the alaska food freedom law, in plain english

what you can sell from your home kitchen in alaska, who you register with, where you can sell, and what the label has to say. checked against the state’s own pages on october 14, 2026.

by tommy + omarchecked october 14, 2026

alaska: no registration, no sales cap, sell online, ship within the state. tap any state to see its rules.

on this page

1at a glance 2what you can sell 3how to start 4where you can sell 5labels 6what’s changed 7good to know 8questions 9sources

the short answer

yes, you can sell homemade food from your home kitchen in alaska, and you don’t need a state permit, training or inspection. under the homemade food law there’s no sales cap, and you can sell to people in alaska from home, at farmers markets, online or by delivery. you can even sell perishable foods like cheesecake, as long as you sell them yourself. label every package with the state’s required statement, and leave out seafood and game meat.

alaska cottage food rules at a glance

alaska cottage food rules at a glance
the law	alaska homemade food law (hb 251) (alaska statutes, sections 17.20.332 to 17.20.338)
who runs it	alaska department of environmental conservation (dec), food safety and sanitation program
registration	no no state registration
kitchen inspection	no
training	no
yearly sales cap	no sales cap
selling from your home	yesyou can also sell from your farm, ranch or office
selling at farmers markets and events	yesfarmers markets and agricultural fairs
selling online orders	yesbuyers must be in alaska; you must be the seller for perishable foods, and online food hubs can only sell shelf-stable ones
selling delivering it yourself	yesat any place you and the buyer agree on, inside alaska
selling shipping within the state	yesdec asks you to follow its mail order food safety guidance
selling shipping to other states	nono sales across state lines
selling to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedstores can sell your shelf-stable foods on a separate shelf with a sign; restaurants can’t use or sell homemade food

what can you sell from home in alaska?

you can sell

breads, cookies, cakes and pies
cheesecake, pumpkin pie and lemon meringue
candy, jams and jellies
hummus and fresh vegetable juice
cold brew coffee
meals made with usda-inspected meat
eggs

you can’t sell

seafood, including fish and shellfish
game meat
lard or other oil rendered from animal fat
meat that wasn’t usda inspected
cannabis or other controlled substances

these are examples, not the full list. check the alaska department of environmental conservation (dec), food safety and sanitation program before you sell something new.

how do you start a cottage food business in alaska?

no state registration. alaska doesn’t ask cottage food sellers to register with the state. check your city or county for local rules, like zoning or a business license.
label everything the way the law asks (below).
start selling in the ways alaska allows, and keep track of your sales if there’s a cap.

where and how can you sell in alaska?

from your home	yesyou can also sell from your farm, ranch or office
at farmers markets and events	yesfarmers markets and agricultural fairs
online orders	yesbuyers must be in alaska; you must be the seller for perishable foods, and online food hubs can only sell shelf-stable ones
delivering it yourself	yesat any place you and the buyer agree on, inside alaska
shipping within the state	yesdec asks you to follow its mail order food safety guidance
shipping to other states	nono sales across state lines
to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedstores can sell your shelf-stable foods on a separate shelf with a sign; restaurants can’t use or sell homemade food

on wareby, food is always pickup or delivery by the shop, never a courier and never shipped, which fits the rules in every state. how to sell food online from home.

what goes on a cottage food label in alaska?

“This food was made in a home kitchen, is not regulated or inspected, except for meat and meat products, and may contain allergens.”
the statement alaska requires on your label

the label also needs:

your name
your current address
your phone number
your business license number, if you have one

what’s changed in alaska, and what’s coming?

when	what
november 4, 2025	anchorage ended its city cottage food license and now exempts homemade food that follows state law
may 11, 2025	dec repealed the old cottage food rule, which had a $25,000 yearly sales cap
july 1, 2024	hb 251 created the homemade food law: no permit or sales cap, perishable foods and some meat allowed, and sales through stores

what else should you know in alaska?

if you sell food unpackaged, tell the buyer before the sale that it was made under alaska’s homemade food law and isn’t inspected, and give your name, address, phone number and business license number.
alaska requires a state business license for most businesses, and the license number goes on your label.
cities, boroughs and military bases can add their own rules, so check locally. anchorage now follows the state law.
alaska has no statewide sales tax, but many cities and boroughs have one.

questions people ask

do i need a license to sell baked goods from home in alaska?

no state registration is needed for cottage food in alaska. check your city or county for local rules, like zoning or a business license.

can i sell cottage food online in alaska?

yes. buyers must be in alaska; you must be the seller for perishable foods, and online food hubs can only sell shelf-stable ones.

can i ship cottage food in alaska?

yes, within alaska: dec asks you to follow its mail order food safety guidance. you can’t ship to other states. no sales across state lines.

how much can i sell from home in alaska?

there’s no yearly sales cap.

can i sell to stores or coffee shops in alaska?

with limits: stores can sell your shelf-stable foods on a separate shelf with a sign; restaurants can’t use or sell homemade food.

what can’t i sell from home in alaska?

the usual no’s: seafood, including fish and shellfish, game meat, lard or other oil rendered from animal fat, meat that wasn’t usda inspected, cannabis or other controlled substances. check with the alaska department of environmental conservation (dec), food safety and sanitation program before you sell something new.

sources

this is general information to help you get started, not legal advice. we checked it against alaska’s own pages on october 14, 2026, and laws change, so confirm with the alaska department of environmental conservation (dec), food safety and sanitation program (and your city or county) before you sell. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com.

written by tommy + omar

we sold cinnamon rolls from home as minnesota cottage food producers before we opened a licensed kitchen and built wareby. our story