Tennesse Regulations For Licensing Your Domestic Kitchen
Business By sandygirl Updated 11 Aug 2009 , 5:10pm by littlecake
i moved to tn from nyc and was told that i could not use my kitchen for commercial purposes because i lived in a residential district. perhaps, you don't. i was also told that if my residence was in a commercial district, that i would have to have a separate kitchen to conduct business out of. good luck. masterchef
i moved to tn from nyc and was told that i could not use my kitchen for commercial purposes because i lived in a residential district. perhaps, you don't. i was also told that if my residence was in a commercial district, that i would have to have a separate kitchen to conduct business out of. good luck. masterchef
Go to www.tn.gov and go to the department of agriculture section and look for "domestic Kitchen License". HTH
my son is opening a home bakery in tennessee, he's already talked to the ag. guy and the health dept dude came out to his house to see what they could do.
where he is...about 100 miles north of memphis, you must have a separate com. kitchen from your home...3 bay sink...you know the whole deal.....i was hoping they could use their home kitchen, but they can't. so he's revamping the garage.
dear dogwood, the resaon residential kitchens aka domestic are not permitted to operate on a professional basis is simply because of the traffic and disturbance that it may cause the neighborhood and neighbors. more traffic means more noise and the possibility of more accidents. crazy. i truly wish it were different so that i could open a catering business. right now, i am in the process of updating my kitchen so that i may offer private culinary classes twice a week to suppliment my income. chef louise
I am in Kingsport Tn and I took the domestic kitchen course several months ago. The problem that you will run into is not with the state. It is with your county health department. Each county is different. Some counties will consider what we do catering, which is not permitted from a home kitchen. In other words, you can make 100 cakes a week and sell them retail at a farmers market or store. But you can't make one per week that is a custom order. (Stupid. I know) Call your local health department and ask. I was lucky and mine said ok. Others on here are not permitted in their counties. Some counties will also allow some catering as long as their is absolutely no advertising. Good luck! 
I am in Kingsport Tn and I took the domestic kitchen course several months ago. The problem that you will run into is not with the state. It is with your county health department. Each county is different. Some counties will consider what we do catering, which is not permitted from a home kitchen. In other words, you can make 100 cakes a week and sell them retail at a farmers market or store. But you can't make one per week that is a custom order. (Stupid. I know) Call your local health department and ask. I was lucky and mine said ok. Others on here are not permitted in their counties. Some counties will also allow some catering as long as their is absolutely no advertising. Good luck!
For Memphis Tn- loriana and k8 memphis did you guys find out any updated information on getting licensed to bake from home, when i call maybe a year ago I was told also that i stay in a residential neighorhood in my home would have to be in a commercial zone area.
you need to call the health dept in your county, that's the first thing the dept of ag will have you do...it's not easy to get ahold of the guy in charge, my son had to call him like a stalker for 2 weeks...then you have to make an appointment for him to come out and look at your place, tennessee has been easier for my son, than it was for me in oklahoma, but in his county not nearly as easy as you guys are hoping for, good luck....why not just call them yourselves...at least you'll know what your dealing with.
It's me K8memphis~~
I am in Kingsport Tn and I took the domestic kitchen course several months ago. The problem that you will run into is not with the state. It is with your county health department. Each county is different. Some counties will consider what we do catering, which is not permitted from a home kitchen. In other words, you can make 100 cakes a week and sell them retail at a farmers market or store. But you can't make one per week that is a custom order. (Stupid. I know) Call your local health department and ask. I was lucky and mine said ok. Others on here are not permitted in their counties. Some counties will also allow some catering as long as their is absolutely no advertising. Good luck!
This is exactly correct. Plus:
See the different government departments do not police for each other. If you call and ask about a domestic kitchen--sure the state allows it. But In my county cake deco to order most certainly is catering, domestic kitchens do not cover catering and it ain't gonna happen.
What the state does allow and the dept of ag allows other agencies such as zoning do not allow--so make a bunch of calls. Or save yourself some hassle--if it's for Shelby County it ain't gonna happen legally no matter how many initial green lights you get--it ain't happeneing.
I mean move to Kentucky or Ohio or launch a for real commerciallly zoned business.
