Alabama has a quirk worth knowing before you pick a market: home food makers get their cottage food protection at "state-sanctioned" farmers markets, the ones certified by the state. The cottage food path itself involves a food safety course and a couple of county steps. Here's how Alabama works.
The short version: Alabama cottage food makers can sell non-perishable home foods with no sales cap (the cap was removed in 2021), but the path has a few steps: complete an approved food safety course, register with your county health department, and get your labels approved by the county. There's a catch: this protection applies at "state-sanctioned" farmers markets certified by the state. Vendors using home-grown ingredients also need a Growers Permit from their county Extension office. Prepared-food vendors need a county temporary food permit. Everyone registers for sales tax.
The goal is getting cleared to sell. Once you are, a Homegrown storefront ($10/month, 0% commission) makes taking Alabama orders, pickups, and payments easy.
Here's the Alabama detail that surprises people. The ability to sell home-processed foods without a food service permit applies at "state-sanctioned" farmers markets, the ones certified by the Alabama Farmers Market Authority (AGI). Selling at a market that isn't certified may not give you the same home-kitchen protection.
So your first question in Alabama isn't just "what permit do I need," it's "is this market state-sanctioned?" Confirm the market's status before you assume your cottage food protection applies.
Alabama's cottage food rules (state code 22-20-5.1) have no sales cap (it was removed in 2021), but there are three steps:
Allowed foods include baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes, brownies, double-crust pies), jams, jellies, fruit preserves, candies, fudge, popcorn and caramel corn, peanut brittle, spices, and herbs. Fermented or pickled items are allowed with lab testing if the water activity is below 0.88 or the pH is below 4.2. Low-acid canned goods and refrigerated prepared vegetables are generally prohibited at home (with special provisions in a couple of counties). For the full list and labeling rules, see our Alabama cottage food law guide and our walkthrough on how to start a cottage food business in Alabama.
There's a second permit specific to Alabama. If you make home-processed foods using home-grown ingredients, you need a Growers Permit from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System office in your county. This is separate from cottage food registration, so factor it in if you grow what goes into your products.
If you prepare and serve potentially hazardous (temperature-controlled) foods at a market, you need a Temporary Food Service Permit from the county health department. Fees vary: one county charges $50 (with 14 days advance notice) or $75 if late; another charges $100 to $200 per unit. Raw produce, eggs, boiled peanuts, and honey can generally be sold at certified markets without these additional permits.
Separate from any food rules, register with the Alabama Department of Revenue and collect sales tax on taxable sales.
Start at the official sources: the Alabama Farmers Market Authority page to confirm state-sanctioned markets, and the Alabama Extension cottage food law guide for the rules. Your county health department handles registration and label approval.
Cottage food makers can sell non-perishable foods at state-sanctioned markets without a food service permit, but must complete a food safety course, register with the county health department, and get labels approved. Vendors using home-grown ingredients need a Growers Permit. Prepared food needs a county temporary food permit.
It's a market certified by the Alabama Farmers Market Authority (AGI). The cottage food protection that lets you sell home-processed foods without a food service permit applies at these certified markets, so confirm a market's status before assuming your protection applies.
No. Alabama removed the cottage food sales cap in 2021, so there's no limit. The path does require a food safety course, county registration, and county label approval.
It's a permit from your county Alabama Cooperative Extension System office, required if you make home-processed foods using home-grown ingredients. It's separate from cottage food registration.
Yes, for cottage food. You must complete an ADPH-approved (ANSI-accredited) food safety course, then register with your county health department and get your labels approved.
Alabama has no cottage food sales cap, but the path has steps: a food safety course, county registration, and county label approval, plus a Growers Permit if you use home-grown ingredients. The key quirk is selling at state-sanctioned markets, so confirm a market's certification first. Register for sales tax too. Once you're cleared to sell, a simple storefront makes pickups and payments easy. Set up a Homegrown storefront for $10/month at 0% commission, and check other states on our farmers market vendor permits by state guide.
*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules change and county requirements vary. Verify current requirements with the Alabama Farmers Market Authority, ADPH, your county health department, and the Department of Revenue before selling. Last updated: June 2026.*
