Arkansas: the home-kitchen movement
Food freedom Cottage food law · Food freedom act
Arkansas's Food Freedom Act (A.C.A. §§ 20-57-501–507, Act 1040 of 2021) replaced the old cottage food law and lets home producers sell any volume of shelf-stable (non-TCS) food and drink from a private residence with no permit, license, inspection, or sales cap — while expressly preempting counties and cities from regulating it. Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and any food needing refrigeration are excluded and require an Arkansas Department of Health permit.
Status, history, and administering agency are verified from the state law guide's primary sources. Supporter/opposition research for this state is still in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.
Where it stands
2021 (context): Act 1040 of 2021 (SB248, effective July 28, 2021) created the Food Freedom Act (A.C.A. §§ 20-57-501–507) and repealed the Cottage Food Act (Act 399 of 2017). 2025: Act 125 of 2025 (HB1048, signed 2/20/2025) clarified that incidental sales of unpasteurized goat, sheep, and whole milk are not limited to sales on the farm. Act 698 of 2025 (SB464, passed 4/18/2025 with emergency clause) allows raw milk and raw milk products to be sold at locations other than the farm where produced. HB1149 of 2025 (banning local regulation of residential vegetable gardens) passed the House but died in Senate committee at sine die adjournment on 5/5/2025 — it did not become law. 2026: the Arkansas Department of Health updated its Homemade Food Production Guide on May 21, 2026, reflecting the 2025 raw-milk acts and restating that dairy products are excluded from the Food Freedom Act. No 2024 amendments to the Food Freedom Act were found, and no 2026 food-freedom bills were identified as pending.
Residents can find and support local kitchens through the Arkansas hub — browse kitchens, read the law guide, and see what is cooking near you.
How we got here
- 2021 — Cottage food law
2021 (context): Act 1040 of 2021 (SB248, effective July 28, 2021) created the Food Freedom Act (A.C.A. Source - 2017 — Cottage food law
§§ 20-57-501–507) and repealed the Cottage Food Act (Act 399 of 2017). Source - 2025 — Cottage food law
2025: Act 125 of 2025 (HB1048, signed 2/20/2025) clarified that incidental sales of unpasteurized goat, sheep, and whole milk are not limited to sales on the farm. Source - 2025 — Cottage food law
Act 698 of 2025 (SB464, passed 4/18/2025 with emergency clause) allows raw milk and raw milk products to be sold at locations other than the farm where produced. Source
Supporters
Supporter research for this state is in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.
Opposition
No on-record opposition has been verified for this state yet.
The deciders
Governor
Office of the Governor of Arkansas (name not yet verified in this research pass)
Contact the deciders
A pre-written letter in Arkansas's own terminology. The buttons open it in your email — addressed by you to the office above. Nothing sends until you press send.