Home Kitchen Laws in Kentucky

Home kitchen laws in Kentucky

The plain-English guide to selling food from home in Kentucky.

Which laws apply

Cottage food law

Allowed foods

Allowed (Home-Based Processor): non-potentially-hazardous foods — dried herbs, spices, nuts, candy (no alcohol, no bare-hand contact), dried grains, granola, trail/snack mix, whole fruits and vegetables, dried or freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, mixed greens, jams, jellies, sweet sorghum syrup, preserves, fruit butter, bread, fruit pies, cakes, cookies, maple syrup, pecan pies, popcorn. Not allowed (HBP): acid foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, low-acid canned foods; low-sugar/savory/vegetable jams and jellies; cream-filled pies, custard, meringue, cheesecake; raw seed sprouts; garlic-in-oil mixtures; vacuum-packed non-mason jars; pureed baby foods. Home-Based Microprocessor tier (farmers only, growing the primary ingredient): acidified and low-acid canned foods such as pickles, salsa, and BBQ sauce — with UK workshop training and per-recipe approval.

Cottage track — shelf-stable foods in Kentucky

🥧 Cottage Food — Shelf-Stable Cottage food law — the shelf-stable track in Kentucky: foods are made at home and sold by preorder / pickup, not as restaurant-style reservations.

Allowed foods: Allowed (Home-Based Processor): non-potentially-hazardous foods — dried herbs, spices, nuts, candy (no alcohol, no bare-hand contact), dried grains, granola, trail/snack mix, whole fruits and vegetables, dried or freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, mixed greens, jams, jellies, sweet sorghum syrup, preserves, fruit butter, bread, fruit pies, cakes, cookies, maple syrup, pecan pies, popcorn. Not allowed (HBP): acid foods, acidified food products, formulated acid food products, low-acid canned foods; low-sugar/savory/vegetable jams and jellies; cream-filled pies, custard, meringue, cheesecake; raw seed sprouts; garlic-in-oil mixtures; vacuum-packed non-mason jars; pureed baby foods. Home-Based Microprocessor tier (farmers only, growing the primary ingredient): acidified and low-acid canned foods such as pickles, salsa, and BBQ sauce — with UK workshop training and per-recipe approval.

Sales cap (cottage track): $60,000 gross annual income for both Home-Based Processors (KRS 217.015(56)) and Home-Based Microprocessors (KRS 217.015(57)), verified from the amended definition text in 2026 SB 73. No scheduled change; the cap was left unchanged by the 2026 amendment (effective July 15, 2026).

Labeling rules (from the published permit steps):

Microprocessor tier (canned/acidified foods): attend the UK Cooperative Extension microprocessor workshop and pass the tests, get each recipe approved by a process authority ($5 per recipe), prepare draft labels, verify an approved water source, then submit the certification application with a $50 fee to the Food Safety Branch.

Where sales are allowed (from the published rules):

Sell direct to Kentucky consumers only — from your home (pickup or personal delivery), farmers markets, roadside stands, community events, or online with in-person pickup/delivery (no mail shipping)
No wholesale or retail sales (restaurants, grocery stores), no interstate sales
For pickles, salsa, BBQ sauce, or other canned/acidified foods: take the separate Home-Based Microprocessor path — you must be a farmer growing the primary ingredient, complete the UK workshop, get recipes approved, and sell only at farmers markets, certified roadside stands, or on your farm.

Street track — sidewalk & mobile vendors in Kentucky

🌮 Street Food — Sidewalk & Mobile

Street and mobile vendors do not cook from home kitchens — they sell in public places under different permits, and on this site they are walk-up only (no bookings).

Sales caps

$60,000 gross annual income for both Home-Based Processors (KRS 217.015(56)) and Home-Based Microprocessors (KRS 217.015(57)), verified from the amended definition text in 2026 SB 73. No scheduled change; the cap was left unchanged by the 2026 amendment (effective July 15, 2026).

Permit steps

Register with the state: complete form DFS-250 and mail it with the $50 annual registration fee to the KY Food Safety Branch, 275 E. Main St. HS1C-F, Frankfort, KY 40621 (or drop it at your local health department, which forwards it).
Registration renews annually; a renewal invoice is mailed each year.
No food-safety training is required for Home-Based Processors; no routine kitchen inspection (the cabinet may inspect annually, and will sample/inspect on a complaint or misbranding finding).
Microprocessor tier (canned/acidified foods): attend the UK Cooperative Extension microprocessor workshop and pass the tests, get each recipe approved by a process authority ($5 per recipe), prepare draft labels, verify an approved water source, then submit the certification application with a $50 fee to the Food Safety Branch.

How to start in Kentucky

1. Confirm your products are non-potentially-hazardous foods (no acidified, low-acid canned, meat, dairy-based, or refrigerated items). 2. Register as a Home-Based Processor: fill out form DFS-250 and mail it with the $50 annual fee to the KY Food Safety Branch in Frankfort (275 E. Main St. HS1C-F, Frankfort, KY 40621). 3. Label every product with: operation name and full street address, product name, ingredients in descending order, net weight/volume, the exact statement 'This product is homeproduced and processed' in 10-point type, the date processed, and allergen identification. 4. Sell direct to Kentucky consumers only — from your home (pickup or personal delivery), farmers markets, roadside stands, community events, or online with in-person pickup/delivery (no mail shipping). 5. No wholesale or retail sales (restaurants, grocery stores), no interstate sales. 6. Stay under $60,000 gross annual income; renew your registration each year. 7. For pickles, salsa, BBQ sauce, or other canned/acidified foods: take the separate Home-Based Microprocessor path — you must be a farmer growing the primary ingredient, complete the UK workshop, get recipes approved, and sell only at farmers markets, certified roadside stands, or on your farm.

Recent changes

2026: SB 73 enacted as 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 52, effective July 15, 2026 — added pork lard/tallow-based cosmetic products to the Home-Based Processor definition (KRS 217.015(56), KRS 217.136); $60,000 cap unchanged. 2025: HB 186 passed the General Assembly — exempts charitable food donors, including homebased processors donating to homeless shelters or disaster victims, from KRS 217 licensing and plumbing-code requirements. 2025: HB 768 (would have barred state/local rules beyond federal law on small farms and homebased processors and repealed KRS 217.136) died in the House Agriculture Committee. 2024: HB 454 (would have added roasted coffee beans to the allowed homebased-processor foods) died in Committee on Committees without a hearing. No food-freedom or MEHKO-style bills were filed in 2024-2026; the 2026 cultured-meat bill (HB 309) is unrelated to home kitchens and stalled in committee.

Official sources

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Not legal advice. Rules change — confirm everything with Kentucky's health department before selling.