It's me K8memphis~~
What the state does allow and the dept of ag allows other agencies such as zoning do not allow--so make a bunch of calls. Or save yourself some hassle--if it's for Shelby County it ain't gonna happen legally no matter how many initial green lights you get--it ain't happeneing.
That is the way it is... no go in Montgomery County either... 
Be sure to check your local laws BEFORE you spend your money on the course.. 
Ok, I'm wondering if this class in Crossville is the same that was in Nashville this spring. If so, the girls who took it said it was a waste of money b/c they can't use it for cake deco. It was more of a farmers market type course. Crossville is actually closer for me & I would love to take it, but am not wanting to get there & find out that the class doesn't apply
ETA:
How do you find out if you can sell cakes out of your home? Do you call the Dept of AG & ask what is required to decorate & sell cakes out of your home? Or do you ask if cake deco falls under catering? Or do I ask something entirely different? I'm sensing that asking about a domestic kitchen isn't cutting it
Ok, I'm wondering if this class in Crossville is the same that was in Nashville this spring. If so, the girls who took it said it was a waste of money b/c they can't use it for cake deco. It was more of a farmers market type course. Crossville is actually closer for me & I would love to take it, but am not wanting to get there & find out that the class doesn't apply
ETA:
How do you find out if you can sell cakes out of your home? Do you call the Dept of AG & ask what is required to decorate & sell cakes out of your home? Or do you ask if cake deco falls under catering? Or do I ask something entirely different? I'm sensing that asking about a domestic kitchen isn't cutting it
I mean the health department will shoot straight with you if you ask the right questions. I mean cut to the case with them. Call the local zoning board. Call Code Enforcement. Call the business license place. Someone will clue you in.
The way I say it is--the only law is the law of public opinion. So some TN counties will wink it by.
So, should I call and see if this class on Aug 28th is the one that's required or if it's the one that is for domestic kitchens? Do you think the UT lady will know?
the ut lady is the one who answered my specific question "i'm a cake designer and this class will be what i need to get legal?
here's the deal...they have nothing to lose by blatently lying. the state gets your money, and more people are educated about food safety...they could care less that your hopes and dreams are on the line and that you're using hard earned money to go and sit for 8 hours on cold, extremely hard metal chairs just to learn in the first 5 minutes of the class that it does not pertain to you and your dreams. if you have the courage to raise your hand and question why you were told this was the class you needed, they'll feign ignorance and say they don't know why the miscommunication is still happening. yeah right! if the other classes are the same as mine, then it's a no brainer...out of about 50 in the class, there were at least 25 of us probably who wanted to do sweets or pickles or salsa etc out of our home...all of us had called and gotten the same info about how this class was for us. each of us spent $100 to be misled...count it up, and follow the trail...now ya got your answer!
So, do you know what TN Food Safety course it's talking about in the papers sandygirl got in the mail?
the ut lady is the one who answered my specific question "i'm a cake designer and this class will be what i need to get legal?
here's the deal...they have nothing to lose by blatently lying. the state gets your money, and more people are educated about food safety...they could care less that your hopes and dreams are on the line and that you're using hard earned money to go and sit for 8 hours on cold, extremely hard metal chairs just to learn in the first 5 minutes of the class that it does not pertain to you and your dreams. if you have the courage to raise your hand and question why you were told this was the class you needed, they'll feign ignorance and say they don't know why the miscommunication is still happening. yeah right! if the other classes are the same as mine, then it's a no brainer...out of about 50 in the class, there were at least 25 of us probably who wanted to do sweets or pickles or salsa etc out of our home...all of us had called and gotten the same info about how this class was for us. each of us spent $100 to be misled...count it up, and follow the trail...now ya got your answer!
wow how sad is this?....the dude over the health dept in obion county went to my son's house to look things over and give him a list of what he needed to get and do.....this class was not mentioned....you guys are not going to be able to get around the health dept by taking this class...why don't you just call ....(and keep calling) till you can get an appointment with the health dept guy, or at least talk to to him, it's kinda hard to get them, because there is usually one guy over each county....this is the first thing on the list to get legal...you can't get around it.
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