Country Time Will Pay Kids “Illegal” Lemonade Stand Fines

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person holding Country Time lemonade in store

Has your child been fined for selling lemonade?

As sour as it sounds, unfortunately, it is illegal for kids to run a lemonade stand without a permit in select states. But, Country Time is turning that sour lemon news into sweet lemonade! 🍋

If you have a child under the age of 14 who was fined for operating a lemonade stand without a permit, you may be eligible to receive relief from Country Time’s Legal-Ade.

kids selling lemonade at lemonade stand

With this initiative, Country Time is willing to pay up to $300 per household for the fines and reimburse permit costs for kids operating a lemonade stand in the 2018 or 2019 calendar year. But note that this offer is only valid through September 2nd, 2019, or until $30,000 has been awarded (whichever comes first).

Lemonade stand decorations on table from Target

To see if you’re eligible, just take a photo of the fine or 2019 permit (if seeking reimbursement), and write a brief description of what your child’s lemonade stand means to him or her, in his/her own words.

Visit Country Time’s Legal-Ade website for all the details.


By the way, this frozen lemonade pie recipe is delicious!

Join The Discussion

Comments 53

  1. Debbie

    That’s crazy how ridiculous this is
    poor kids
    glad country lemonade is stepping in to help

    • s

      Pretty sure countrytime is making up fake news here.

      • Mcouzens

        Unfortunately it is very real

      • JennD

        this is indeed true.

  2. Erin

    This is just ridiculous and sad that they even have to do it. Bless CTL and those poor kids!

    • s

      What poor kids? Do we know This is actually happening. Sounds like a marketing ploy to me.

      • Mel

        Unfortunately it’s not. Here in NY I’ve seen on the new several times that the police have forced kids to close lemonade stands, and have given tickets for operating it without a permit.

        • A

          No, it is not the Police Officer’s fault. It is the law makers. The city, town, government. If you want change go to your local town hall meetings. Make yourself present. Police Officer’s have the job to enforce the laws put into effect by our city, state, and government. They do not make the laws or the rules.

      • Ken

        It is a marketing ploy, but it’s also real.

        Kids have been making the news now and again for having their stands shut down.

  3. Elle

    We definitely live in an age where a permit is required for just about everything. Was a little surprised to find out the other day after purchasing a small DIY home security system (literally one motion sensor and one entry sensor) that I needed an annual alarm permit in my city in order for the police to show up in the event of a break in/emergency… -_-

  4. Denise

    Just out of curiosity I wonder how many fines hv been made or is this more a marketing strategy

    • Saydee

      It is soooo clearly a marketing ploy. While if this was a big issue it would be nice of Country time. Maybe the couple times it has happened is a clever way for CT. Now that they brought this “issue” to our attention, watch how many times you see something about it on the local news. Which ever way the media spins it, will drum up publicity. You may have the story where the kids were fined and the parents and people of the city are outraged or the spin where we see the local cops buying the lemonade even though “the law says they could/should shut it down”. Then good ole CT will swoop in to save the day πŸ™„πŸ™„.
      Im a huge CT fan so either way, i sporadically buy it anyway. But there are some clever individuals sitting somewhere watching their stock rise. LOL

    • Leesah

      I do agree this a marketing strategy, though everything a company does is part of a marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, public opinion, etc. The only reason company’s participate in communities, charitable giving, etc. is for marketing strategies and trying to make their brand’s image better.

      Kraft Foods’ stock (owns Country Time) is currently about as low as it’s been in the last year. With a company that huge I’d be surprised if this small story about one of their products impacts their stock much, if at all. I don’t buy lemonade so this story isn’t going to change my purchasing habits. Either way, it is nice for the few kiddos it might help out, even if it is only a few.

      • Jesenia

        Zero impact on my buying of their product. When will companies learn the best strategy is keeping prices good, not increasing prices constantly, & not decreasing the product size. If they stop taking us for fools we would be less inclined to purchase generic &/or store brand, or the competitor. Phoney stories dont help..

  5. Wren

    Awesome.

  6. s

    I have NEVER heard of a kid getting a fine for a lemonade stand. That does not happen. This is a total promo for countrytime.

    • Candis

      I luv you. You made me laugh so much! While i did hear a small story a while ago on ‘Inside Edition’ I think. It is certainly not an Earth shattering crisis. It was one story probably created by the CEO’s nieces and nephews! LOL. But hey if they want, I’m sure people will play their game. I feel bad for the people employed in their “claims” dept. They are going to get countless false ‘whatevers’ trying to claim fees and fines. I hope this foolish marketing scheme blows up in their face. When you have to use sad children stories as marketing its pathetic.

    • Joy

      A simple google search will show you that it has been happening.

      • gege1804

        Lol i was like i’ve heard of so many kids getting the police called on them for having a lemonade stand. A google search would tell you all of the details. Of course its publicity for the company and thats a win win.

  7. Kim

    This is awesome !! Country time took a bad situation and turn it into a act of kindness, so nice to hear this!

  8. Katie

    I just bought a lot of the lemonade stand items from Target (as shown in your last photo) for my nephews. They love holding a lemonade stand and the aprons and sign will make it so easy! I can’t wait to see it all put together.

  9. Emily Gable

    I actually love that Country Time will reimburse the cost of a lemonade stand permit for kids!

    Having to get a permit teaches children a valuable life lesson about following directions/following the law/economics of a business/etc. – so I am ALL FOR IT!

  10. Daniela

    They have been offering this assistance since June 2018 after a bunch of kids were on the news for getting fined during Memorial weekend. I think they were in Denver and New York. They are very nice for doing this and doesn’t feel like a marketing ploy to me. Those who drink lemonade won’t change their brand or mind on drinking any depending on this assistance.

