Home Bakery Permit Requirements in Nashville, TN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Tennessee Food Freedom Act - Home-Based Food Exemption (no registration required)

   Tennessee's Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. section 53-1-118, effective July 1, 2025, exempts homemade food produced in a home-based kitchen from state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws. There is no cottage food registration: the Department of Agriculture states it does not issue permits or licenses or conduct inspections for products made under this law, and there is no earlier '53-8-117' cottage food statute in force. The Department of Health may still investigate a reported foodborne illness. TDA cannot advise on a specific product, so consult a legal professional about what your particular operation may sell.

   Official government source

   Free - there is no application, registration, or permit, and therefore no fee.·None. No application or approval step exists, so a home-based food operation covered by the Act can begin selling without waiting on the state.

   Free - there is no application, registration, or permit, and therefore no fee.

   None. No application or approval step exists, so a home-based food operation covered by the Act can begin selling without waiting on the state.

2. Tennessee Food Establishment License (not triggered by home bakery sales volume)

   There is no $20,000 gross-sales trigger for home bakers in Tennessee. The Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. section 53-1-118, effective July 1, 2025, exempts homemade food produced in a home-based kitchen from state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws, with no sales cap, and the Department of Agriculture states it does not issue permits or licenses or conduct inspections for products covered by it. A Tennessee food manufacturer or food establishment license becomes relevant only if you leave the home-kitchen exemption behind - for example by producing in a commercial facility, wholesaling, or making products the Act does not cover. The Department of Health may still investigate a reported foodborne illness. TDA will not advise on a specific product, so confirm with a legal professional before assuming your operation stays exempt.

   Official government source

   No fee applies while you operate under the home-kitchen exemption, because no license is issued. If you move into a commercial facility, ask the Department of Agriculture for the fee for the specific license class that then applies.·No waiting period applies under the home-kitchen exemption, because there is no application. If you later need a commercial food establishment license, the Department of Agriculture publishes no standard processing time.

   No fee applies while you operate under the home-kitchen exemption, because no license is issued. If you move into a commercial facility, ask the Department of Agriculture for the fee for the specific license class that then applies.

   No waiting period applies under the home-kitchen exemption, because there is no application. If you later need a commercial food establishment license, the Department of Agriculture publishes no standard processing time.

3. Tennessee Secretary of State Business Registration

   Required if you operate as an LLC, corporation, or limited partnership. A cottage food operator selling under Tennessee's Food Freedom Act may register an entity for liability protection, but is not required to. Tennessee does not recognize DBAs or fictitious names, so a sole proprietor files nothing at the state or county level; an already-registered entity may file an Assumed Name (form SS-4402, $20), good for five years and renewable.

   Official government source

   $100 for a for-profit Corporation Charter (form SS-4417). $300 minimum for LLC Articles of Organization (form SS-4270) - the LLC fee is $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum. A $50 fee is never actually charged for forming either entity.·The Secretary of State publishes no processing time. File online through TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov rather than by mail. Registering afterward with the Tennessee Department of Revenue takes up to 10 business days.

   $100 for a for-profit Corporation Charter (form SS-4417). $300 minimum for LLC Articles of Organization (form SS-4270) - the LLC fee is $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum. A $50 fee is never actually charged for forming either entity.

   The Secretary of State publishes no processing time. File online through TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov rather than by mail. Registering afterward with the Tennessee Department of Revenue takes up to 10 business days.

1. Metro Nashville Home Occupation Permit

   Required if you bake commercially from a residence in Nashville. Issued by the Metro Codes and Building Safety Department's Zoning Examinations division, not the Planning Department. The property must be your primary residence and be owned by a natural person or a trust; you must be the owner, a relative of the owner, or a renter with at least a one-year lease, and you must notify adjacent property owners in writing. Only one home occupation permit is issued per lot in single-family and two-family districts. This is a zoning permit only - the food itself is exempt from state licensing and inspection under Tennessee's Food Freedom Act.

   Official government source

   No permit fee is published by Metro Codes and Building Safety for a home occupation permit. If you need written confirmation that the use is allowed at your address, a zoning verification letter costs $50 (or $40 for a TABC letter), under the fee schedule effective April 7, 2026.·Metro Codes publishes no processing time for the home occupation permit itself; you email the Zoning Help Desk with the residential permit application, an affidavit, two proofs of primary residence, and proof that adjacent property owners were notified. A zoning verification letter for the address has a published 5-business-day turnaround.

   No permit fee is published by Metro Codes and Building Safety for a home occupation permit. If you need written confirmation that the use is allowed at your address, a zoning verification letter costs $50 (or $40 for a TABC letter), under the fee schedule effective April 7, 2026.

   Metro Codes publishes no processing time for the home occupation permit itself; you email the Zoning Help Desk with the residential permit application, an affidavit, two proofs of primary residence, and proof that adjacent property owners were notified. A zoning verification letter for the address has a published 5-business-day turnaround.

Official Sources

• Tennessee Department of Agriculture - Cottage Food
• Tennessee Department of Agriculture - Food Safety
• Metro Nashville Planning Department
• Tennessee Secretary of State - Business Services

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