Arizona Cottage Food Law: How to Legally Sell Baked Goods and Other Food From Home

Quick answer (TL;DR)

• Arizona lets you prepare and sell many foods from your home kitchen if you register with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Cottage Food Program: https://www.azdhs.gov/CottageFood
• Before you register, complete an accredited food handler training course and keep the certificate active. (A.R.S. § 36-932(C).)
• Registration is online through the ADHS portal. ADHS describes the program as complimentary (no program fee). You renew every three years and report changes within 30 days. (ADHS rule R9-8-102; ADHS program presentation; checked October 7, 2026.)
• Most foods are allowed. Not allowed: alcoholic beverages, unpasteurized (raw) milk, fish and shellfish, marijuana products, and meat or poultry unless federal law allows it. (A.R.S. § 36-931.)
• Every product needs a label with your name and registration number, ingredients, production date, a required home-kitchen statement, and the ADHS website. (A.R.S. § 36-932(A).)
• How you can sell and deliver depends on the food. Foods with dairy, meat, or poultry have tighter rules, and foods needing temperature control can't be in transit more than two hours. In Arizona heat, that last rule matters.

What "cottage food" means in Arizona

Under Arizona law, a cottage food product is food prepared in a home kitchen by, or under the direct supervision of, someone registered with ADHS. Since the law was updated, it covers both foods that don't need time or temperature control for safety and foods that do, as ADHS defines them in rule. (A.R.S. § 36-931(1).)

A home kitchen means a kitchen of the type normally found in a residential home (the statute says one that doesn't exceed 1,000 square feet), or the kitchen of a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. (A.R.S. § 36-931(3).)

Cottage food products are not inspected by public health, which is why the label must say so.

What you can and can't sell

Generally allowed (examples): breads, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, candy and confections, granola, dry mixes, many jams and jellies, and other foods that fit ADHS's definitions. Because the current law also covers foods that need time or temperature control, more items are possible than under older rules, but they come with handling and delivery limits (see below). Check ADHS's current guidance for specific products before you start.

Not allowed (A.R.S. § 36-931(1)(b); § 36-932(F); ADHS program materials):

• Alcoholic beverages, or foods that are or contain alcoholic beverages
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk
• Fish and shellfish products
• Marijuana or marijuana by-products
• Meat, meat by-products, poultry, or poultry by-products, unless federal law allows it. The statute lists examples, such as meat from an inspected source or poultry raised under the federal 1,000-bird exemption.

Other limits:

• You can't store cottage food products or food preparation equipment outside your home. (A.R.S. § 36-932(D)(2).)
• Cottage food can't be used as an ingredient in food sold by a permitted retail food establishment (such as a restaurant or cafe). (§ 36-932(F)(1).)
• Ingredients must come from approved sources. (§ 36-932(G).)
• ADHS program materials say all food must be processed inside the home kitchen: no outdoor grilling, smoking, drying, and similar processes. (ADHS program presentation.)
• Your home kitchen can't operate as a commissary for food trucks or other vendors. (§ 36-932(H).)

Sales cap: We didn't find a dollar limit on cottage food sales in the statute. Confirm with ADHS before you rely on that.

How to register with ADHS (step by step)

Based on ADHS's "How to Register" guide and the program rule:

1. Take an accredited food handler training course. It must come from an accredited program (ADHS's guide refers to ANSI-accredited food handler training). Save the certificate of completion; it lists an expiration date. (A.R.S. § 36-932(C); ADHS rule R9-8-102.)
2. Go to the ADHS Cottage Food page (https://www.azdhs.gov/CottageFood) and create a login in the online portal.
3. Submit a new cottage food registration. You'll provide your contact information, the physical address of your home kitchen (P.O. boxes aren't accepted), and a menu-style list of the foods you plan to sell.
4. Acknowledge the program policies. The application includes a signed attestation that you'll follow the cottage food law and rules (safe handling, labeling, waste disposal, approved ingredients, and so on).
5. Upload your food handler certificate. ADHS can't process the application without it.
6. Wait for approval. ADHS's guide says applications have 4–6 weeks to process, and you'll typically get an email within two weeks. The printout of your application is not your certificate; wait for the registration certificate before you sell. (ADHS How to Register guide, checked October 7, 2026.)

