LegalToOpen

Cottage Food Laws in Arizona

Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify

Yes. In Arizona you can make and sell most foods from your home kitchen, including many foods that need refrigeration, once you take a food handler course and register with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). Registration is free and there is no kitchen inspection. You must package and label everything at home and sell only within Arizona. Foods that need to be kept hot or cold, dairy products and foods with meat or poultry must be delivered to the customer in person: they cannot be shipped or sold through a store or a delivery app.[1][2][10][5]

At a glance

Permit neededFree registration with ADHS, renewed every three years. No kitchen inspection.[2][4][10]
FeeNone charged by ADHS[10]
Sales capNo dollar limit in state law[2]
TrainingAn accredited food handler course, kept current (a Food Manager Certification also counts)[2][12]
Label statement"This product was produced in a home kitchen that may come in contact with common food allergens and pet allergens and is not subject to public health inspection."[2]
Where you can sellAnywhere in Arizona, direct to customers. Shelf-stable foods without dairy, meat or poultry can also be sold through stores and other third-party sellers.[5][2][10]
Online and shippingYou can sell online to Arizona addresses. Shelf-stable foods without dairy, meat or poultry can be delivered by a carrier. Foods that need to be kept hot or cold, dairy products and anything with meat or poultry cannot be shipped: they must be delivered in person or picked up by the customer.[10][2][5]
AgencyArizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Cottage Food Program[3]

Step by step

Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.

  1. Check that your food is allowed

    Most foods are allowed, including baked goods, candy, jams, tamales, salsas, and meals that need refrigeration. Fish, shellfish, raw milk, alcoholic drinks and anything with marijuana or CBD are not. Meat and poultry are allowed only from a USDA-inspected source (or poultry you raise yourself under the federal small-flock exemption). To add a new product to your menu later, email the program for approval first.[11][1][2]

  2. Take a food handler course

    Complete an accredited food handler course before you make anything to sell, and keep the certificate current. ADHS says the easiest route is an online course accredited by ANSI (the American National Standards Institute); some counties also issue their own food handler cards. An active Food Manager Certification also counts.[2][12][10]

  3. Register with ADHS

    Apply online through MyHealthDepartment. You give your name and contact details, your home address, a description of each food you will make, a copy of your food handler certificate, and a signed promise to follow the rules. ADHS emails you a certificate of registration (it does not send an automatic confirmation). Print it: you must display it when you sell anywhere other than your home. Report any change to your details within 30 days, and renew every three years by completing a new registration.[9][5][10][4]

    Fee: FreeTime: Up to 4-6 weeks for ADHS to processADHS Cottage Food Program registration (MyHealthDepartment)

  4. Make, package and label every item at home

    Make the food in your own home kitchen and store it and your equipment there. Package it at home in clean, food-safe packaging that fully encloses the food and has a tamper-evident seal (the label can be the seal). The label must show your name and registration number, every ingredient, the date the food was made, the required statement, the ADHS website (azdhs.gov/CottageFood), and, if it applies, that the food was made in a facility for people with developmental disabilities.[5][2]

  5. Post the label details when you sell online

    If customers can order from you online (your own website, Facebook, Instagram and so on), the listing must show the same information as the label: your name and registration number, the ingredients, the date made, the required statement, the ADHS website and, if it applies, the developmental disabilities statement. A photo of the label next to the product is one way to do it.[2][5][10]

  6. Sell and deliver within Arizona

    Shelf-stable foods without dairy, meat or poultry can be sold by you or through someone else (such as a store) and delivered by you or a carrier. Foods that need to be kept hot or cold, dairy products and anything with meat or poultry must be sold directly by you, not through a store, and delivered in person: never shipped or sent with a delivery app. Customers can also pick up, and ADHS says an employee of yours may sell and deliver foods kept hot or cold. Keep them at a safe temperature on the way, take them to one place only, for no more than two hours, and sell them only at that first stop.[2][5][10]

What you can and can't sell[11][1][10]

Allowed

  • Baked goods, including cheesecakes and cream cheese frosting
  • Candy, fudge, freeze-dried candy and chocolate-dipped treats
  • Jams, jellies, fruit butters, pickles and fermented foods
  • Tamales, burritos, salsas, soups and other prepared meals
  • Jerky and other foods made with USDA-inspected meat
  • Dry mixes, granola, spice blends, roasted coffee, tea and honey
  • Drinks such as lemonade, agua fresca, juice and kombucha

Not allowed

  • Fish and shellfish (fresh, frozen or canned)
  • Raw (unpasteurized) milk
  • Alcoholic drinks (alcohol is fine as an ingredient if the food is not meant to intoxicate)
  • Anything containing marijuana or CBD
  • Meat from an uninspected source, home-raised quail or hunted game
  • Pet treats and animal feed
  • Dietary supplements such as capsules

Local rules

These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.

