Alabama cottage food label requirements and checklist
Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against Alabama's current cottage food rules, flag anything that does not fit, and build you a personalized checklist and printable food label.
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion
Built from current Alabama Department of Public Health guidance and Ala. Code § 22-20-5.1. Not legal advice and not government approval — verify final requirements with ADPH before selling.
Free permit walk-throughSee right away if a choice would block you from using Alabama's cottage food exemption.
Free checklistYour answers folded into Alabama's current operating steps, ready to print or save as PDF.
Free label generationThe Alabama non-inspection statement plus your product details, assembled into a printable draft.
Do I need a permit to sell homemade food in Alabama?
Usually no. Alabama's current cottage food path does not require a food-service permit or a state sales cap. But it is not a zero-paperwork path either: ADPH currently expects the operator to complete an approved food safety course and submit a Cottage Food Review Form to the local county health department. Alabama also limits this path to non-potentially hazardous foods made in your home and sold directly to Alabama consumers. Online, phone, and mail-based direct sales inside Alabama are allowed under the current law. The wizard below checks the product type, sales channel, and prep steps that most often change the answer.