Who the Arizona cottage food law covers
A cottage food product is food prepared in a home kitchen by, or under the direct supervision of, a person registered with ADHS. The home kitchen is a normal residential kitchen in the home where you live, up to one thousand square feet. A kitchen in a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities also qualifies.
Helpers are fine: someone who isn't registered can help you cook, as long as you directly supervise them. Keep all cottage food products and equipment inside your home, and don't use the kitchen as a commissary for a food truck.
ADHS also reminds registrants that cities may require a seller's permit and HOAs may have restrictions.
Which foods you can sell
ADHS sums it up: most foods are allowed. Both shelf-stable foods and perishable foods that need time or temperature control qualify. Freeze drying, canning, fermenting, dehydrating and acidified foods are possible too, and you can email lab results for water activity (below 0.85) or pH (4.6 or below) to have a product approved as shelf-stable.
These stay out of the program:
- Fish and shellfish products
- Raw (unpasteurized) milk
- Alcoholic beverages (alcohol as an ingredient is fine if the food is not meant to intoxicate)
- Marijuana or marijuana by-products
- Meat and poultry, unless federal law allows the sale (for example meat from an inspected source)
Every ingredient has to come from an approved source. And a cottage food product can't be sold as an ingredient for food made at a permitted retail food establishment.
Where and how you can sell
All sales and deliveries stay in Arizona. Within the state, the rules depend on the type of food:
| Way of selling | Shelf-stable food | Perishable food, dairy, meat or poultry |
|---|---|---|
| Direct to consumers, in person | Yes | Yes |
| Online orders | Yes | Yes, delivered in person by you |
| Shipping by carrier within Arizona | Yes | No |
| Third-party delivery apps | Yes | No |
| Through a store or kiosk | Yes, in a separate section with a sign | No |
| To other states | No | No |
Perishable food has a strict delivery window: keep it at the right temperature, take it to one destination only, and get it there within two hours, traffic included.
Selling at a farmers market or event, away from your home kitchen? Display your certificate of registration.
How to register with ADHS
You must hold a current registration before you make anything for sale. The application runs on the ADHS Cottage Food Program portal:
ADHS says applications can take 4 to 6 weeks, though most people hear back within two. Renew every three years, keep your food handler card active, and report changes to your details within 30 days.
Packaging rules
Package every product at home. The packaging must be clean, sanitary and secure, suit the food's consistency and temperature, enclose it completely and carry a tamper-evident seal. Your label can be that seal.
Selling online? Show all the label information in a prominent notice on the page where you offer the product.
When you outgrow the cottage food law
Selling across state lines, supplying restaurants with ingredients or moving production out of your home means you need a licensed food establishment. Federal labeling then applies in full: net quantity, allergens, the manufacturer's name and address and usually a Nutrition Facts panel.
Nutrition Facts Label Requirements →