  11. Matt

    Why is there so much negativity on this post? A multi million dollar company is helping kids be able to earn their own money as opposed to having mom and dad pay for the new toy they want. I think this is awesome. It’s important to me to see kids that show initiative and are willing to work. And absolutely ridiculous the government would shut down a kid’s lemonade stand. I’ve heard it happen a lot over the last few years. But I don’t watch mainstream news so maybe that’s why so many haven’t heard of it happening before.

    • Jes

      Hey matt, welcome to a blog. Its not negativity, but opinions and skepticism and even curiosity. Some people have not heard of this as an issue, i never really have and i kinda of agree with the market scheme idea… what you view as negativity is people questioning how serious of a dilemma this really is. Maybe I’m negative but this is not a concerning issue in the least to me. This is the same as a police officer fining a cat owner for not having a cat on a leash. Yes its a law too but a zero impact ordeal on my daily life. Pssst. Its a lemonade stand, if small town USA makes a big deal, move on..

      • Matt

        Yep it’s a blog. I can have my opinion and you can have yours. ✌🏼

        • Parrot

          Hee Hee you just repeated his or her point.

  12. Coupon Katie

    I LOLed when I saw the in store signs for this. “This product is Illegal” 🀣

  13. Laura Englea

    This is such a non concerning issue. If this story has any impact on any of our daily lives we all need better hobbies. Ok it happened in one city, one day. Oh come on. Seriously did anyone care 10 minutes ago or will anyone care 2 hours from now? That’s what I thought..

    • Matt

      Finding a “great deal” on a $500 curling iron for $300 is a non issue for me. I just ignore the post and keep going. ✌🏼

      • gege1804

        Matt you are cracking me up 🀣

        • Sandra L

          Wow. Gege1804 Matt is cracking you up? I am assuming Hip2Save may have deleted some comments..?.. The funny ones you are talking about?
          Maaayyybbbeee?????

      • Laura

        You cared enough to comment. just sayin πŸ€”

      • Mima

        Yep, like you said scroll on by. BTW I missed that post on the $500 curling iron sale could yo share it? : ) LOL

  14. Stephanie

    Thanks for the link Tami. I did a quick google search and found several places this has happened! Whats sad is the officers have to be “the bad guy” to pass along the news of the law and in most cases, they wouldn’t have said anything if it weren’t for complaints from other street vendors!

  15. Cara

    Thanks for sharing, Hip2Save!

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re welcome!

  16. A

    My husband is a police officer and having garage sales more than so many times a week/month and lemonade stands do need permits. Many times officers are too busy with other matters to look for lemonade stands to shut down. However, if the city or the neighbors call the police they have to show. I have never heard of that happening here locally. Police officers enforce the laws our government put into effect. Our city is pretty good about these things. They even do lemonade stand day and you set up your lemonade stand downtown and sell. If you do not like the laws put into effect by your city, state and government you have got to make yourself present at city/town hall meetings. You have to vote for the right people and causes. You also need to understand why these permits may or may not be important. Would you want to purchase homemade goodies from a rat or bug infested home? Or from a very unclean and unsanitary household?what about that neighbor that does a garage sell every single weekend Friday- Saturday. Cars blocking your street and your driveway making it difficult to get in and out of your house. Or just seeing junk piled up outside 3 days a week? We have several homes that do that and I personally would not be happy about it. Do not blame officers. Their job is to enforce the law. They do not make the law. You need to look to your city council, mayor, governor, and congressman.

    • A

      I have to add that I personally have no problem with kids earning some cash by selling water bottles lemonade, mowing grass, etc. I do not think that they should have to get a business selling license. However, I see the need more often than not for requiring food handlers permits and other permits for those constantly selling homemade goodies out of their homes on the trading posts and Facebook for side cash. You just do not know how sanitary someone is. I also felt it necessary to state where the force of shutting these things down come from, since someone already painted the officers in a bad light for shutting the stands down.

    • Sandy

      Relax, no one is going to take away all your police officer husbands first responder glory. πŸ™„

  17. Jennine

    Oh I remember when this came up years ago. They way around it is to not sell the lemonade, rather give it away! Then asking for donations of their choosing.

  18. DeeC

    Make lemonade out of lemons

  19. HopeC

    I’m pretty sure most police officers are NOT patrolling neighborhoods looking for lemonade stands. The problem is hateful and or nosey people calling the police on the kids/teens. The officers are just responding and doing their jobs. It’s not just lemonade either.

  20. MP

    Our lemonade stand was shut down but we were not fined. I just told the officer that we were unaware of the law. We had to shut down immediately or else he said he would fine us.

    • sandy

      These are the reasons our first responders are such “Heroes”. You know, doing the JOB they signed up for. Tsk

  21. Pam

    My question is, what is this teaching our children? I do agree that to require children to have a permit to sell lemonade is ridiculous but, apparently it is the law in some states. To me this sends a very poor message.

    • Emily

      I think getting a permit shows children that laws are in place for a reason. It would be a good opportunity to talk to your kids about things such as why food safety is important (not just for their lemonade stand, but for all restaurants). It teaches kids that governmental oversight of things shouldn’t be scary, but rather something to benefit them and the people they work with.

      Getting a fine is a little crazy, but I really thing the permit process is a great learning experience for kids.

  22. Brandi

    Sure miss the good ole days in America πŸ™

  23. M14

    Kick rocks, jes

  24. Justine

    Legal-Ade – nice play on words!

  25. julian Hernandez

    I grew up in the 70’s. Lemonade stands, gives kids business scents. kids earn a little money in their own community for a a day or two maybe once a month for their entire lives. This country was built on capitalism. How dare you fine kids…… I miss the real United States of America

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