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Kentucky cottage food label requirements and Home-Based Processor checklist
Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against Kentucky's current Home-Based Processor law, flag anything that isn't allowed, and build you a personalized checklist and a printable food label.
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion
Built from KRS 217.136, 902 KAR 45:090, and Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Food Safety Branch guidance. Not legal advice and not government approval — verify final requirements with CHFS before selling.
Free permit walk-throughSee right away if a choice would block you from registering as a Kentucky Home-Based Processor.
Free checklistYour answers folded into Kentucky's current requirements, ready to print or save as PDF.
Free label generationThe required Kentucky disclosure statement plus name, address, processed date, and product details, assembled into a printable draft.
Do I need a permit to sell homemade food in Kentucky?
Kentucky doesn't call it a "cottage food" permit — it's a Home-Based Processor (HBP) registration through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, $50/year, expiring every March 31. The current live definition also includes a $60,000 annual gross-income cap. There's no mandatory fixed-schedule home inspection for this tier (inspections are complaint-driven) and no food-safety training requirement. Kentucky is stricter than many states on sales channels: direct sale to Kentucky consumers only, with in-state pickup/delivery — no mail or carrier shipping, no wholesale, and no interstate sale. Acidified or canned foods like pickles and salsa aren't covered by this registration at all; that requires a separate, farmer-only Home-Based Microprocessor program. The wizard below checks the product-type and sales-channel choices that commonly change the answer.
Name and address of the home-based processing operation
Common or usual name of the food product
Ingredients in descending order by weight
Net weight/volume by standard measure or numerical count
The date the product was processed
“This product is home-produced and processed” in at least 10-point type
Common Kentucky cottage food blockers
Crème/custard/meringue pastries, custard, and cheesecake
Acidified or canned foods (pickles, salsa, canned tomatoes) — needs the separate, farmer-only Home-Based Microprocessor path
Raw seed sprouts, garlic-in-oil, or pureed baby food
Meat, dairy, seafood, or another perishable/TCS food
Annual gross income above $60,000
Mail or common-carrier shipping, wholesale, retail consignment, or restaurant/catering sale
Selling to a customer outside Kentucky
Making food in a rented, shared, or commercial kitchen
Kentucky rule review
What this Kentucky checker reviews before you print a label
The page is built from KRS 217.136 (Home-based food processors) and the cited official sources below, then turns those rules into a practical pre-sale review.
Sales path
From my own home (pickup or personal delivery)
Farmers market, roadside stand, or community event
Online listing, fulfilled only by in-state pickup or my own personal delivery to Kentucky addresses
Product fit
Baked goods, candy, standardized jams/jellies/preserves/fruit butters, sorghum or maple syrup, dried fruit/vegetables/herbs/spices/nuts/grains, granola/trail mix, popcorn, honey, or whole fruits/vegetables
Label draft fields
Product name
Ingredients
Net weight
Business / operation name
Street address
City
Date processed
Required home-kitchen disclosure
Major allergen statement
Final wording should be checked against KRS 217.136 (Home-based food processors) before printing.
Usually blocks the cottage food path
Crème-filled or custard pastries, custard, cheesecake, meringue-topped pie, or another refrigerated/TCS food
Kentucky's Home-Based Processor list specifically excludes crème/custard/meringue items and cheesecake, along with any other refrigerated or potentially-hazardous food.
Home-canned or acidified food (pickles, salsa, canned tomatoes, chutney, BBQ sauce, or a low-sugar/non-fruit jam)
Acidified and low-acid canned foods aren't covered by Kentucky's standard Home-Based Processor registration — that category is only available under the separate Home-Based Microprocessor program, which is limited to a Kentucky farmer who personally grew the main ingredient.
Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, or another perishable/TCS food
Kentucky's Home-Based Processor exemption only covers non-potentially-hazardous foods — meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and other perishable/TCS foods aren't authorized under either home-based tier.
Shipped by mail or a common carrier (UPS/FedEx/USPS), in-state or out-of-state
Kentucky's Home-Based Processor law requires direct sale with in-state pickup or personal delivery — it doesn't authorize mail or common-carrier shipping at all, even within Kentucky.
Wholesale, retail-store consignment, or sale to a restaurant/caterer
Kentucky's Home-Based Processor exemption is for direct-to-consumer sale — it doesn't extend to wholesale, retail-store consignment, or restaurant/catering sale.
Use this order when you prepare the permit packet, label, and direct-sales plan.
Step 1
Check whether your product fits the Kentucky cottage food path
Start with the product category and shelf-stability questions. The wizard flags foods that usually need refrigeration, separate licensing, or extra official review in Kentucky.
Step 2
Confirm where and how you plan to sell
Choose every sales channel you expect to use. The result calls out direct-sale limits, shipping issues, wholesale/resale limits, and other channel rules that matter before you take orders.
Step 3
Draft the label from your actual product details
Enter the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, producer information, and any Kentucky-specific disclosure or permit field requested by the form.
Step 4
Print the checklist and verify against official sources
A plain-English helper for Kentucky home cooks registering as a Home-Based Processor. Not legal advice and not government approval.
Kentucky FAQ
Kentucky cottage food questions
Short answers to the questions people usually ask before they start the wizard.
Can I sell homemade food in Kentucky?
Kentucky doesn't call it a "cottage food" permit — it's a Home-Based Processor (HBP) registration through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, $50/year, expiring every March 31. The current live definition also includes a $60,000 annual gross-income cap. There's no mandatory fixed-schedule home inspection for this tier (inspections are complaint-driven) and no food-safety training requirement. Kentucky is stricter than many states on sales channels: direct sale to Kentucky consumers only, with in-state pickup/delivery — no mail or carrier shipping, no wholesale, and no interstate sale. Acidified or canned foods like pickles and salsa aren't covered by this registration at all; that requires a separate, farmer-only Home-Based Microprocessor program. The wizard below checks the product-type and sales-channel choices that commonly change the answer.
What does the Kentucky checker do?
It walks through the state-specific blockers, then produces a printable checklist and a label draft using the answers you entered.
What should I verify before selling in Kentucky?
Verify your product category, sales channel, annual limit or registration requirement, and label wording against KRS 217.136 (Home-based food processors) before relying on the checklist.
Is the label draft official approval?
No. It is an informational draft based on the page sources. Check final wording with KRS 217.136 (Home-based food processors) or the responsible local agency before printing labels.