Alaska Homemade Food Law (2026): AS 17.20.332 Exemption, Labels and Where to Sell
At a glance
- License or permit
- None from the state for homemade food that meets AS 17.20.332 to 17.20.338; a business license number goes on the label if you have one
- Annual sales limit
- None in the statute
- Allowed foods
- Food or drink prepared in your private home kitchen or a kitchen leased to you, including foods that need temperature control, with limits on meat, seafood and game
- Where you can sell
- In Alaska, at farmers markets, agricultural fairs, a farm or ranch, your home or office, a third-party retail location, or an agreed place; no interstate sales
- Not allowed
- Seafood, game meat, controlled substances, oil rendered from animal fat, and sales to a commercial food establishment (except raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables)
- Training required
- None in the statute
What changed in Alaska
Alaska replaced its older cottage food rule with a statute. House Bill 251, enacted in 2024, created the homemade food exemption in Article 8 of AS 17.20 (sections 17.20.332 to 17.20.338). In 2025 the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) adopted a repeal of 18 AAC 31.012(a), the old regulation on exemptions for homemade food, to align the Alaska Food Code with the new law. If you read an older guide that describes a DEC cottage food permit or a registration with an address-disclosure choice, check it against the statute below.
Who and what the exemption covers
The statute defines “homemade food” as a food or drink prepared or processed in a producer’s private home kitchen, or in a private or commercial kitchen leased to the producer. A “producer” is a person who grows, harvests, prepares, processes, or makes and packages homemade food on property the person owns or leases. A “potentially hazardous homemade food” is food or drink that needs time or temperature control for safety, and the statute does not ban these foods. The sale must be only for personal consumption, which means use by the buyer, the buyer’s employee or a non-paying guest of the buyer.
| Food | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Baked goods, candy, jams, granola and other shelf-stable foods | Yes |
| Foods that need refrigeration, such as cheesecake, cream pies and cooked dishes | Yes the seller must be the producer |
| Eggs | Yes the seller may be the producer, an agent or a third-party vendor |
| Raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables | Yes may also be sold to or used in a commercial food establishment |
| Meat and meat products | Federal law applies allowed under the statute, subject to federal law |
| Seafood and fish | No |
| Game meat | No |
| Oil rendered from animal fat and controlled substances | No |
| Any homemade food sold to a restaurant or other commercial food establishment | No except raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables |
Where you can sell
- In Alaska only. The sale must happen in the state and may not involve interstate commerce.
- Places. A farmers market, agricultural fair, farm, ranch, the producer’s home or office, the retail location of a third-party seller, or a location agreed on by you and the buyer.
- Third-party stores. Homemade food may be sold from a retail space at a ranch, farm or home or at a third-party retail location, including a grocery store. It may not sit on the same shelf or display as inspected food. If the retail space is connected to a commercial food establishment or sells inspected food, it needs a separate door and cash register, signs showing which areas sell uninspected food, and separate storage.
- Who may sell. The seller of a potentially hazardous homemade food, other than eggs, must be the producer. Eggs and foods that are not potentially hazardous may be sold by the producer, an agent or a third-party vendor, including a retail shop or grocery store.
- Restaurants and commercial food businesses. Except for raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, homemade food may not be sold or used in a commercial food establishment.
Alaska label and sign requirements
A homemade food packaged for individual sale must be clearly and prominently labeled with:
- the producer’s name, current address and telephone number, and the producer’s business license number if the producer has one;
- the statement: “This food was made in a home kitchen, is not regulated or inspected, except for meat and meat products, and may contain allergens.”
A retail space that sells homemade food must prominently display a sign saying the food was made in a home kitchen, may contain allergens and, except for permitted meat, is not regulated or inspected. Before you sell unpackaged homemade food, you or a third-party seller must tell the buyer that it was prepared in accordance with the exemption and is not subject to certain state certification, labeling, licensing, packaging, regulation or inspection requirements, and give the buyer your name, current address, telephone number and business license number if you have one.
100 Example Road, Anchorage, AK
Telephone: 907-555-0100
Meat, animal shares and other limits
A person may prepare and sell meat, meat products and homemade food containing meat under the exemption, subject to federal law. The statute also lets a person acquire meat through an ownership interest in an animal or herd, with a written contract, delivery from the farm or ranch, and a clear warning that the meat is not inspected (AS 17.20.334). The exemption does not cover seafood, game meat, controlled substances or rendered animal fat oil. It does not exempt you from federal and local food laws or from animal brand and inspection requirements (AS 17.20.336).
Inspections and complaints
The exemption does not stop DEC from investigating reports of foodborne illness, injury or death, unsafe sanitary practices, or misbranded or adulterated food. DEC can condemn and order destruction of misbranded or adulterated food and order an unsafe practice to stop. DEC can also give assistance, consultation or inspection if you ask.
Training and insurance
The statute requires no training or sales cap. Product liability coverage is worth considering. See our guide to liability, risk and insurance.
Local rules and HOAs
The statute says it does not exempt you from local laws, regulations and ordinances about food. Check your borough or city rules, your HOA covenants and your lease. For general background, see our planning and zoning guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to sell food from home in Alaska?
Not from the state for homemade food that meets AS 17.20.332 to 17.20.338. Check local rules and whether you need a business license.
Is there a sales limit in Alaska?
The statute sets no sales limit.
Can I sell food that needs refrigeration in Alaska?
Yes. The statute covers potentially hazardous homemade foods, but the seller of those foods must be the producer.
Can I sell homemade food online or ship it?
The sale must be for personal consumption, occur in Alaska and not involve interstate commerce. The statute lists places of sale and does not mention shipping, so ask DEC about shipped orders within Alaska.
Can I sell to restaurants or grocery stores in Alaska?
Not to restaurants or other commercial food establishments, except for raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. A retail shop or grocery store may sell homemade food as a third-party seller if it keeps it separate from inspected food.
What must an Alaska homemade food label say?
Your name, current address and telephone number, your business license number if you have one, and the statement that the food was made in a home kitchen and is not regulated or inspected, except meat, and may contain allergens.
Can I sell fish or game meat under the exemption?
No. Seafood and game meat are excluded.
Is the old Alaska cottage food rule still in effect?
DEC adopted a repeal of 18 AAC 31.012(a) in 2025 to align with the new statute. Ask DEC if you have questions about older guidance.
Note on conflicting sources
We read the text of AS 17.20.332 to 17.20.338 (2025 edition) on the Alaska Legislature’s website. DEC’s own pages and its regulation notices were blocked to our automated requests, so we did not read them. What we say about HB 251 and the 2025 repeal of 18 AAC 31.012(a) comes from DEC notice summaries in search results. Some older guides, and DEC’s older cottage food page, still describe the previous rule; some say it still exists as an option for producers who do not want to disclose a home address. We could not confirm that against an official source. TODO verify: HB 251’s effective date, DEC’s current homemade food guidance, local borough and city rules, and whether you need a state or local business license.
Official sources
- Alaska Statutes, Title 17, chapter 17.20, Article 8, sections 17.20.332 to 17.20.338 (homemade food; animal shares)
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Food Safety and Sanitation Program: homemade food guidance, and the 2025 notice repealing 18 AAC 31.012(a)
- Alaska Legislature, House Bill 251 (2024)
- Not checked for this page: DEC’s current pages and frequently asked questions, and local borough and city ordinances