What it costs

StepFee
Register with ADHSFree
Total if every fee applies to you$0

Recent changes

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell foods that need refrigeration, like cheesecake or tamales?

Yes, since the 2024 law change. They must be sold directly to the customer by you (or, ADHS says, your employee) and delivered in person or picked up: no stores, no shipping and no delivery apps. Keep them at a safe temperature and take them to only one place for no more than two hours. If you already registered and want to add these foods, email the program your updated menu and, if you have not done so, send ADHS's attestation form.[1][10][5]

Can I sell my baked goods in a coffee shop or store?

Yes, for shelf-stable foods without dairy, meat or poultry, such as cookies, cakes, breads and brownies. The store must keep your products in a separate section or display case and put up a sign saying they are homemade and not state licensed or inspected. A restaurant or other permitted food business cannot use your food as an ingredient in what it sells.[2][10]

Can I ship my cookies to other states?

No. Arizona cottage food can only be sold and delivered within Arizona. Once food crosses state lines it falls under federal rules instead.[5][10]

Will the health department inspect my kitchen?

No inspection is needed to register. ADHS can still investigate complaints and foodborne illness, and it can suspend or revoke your registration if you break the rules.[10][3][5]

Can I hand out free samples?

Yes, but each sample must be packaged and labeled like the food you sell. Open sampling from a tray is not covered by the program.[10][11]

Can someone help me in my kitchen?

Yes. A helper who is not registered can work under your direct supervision, and you are responsible for what they do. Whoever prepares the food or directly supervises it must hold the food handler training.[5][2]

Do I need any other licence or pay sales tax?

ADHS does not require any other licence to join the program, but your city may require a business licence. Food for home consumption is exempt from state sales tax, though some cities tax retail food sales. Ask the Arizona Department of Revenue about transaction privilege tax (Arizona's sales tax).[10]

Sources

  1. A.R.S. § 36-931: Definitions (cottage food products), Arizona Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  2. A.R.S. § 36-932: Labeling; food handler certification; sale and delivery requirements, Arizona Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  3. A.R.S. § 36-933: Applicability of article; rules; enforcement, Arizona Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  4. A.R.S. § 36-136: Powers and duties of director (subsection I, paragraphs 4(g) and 13), Arizona Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  5. A.A.C. R9-8-101.02: Cottage Food (Arizona Administrative Register, Vol. 31, Issue 9), Arizona Department of Health Services. Checked October 25, 2026. ADHS's copy of the rule as published in the Arizona Administrative Register on 2025-02-28 (Notices of Final Expedited Rulemaking). Check against the current Arizona Administrative Code before verifying.
  6. Laws 2024, Chapter 18 (H.B. 2042): food preparation; sale; cottage food, Arizona Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  7. Senate Fact Sheet for H.B. 2042 (56th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session), Arizona State Senate. Checked October 25, 2026.
  8. General Effective Dates, Arizona Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
  9. Cottage Food Program: Program Registration, Arizona Department of Health Services. Checked October 25, 2026. Content feed behind the page https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/food-safety-environmental-services/cottage-food-program/index.php#registration, which loads its text with JavaScript. The feed returns the same text as JSON.
  10. Cottage Food Program: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Arizona Department of Health Services. Checked October 25, 2026. Content feed behind the page https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/food-safety-environmental-services/cottage-food-program/index.php#faqs, which loads its text with JavaScript. The feed returns the same text as JSON.
  11. Cottage Food Program: Approved Foods, Arizona Department of Health Services. Checked October 25, 2026. Content feed behind the page https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/food-safety-environmental-services/cottage-food-program/index.php#approved-foods, which loads its text with JavaScript. The feed returns the same text as JSON.
  12. Cottage Food Program: Food Handler Training, Arizona Department of Health Services. Checked October 25, 2026. Content feed behind the page https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/food-safety-environmental-services/cottage-food-program/index.php#food-handler-training, which loads its text with JavaScript. The feed returns the same text as JSON.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Cottage Food Program or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.