Home coffee business
Can you sell coffee from home in Tennessee?
Tennessee lets you sell nonhazardous homemade foods from a domestic kitchen with no permit and no sales cap; registration only comes in for higher risk exemptions. Roasted beans and baked goods qualify; brewed and made to order drinks need a licensed operation.
Governing law: Tennessee Domestic Kitchen (Cottage Food)
How home coffee sales work in Tennessee
- Governing program
- Domestic Kitchen (Cottage Food)
- Who administers it
- Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture
- What you need
- No permit for nonhazardous foods; registration for some exemptions
- Annual sales cap
- No annual cap
- Where you can sell
- Direct to consumers, plus some retail
- Food safety
- Not required for nonhazardous foods
What you can sell from home
Cottage food covers shelf stable items only. Brewed, cold brew, and made to order drinks need a commercial or permitted kitchen.
Facts reviewed July 28, 2026. Cottage food and food freedom laws change often and interact with local zoning and HOA rules. Confirm the current program, cap, and links before you sell.
What you can do
- Sell roasted coffee beans and bags with no permit
- Sell baked goods and shelf stable treats with no cap
- Sell direct and through some retailers
What you can't do
- Serve made to order or brewed coffee drinks from home
- Make potentially hazardous foods without meeting the exemption rules
- Ignore labeling requirements
Read the official rules
Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture →Link last verified 2026-07-28.
General guidance only, not legal advice. Cottage food and food freedom laws change often and interact with local zoning and HOA rules. Confirm with your state agency and local zoning office before you sell.