Alaska Cottage Food Laws

Alaska keeps things light-touch for shelf-stable baked goods. Anything that needs temperature control pushes you into full food-establishment permitting.

Important information: Cottage food laws vary by state and may change. This guide is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your state's official regulatory agency before selling homemade food.

This guide is our summary and hasn't been checked against an official source yet. One item needs confirmation (marked below). Confirm every fact with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation before you rely on it.

Needs confirmation

  • Unresolved: Alaska's 2024 homemade food law (HB 251, AS 17.20.332–.338) appears to have replaced the old $25,000 cap, but DEC's and the Legislature's sites block automated reading, so we couldn't confirm the current rules. Check with DEC.

Fast facts

Permit
No permit for most baked goods (summary)
Annual sales cap
No limit (unresolved)
Online sales
Limited (summary)
Shipping
Not allowed (summary)

What makes Alaska different

  • Non-potentially-hazardous baked goods can be sold without a permit or inspection
  • No annual sales cap
  • Labeling and the home-kitchen disclosure are still mandatory

Where you can sell in Alaska

  • Direct to consumer
  • Farmers markets
  • Roadside stands
  • Community events

What you can and can't make

These lists describe what most cottage food laws allow and prohibit. They aren't Alaska's official product list: check the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation for the foods Alaska actually allows.

Generally allowed

  • Breads, rolls, biscuits and buns
  • Cakes, cupcakes and brownies (without cream-cheese or custard fillings)
  • Cookies, bars and biscotti
  • Fruit pies and fruit-filled pastries
  • Candy, brittle, fudge and chocolate-covered items
  • Dry mixes, granola, popcorn and roasted nuts
  • Jams, jellies and preserves made from high-acid fruit

Generally prohibited

  • Cheesecake and cream-cheese frostings or fillings
  • Custard, meringue, pudding and Bavarian-cream pies
  • Anything containing meat, poultry or seafood
  • Fresh-dairy items, ice cream and buttercream that requires refrigeration
  • Canned vegetables, salsas and other low-acid canned goods
  • Garlic-in-oil, pickled goods and fermented foods (in most states)
  • Kombucha, juices and other beverages requiring a process authority

Alaska labeling requirements

Most states require the elements below. Alaska's exact list may differ, so confirm it with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

  1. The name and physical address of your home kitchen business
  2. The common name of the product
  3. A full ingredient list in descending order by weight
  4. Allergen declaration for the major allergens (milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame)
  5. Net weight or volume
  6. A cottage food disclosure such as "Made in a home kitchen that is not subject to routine state inspection"

Official source for Alaska

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation administers cottage food rules in Alaska. Their page is the authoritative, current version of everything summarized here.

Visit the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

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Cottage food laws in other states