Arizona Cottage Food Law: Labels, Limits & When You Need Nutrition Facts

Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources

Arizona lets you sell cottage food made in your home kitchen once you register with ADHS, with no dollar cap on gross sales and no license beyond that free, online registration. Since House Bill 2509 took effect in 2023, the exemption covers potentially hazardous, time/temperature-control-for-safety (TCS) foods too, not just shelf-stable baked goods, as long as they go straight from your hands to the buyer within two hours. The one label rule that can’t be paraphrased is the statute’s own disclaimer sentence, required word for word on every package. A real FDA Nutrition Facts panel only becomes necessary once your product carries a nutrient content or health claim, or you sell outside the exemption’s boundaries.

Quick facts	Arizona
Revenue cap	None
Permit or registration	Registration required, free; renew every 3 yrs
Sales channels	Direct, statewide shipping/wholesale (non-TCS); TCS direct only
Online sales	In-state only
Required 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.”
Nutrition Facts panel	Not required unless you make a nutrient claim
Administered by	Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS)
Governing law	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-932 (Cottage Food Program)

What Arizona lets you sell from home

A.R.S. §36-931 defines a cottage food product as anything prepared by someone registered with ADHS, in a home kitchen of 1,000 square feet or less, or a kitchen in a licensed facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. Two categories qualify: foods that aren’t potentially hazardous, and, since HB 2509 (2023), potentially hazardous or TCS foods, to the extent state rule (Arizona Administrative Code R9-8-101.02) allows. Off-limits regardless: alcoholic beverages, unpasteurized milk products, fish, shellfish, meat, meat byproducts, poultry and poultry byproducts (narrow federal exemptions exist for small-scale poultry sales under 9 CFR 381.10(c), 381.10(d) and 303.1(d)), and marijuana or marijuana byproducts (§36-931; §36-932(F)). ADHS groups shelf-stable items (jams, jellies, dry mixes, honey, dry pasta, roasted nuts, cookies, breads, frosting) as the low-friction category, and treats items like cheesecakes and custard pies as the TCS category HB 2509 added, which carries tighter handling rules.

Permits, registration, and the revenue cap

Registration happens online at azdhs.gov’s Cottage Food Program page, and ADHS calls it a complimentary initiative: no program fee. You need a physical Arizona address (no P.O. boxes), a list of the foods you plan to sell, and an uploaded food handler training certificate from an ANSI-accredited program, which ADHS says it can’t process the application without. Approval typically takes about two weeks, up to four to six. Registration is good for three years before renewal, and any change to the information on file must be reported within 30 days. Nothing in A.R.S. §§36-931 through 36-933 caps gross cottage food revenue. Arizona simply doesn’t set a figure. HB 2509 (56th Legislature, 1st Regular Session, 2023) built this framework, replacing the state’s older, narrower home-baked-and-confectionery-goods rule with the current structure (§36-931 definitions, §36-932 labeling/sales, §36-933 enforcement) and adding TCS foods to what a registered kitchen can sell.

Where you can sell

The statute splits sales rules by product type. Cottage food with no dairy, meat, or poultry can be sold by the preparer or an agent (including a third-party vendor) and delivered by the preparer, that agent, the vendor, or a third-party carrier such as a shipping service (§36-932(E)(1)). ADHS confirms this category can be wholesaled and shipped, but every sale still has to land within Arizona; nothing in the statute reaches across state lines. Cottage food that’s a dairy product, contains meat or poultry, or is potentially hazardous/TCS has stricter rules: sold directly by the preparer, in person or remotely (never through a third-party food delivery platform), delivered in person only. TCS items add their own conditions: a safe temperature throughout, no more than one transport leg, delivery within two hours (§36-932(E)(2)-(3)). A third-party vendor, such as a store shelf, must give the cottage food its own section or display case, apart from regular retail food, with signage saying it’s homemade and exempt from state licensing and inspection (§36-932(E)(4)). Cottage food can’t be an ingredient at a licensed retail establishment, and a home kitchen making it can’t also operate as a licensed commissary (§36-932(F), (H)).

What has to be on the label

Every cottage food package needs an attached label, in clear and legible printed or handwritten font, per A.R.S. §36-932(A):

The name and ADHS registration number of the food preparer
A complete list of the product’s ingredients
The product’s production date
Disclosure if the product was made in a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities, when applicable
A department-provided website address covering how to report a foodborne illness, verify a preparer’s registration, and report registration issues
The required disclaimer, quoted exactly

“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.”

(A.R.S. §36-932(A)(3))

For online sales, §36-932(B) requires the same information (name, registration number, ingredients, production date, the disclaimer, and the ADHS website address) as a prominent notification before the sale, not just on a physical label. Arizona doesn’t prescribe a minimum type size or placement, only that the label be clear and legible.

When you need a Nutrition Facts panel

Cottage food sold under Arizona’s registration is exempt from FDA nutrition labeling until one of two things happens. First, a nutrient content or health claim: the moment a label, a farmers-market sign, or an Instagram caption says something like “low sugar” or “high protein,” that claim needs numbers behind it in a compliant format under 21 CFR 101.9. The exemption doesn’t cover claims, wherever they appear. Second, the sales channel: moving beyond what §36-932 authorizes (as an ingredient at a licensed retailer, sales outside Arizona, or a shift into a commercial kitchen’s distribution) puts your business under standard food-labeling rules, Nutrition Facts included.

Getting the panel right before your first “low sugar” sign goes up saves a reprint of labels you already paid for. Enter your recipe, then see your label: free with no card required, you see your calories, the claims you qualify for, your allergen line and the nutrient to watch, and every other value and %DV stays hidden until you unlock it. $29 unlocks every other nutrient value and %DV, every FDA format your product qualifies for, the ingredient statement and the allergen declaration, ready to print, or send us the recipe and we build it (done-for-you, $249, within 5 business days). Start your label, or compare Arizona’s rules with its neighbors on the cottage food laws hub.

Arizona cottage food FAQ

Do I need a permit to sell homemade food in Arizona?

You need to register with ADHS through its online Cottage Food Program, but the registration itself is free and there's no inspection or separate license (A.R.S. §36-932(C)). Registration must be renewed every three years.

Is there a revenue cap for Arizona cottage food sales?

No. A.R.S. §§36-931 through 36-933 set no dollar limit on gross cottage food sales, one of the few state cottage food laws with no cap at all.

Can I sell perishable foods like cheesecake under Arizona's cottage food law?

Yes, since House Bill 2509 took effect in 2023. Potentially hazardous, time/temperature-control-for-safety (TCS) foods are allowed, but the statute requires direct delivery to the buyer, a safe temperature throughout, and delivery completed within 2 hours (A.R.S. §36-932(E)).

What exact wording does my Arizona cottage food label need?

The statute requires this sentence on the label: "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" (A.R.S. §36-932(A)(3)).

Can I ship or wholesale my Arizona cottage food?

Non-dairy, non-meat cottage food can be sold wholesale and shipped by a third-party carrier within Arizona. Dairy, meat, or poultry cottage food, and any TCS item, must be delivered to the consumer in person by the preparer.

Can I sell my Arizona cottage food to a store?

Yes, for non-TCS, non-dairy/meat products, through a third-party vendor such as a retail shelf, but the statute requires the cottage food to sit in a separate section or display case with signage stating it's homemade and exempt from state licensing and inspection (A.R.S. §36-932(E)(4)).

Nearby states

Selling into a neighboring state means that state’s rules apply there: California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico. See the full state-by-state table.

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