full Arkansas cottage-food law
The detail behind the summary above: Arkansas's primary statute, the agency that enforces it, the revenue cap, what foods are allowed, refrigerated-food (TCS) rules, labeling notes, and the watch-outs to know before you sell.
- Primary statute
- Arkansas Food Freedom Act (Act 1040 of 2021); Ark. Code Ann. §20-57-301 et seq. (Arkansas Food Freedom Act)
- Enforcing agency
- Arkansas Department of Health
- Revenue cap
- No cap (Food Freedom Act).
- Allowed foods
- Foods under the Food Freedom Act (Act 1040); the regime may permit more than typical cottage states — CottageOps treats AR conservatively as shelf-stable only.
- Refrigerated (TCS) / prohibited
- Conservative shelf-stable only (engine refuses TCS labels for AR), though the Food-Freedom regime may permit more — confirm.
- Where you can sell
- Direct to consumer.
- Labeling notes
- Disclosure "This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens." (same pattern as TN) at ≥10pt.
General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state agency. Last verified 2026-06-15.
Ready to start selling in Arkansas?
Make a free Arkansas label in seconds, then claim your free CottageOps storefront. Free in 2026 — no card required. $19/mo in 2027, no transaction fees.
Arkansas cottage food FAQ
What must a Arkansas cottage food label include?
A compliant Arkansas cottage food label needs the product name, the ingredients in descending order by weight, the net weight (oz and/or grams), the "Contains" allergen statement for any FDA major allergens, the producer's name and address, and the Arkansas-required legal disclosure. Our free generator fills in the disclosure for you and lays out the rest automatically as you type.
What is the required cottage food disclosure in Arkansas?
Arkansas requires this exact disclosure on the label: "This product was produced in a private residence that is exempt from state licensing and inspection. This product may contain allergens." You never type it — the generator applies the current Arkansas disclosure for you the moment you pick your state.
Can I sell TCS or refrigerated cottage food items in Arkansas?
No — Arkansas's cottage food path is limited to shelf-stable goods, so TCS items that need refrigeration are not allowed under the cottage food exemption. If you toggle "Contains a TCS item" the generator will flag that Arkansas doesn't permit it, so you don't print a non-compliant label.
Is this Arkansas cottage food label generator really free?
Yes. Building and previewing your Arkansas-compliant label is free with no account. CottageOps is free through 2026 — no credit card — and when you're ready to download or print the full-resolution label you just claim your free CottageOps account. In 2027 it's a flat $19/mo (or $190/yr).
More for Arkansas bakers, plus our guides for every other state:
Free in 2026 — no card required.
A free Arkansas storefront, the Arkansas label disclosure configured for you, and sales tracking — built in from day one. Cancel anytime; the most-recent month is refundable.
Start freeThis is general information, not legal advice — confirm with your Arkansas cottage food authority before selling. Last verified: 2026-06-13.