After you're registered:

• Renew every three years. (ADHS rule R9-8-102.)
• Keep your food handler certification active. If it lapses, your registration is affected.
• Report changes (address, menu, contact info) within 30 calendar days. (R9-8-102.)
• Display your certificate of registration when you sell at a location such as a market or event. (A.R.S. § 36-932(C); R9-8-102.)

Cost: ADHS describes the program as a complimentary initiative with no annual program fees. Your costs are the food handler course, packaging, labels, and ingredients. Confirm with ADHS before you register.

Labeling: exactly what goes on the package

Cottage food must be packaged at home with an attached label, printed or handwritten in a clear, legible font, that includes (A.R.S. § 36-932(A)):

1. Your name and ADHS registration number
2. All ingredients, including ingredients of components (ADHS asks for a complete list)
3. The production date
4. This exact 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."
5. If applicable, a statement that the product was made in a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities
6. The ADHS website for cottage food (ADHS materials give it as azdhs.gov/CottageFood), where consumers can report foodborne illness and verify your registration

The ADHS rule also says packaging must be clean and have a tamper-evident seal, which can be the label itself. (R9-8-102.)

Selling online: If you offer cottage food online, your listing must show a prominent notification with your name and registration number, the ingredients and production date, the home-kitchen statement, and the ADHS website. (A.R.S. § 36-932(B).)

Where and how you can sell

The statute splits cottage foods into two groups for sales and delivery (A.R.S. § 36-932(E)):

If a store or other third-party vendor sells your products, they must be in a separate section or display case from non-homemade food, with a sign saying the products are homemade and exempt from state licensing and inspection. (§ 36-932(E)(4).)

Farmers markets and events (Phoenix, Tucson, and elsewhere):

• Display your ADHS certificate of registration when selling. (§ 36-932(C).)
• Each market sets its own vendor rules, fees, and insurance requirements. Ask the market manager.
• County environmental health departments regulate temporary food events. Whether a registered cottage food seller needs a separate county permit at a particular event depends on the county and the event. Check with your county (for example, Maricopa County or Pima County) before the event.

City and HOA rules: ADHS's own materials remind registrants to comply with other municipalities: cities may require seller's permits, and HOAs may have restrictions. Check your city's home-occupation rules and your HOA before customers start picking up at your door.

Shipping out of state: ADHS describes the program as letting registrants sell "throughout Arizona." Don't plan on shipping out of state until you've confirmed with ADHS that it's allowed.

Arizona heat: transport and storage

This is where Arizona is different from most cottage food guides.

The legal rule: If a product is potentially hazardous or needs time or temperature control for safety and is transported before final delivery, it must be kept at an appropriate temperature during transport, can be transported only once, and can't be in transit longer than two hours. (A.R.S. § 36-932(E)(3).)

ADHS packaging note: ADHS materials say hot foods should be packaged in heat-safe materials.

Practical heat tips (our suggestions, not legal requirements):

• Treat your car as an oven from May through September. ADHS calls Arizona "one of the hottest places on earth from May to September." A parked car gets much hotter than the air.
• Use insulated coolers with ice packs for anything with dairy, cream, custard, or other temperature-sensitive ingredients, and check temperatures with a food thermometer.
• Plan routes so delivery happens well inside the two-hour limit for time/temperature-controlled foods, including traffic and waiting time.
• Choose summer-friendly products. Chocolate, buttercream, and some candies melt or weep in summer heat. Many sellers switch to sturdier products or schedule pickups only in summer.
• Shade and timing at markets. Summer farmers markets in the Valley and Tucson often move to early morning hours. Bring shade, keep products out of direct sun, and keep backup stock in a cooler.
• Store at home, indoors. The law requires you to store products and equipment in your home, not outside. A hot garage isn't a good place for ingredients or finished goods.

Taxes and licenses besides ADHS

• Income tax: Cottage food profit is self-employment income. See Side Hustle Taxes in Arizona.
• TPT: Whether you need an Arizona TPT license, and whether state or city TPT applies to your food sales, depends on what you sell and where. Confirm with ADOR before you start selling. If you do need a license, ADOR's state fee is $12 per location, plus city fees. (ADOR, checked October 7, 2026.)
• Business entity: Optional. See our LLC guide if you're weighing liability protection.