south central region · Pop. 3,067,732
Recorded review dates for 13 of 13 published categories. A review date is not a guarantee that requirements are current.
Arkansas Food Freedom Act — no revenue cap, no permits, no training, no inspections. Allows non-TCS foods plus acidified items. Direct-to-consumer at farmers markets, from home, and roadside stands.
No revenue cap under Food Freedom Act
Arkansas Food Freedom Act allows jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, and acidified foods (pickles, salsas) with no revenue cap, no permit, no training. pH testing required for acidified foods (must be 4.6 or below). Sugar-free jams/jellies NOT allowed. Only water-bath/high-acid canning permitted.
No revenue cap (Food Freedom Act)
Arkansas has a separate Food Freedom Act pathway for hobbyist beekeepers (under 500 gallons/year) — exempt from health department inspection. Apiary registration required (free). Infused honey may not qualify under Food Freedom. Labeling pure honey as anything else is unlawful per Ark. Code 20-57-402.
No revenue cap (Food Freedom Act)
Arkansas allows specialty dry goods under cottage food law with no revenue cap under the Food Freedom Act. No permit or training required. Dried herbs, spice blends, and dry mixes permitted. Nut butters not explicitly allowed. Infused oils prohibited.
No revenue cap (Food Freedom Act)
Arkansas requires a commercial feed license and per-product registration from the Bureau of Standards. Annual license is $50 plus $20 per product. Tonnage reports required semi-annually. AAFCO-compliant labels mandatory.
No revenue cap; semi-annual tonnage reporting required
Arkansas does not permit fermented foods under its cottage food law. All fermented products are considered potentially hazardous. Commercial food processing license required for any fermented food production.
No revenue cap (Food Freedom Act)
Arkansas's Food Freedom Act (Act 1040 of 2021) exempts non-TCS homemade foods from state licensure, certification, health-department inspection, and packaging/labeling requirements, with no annual revenue cap. Generous on sales channels — online, phone, mail, delivery, agents, and third-party vendors — but limited to non-TCS products.
No revenue cap or sales limit written into the Act
Arkansas has no standalone domestic-kitchen / home-kitchen license tier. Home food production is governed by Arkansas's cottage food law, which is very permissive (no revenue cap, no license required). See the Cottage Food vertical for the full roadmap.
No revenue cap under Food Freedom Act
Arkansas has no standalone farm-direct exemption. Farm value-added products are governed by Arkansas's cottage food law, which is very permissive (no revenue cap, no license required). See the Cottage Food vertical for the full roadmap.
No revenue cap under Food Freedom Act
Arkansas requires a commercial feed license and per-product registration from the Bureau of Standards. Annual license is $50 plus $20 per product. Semi-annual tonnage reports required. Complete & balanced pet food must meet AAFCO nutritional adequacy profiles and be produced in a commercial facility.
No revenue cap; semi-annual tonnage reporting required
Arkansas requires a commercial feed license and per-product registration from the Bureau of Standards. Raw pet food requires pathogen testing and commercial facility production. Annual license $50 plus $20 per product. Semi-annual tonnage reports required. Additional food safety controls for raw products.
No revenue cap; pathogen testing and commercial facility required
Arkansas requires a commercial feed license for pet supplements from the Bureau of Standards. Annual license $50 plus $20 per product. Semi-annual tonnage reports required. Supplements regulated as animal feed. Structure/function claims only.
No revenue cap; semi-annual tonnage reporting required
Arkansas requires a commercial feed license for pet bakery products from the Bureau of Standards. Annual license $50 plus $20 per product. Semi-annual tonnage reports. No specific cottage exemption for baked pet treats.
No revenue cap; semi-annual tonnage reporting required
Pet Food Regulations for Arkansas
Commercial feed licensing, AAFCO compliance, fees, and feed control official contact
Review business-formation options and the recorded fees for Arkansas. Confirm current fees and obligations with the state filing office; forming an entity does not guarantee asset protection.
LLC Filing Fee
$45
Annual Fee
$150
Processing Estimate
~3 days
DBA Fee
$0
13 of 13 published categories assessed. An overall band requires every published category to be assessed.
Revenue-cap periods follow normalized display labels, not verified legal reset rules. Missing or unrecognized periods display as annual; confirm the applicable period with the regulator.
Cottage Food
Canning & Preserves
Honey
Specialty Foods
Pet Treats
Get your personalized compliance roadmap, startup cost estimate, and step-by-step launch guide.
baked goods
candy
jams
jellies
honey
dried fruits
pickles (proper pH)
salsas
sauces
acidified/fermented beverages (pH-dependent)
maple syrup
sorghum
whole uncut fresh fruits and vegetables
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq.
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
jams
jellies
fruit butter
apple butter
fruit preserves
pickles (high-acid/acidified)
salsa (acidified)
chutney
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq.
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
raw honey
filtered honey
creamed honey
comb honey
infused honey
beeswax products
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq.; Ark. Code Ann. § 2-24-101 (Apiary)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
dried herbs
spice blends
tea blends
dry mixes
seasoning packets
granola
trail mix
dried pasta
flavored salts
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq.
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
dog treats
cat treats
pet food
pet snacks
biscuits
Ark. Code Ann. § 2-36-101 et seq. (Arkansas Commercial Feed Law)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq. (fermented foods not listed as permitted)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
baked goods
candy
jams
jellies
dried goods
non-TCS foods broadly
Arkansas Food Freedom Act, Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-57-501 to 20-57-505 (Act 1040 of 2021)
Recorded review: June 18, 2026
baked goods
candy
jams
jellies
honey
dried fruits
pickles (proper pH)
salsas
sauces
acidified/fermented beverages (pH-dependent)
maple syrup
sorghum
whole uncut fresh fruits and vegetables
No dedicated domestic-kitchen / home-kitchen license tier; governed by Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq.
Recorded review: June 18, 2026
baked goods
candy
jams
jellies
honey
dried fruits
pickles (proper pH)
salsas
sauces
acidified/fermented beverages (pH-dependent)
maple syrup
sorghum
whole uncut fresh fruits and vegetables
No dedicated farm-direct exemption; governed by Ark. Code Ann. § 20-57-201 et seq.
Recorded review: June 18, 2026
dry kibble
wet/canned food
semi-moist food
fresh refrigerated food
Ark. Code Ann. § 2-36-101 et seq. (Arkansas Commercial Feed Law)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
raw frozen pet food
freeze-dried raw
dehydrated raw
raw bones
raw meaty bones
Ark. Code Ann. § 2-36-101 et seq. (Arkansas Commercial Feed Law)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
joint supplements (glucosamine/chondroitin)
probiotics
omega fatty acids
vitamins
minerals
digestive enzymes
calming supplements
Ark. Code Ann. § 2-36-101 et seq. (Arkansas Commercial Feed Law)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
baked dog biscuits
pet birthday cakes
frozen yogurt treats
peanut butter cookies
pumpkin treats
Ark. Code Ann. § 2-36-101 et seq. (Arkansas Commercial Feed Law)
Recorded review: March 1, 2026
Fermented Foods
Food Freedom Laws
Domestic Kitchen
Farm Direct
Complete Pet Food
Raw Pet Food
Pet Supplements
Pet Bakery
Want to share or embed this signal on your site?
Open full report card