Arizona Cottage Food Laws

Arizona Cottage Food Law: Comprehensive 2026 Guide

This guide provides a detailed overview of Arizona’s cottage food law, including the 2024 legislative updates, covering allowed and prohibited foods, sales limits, registration and training requirements, labeling, delivery restrictions, and practical steps for home-based food entrepreneurs.

Quick Facts

1. Overview / Introduction

Arizona’s cottage food program traces back to its original enactment in July 2011, allowing home-based bakers to sell baked and confectionery items directly to consumers (pickyourown.org). A major update in 2024 via House Bill 2042 (HB2042) broadened the law dramatically—removing revenue caps, adding some potentially hazardous foods under restrictions, simplifying registration, and enhancing labeling and delivery rules (legiscan.com).

2. Sales Limits

As of the 2024 update, Arizona imposes no annual sales or revenue cap on cottage food operations—allowing unlimited sales under the law (standscout.com).

3. Licensing & Registration

• The food preparer must register online with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and obtain a registration number (legiscan.com).
• The preparer must display the certificate of registration when operating as a temporary food establishment (legiscan.com).
• Registrations must be renewed every three years, and any changes (e.g., address) must be updated within 30 days (legalclarity.org).
• The registration cost appears free or nominal, with no explicit fee noted in official summaries. Local fees may apply; however, no state fee is indicated (legalclarity.org).

4. Training Requirements

• The food preparer (or supervising person) must complete a food handler training course from an ANSI‑accredited program and maintain active certification (legiscan.com).
• The training ensures understanding of safe handling, sanitation, time/temperature control, and allergen awareness. No fee is specified; some training may be free or low‑cost (standscout.com).

5. Home Kitchen Inspection

• No routine inspections of home kitchens are required under the cottage food law (standscout.com).
• However, ADHS retains authority to investigate reported foodborne illnesses per standard enforcement authority (legiscan.com).

6. Allowed Foods

• Non‑TCS (non‑potentially hazardous) items allowed include baked goods (e.g., breads, cookies, fruit pies without custard), candies, dry mixes, jams, jellies, fruit butters, granola, roasted nuts – essentially shelf-stable baked/confectionery products (pickyourown.org).
• The 2024 update also permits certain TCS foods—including products containing dairy, meat, or poultry—to the maximum extent allowed by federal law, subject to strict sales/delivery requirements (legiscan.com).

7. Prohibited Foods

Prohibited under both traditional and updated law:

• Raw milk, alcohol beverages, fish, shellfish, marijuana‑infused products (legalclarity.org).
• Acidified foods (e.g., salsas, pickles), custards, cream‑filled pastries, cheesecakes, perishable dairy foods, beverages, nut butters, reduced‑oxygen packaged foods, fermented/sauerkraut items—not allowed under cottage food (legalclarity.org).
• Even newly permitted TCS items with meat/dairy must meet strict sourcing—meat or poultry must be from an inspected source or via the 1,000‑bird federal exemption (azleg.gov).

8. Labeling Requirements

Every cottage food product must have an attached, legible label that includes:

1. Food preparer’s name and registration number.

2. Complete list of ingredients (descending order).

3. Production date.

4. The prescribed disclaimer statement, verbatim:

   “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 sold online, additional required information must be prominently displayed, including.

   • Preparer’s name and registration number.
   • Ingredient list and production date.
   • The disclaimer above.
   • A link to the DHS website with: • Consumer contact for foodborne illness reporting. • A way to verify active registration status. • Contact for registration issues (azleg.gov).

9. Where You Can Sell

• In‑state direct-to-consumer sales allowed: from home, farmers’ markets, roadside stands, public events, online orders with in-state shipping or pickup (legalclarity.org).
• Third‑party vendors, such as retail stores or restaurants, may sell cottage food products, but:
  • Products must be displayed separately from non‑homemade items.
  • A sign must clearly indicate the goods are homemade and exempt from inspection/licensing (legiscan.com).
• For products containing dairy, meat, or poultry, stricter rules:
  • Must be sold by the preparer, in person or remotely (e.g., internet), but excluding third‑party delivery platforms.
  • Must be delivered in person by preparer or agent (legiscan.com).
• Transport of potentially hazardous items must:
  • Be held at appropriate temperature during transport.
  • Not be transported more than once or for longer than two hours (legiscan.com).
• Out-of-state (interstate) sales are prohibited (legalclarity.org).

10. Sales Tax

Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) applies to sales of cottage food products:

• You must register with Arizona Department of Revenue for TPT (reddit.com).
• State base rate: 5.6%, plus local rates (typical total 6–10%) (reddit.com).
• File periodic TPT returns (monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on volume) via AZTaxes.gov or paper form JT‑1 (reddit.com).
• Important: Check if local jurisdictions require separate tax licensing per location (e.g., each farmers’ market) (reddit.com).

11. Special Exemptions / Notes

• The 2024 law allows meat or poultry products if from an inspected source or under the federal 1,000‑bird exemption (azleg.gov).
• Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables may also be included as cottage food products under HB2864 (2024) amendment (azleg.gov).
• Home kitchens may not function as commissaries for mobile food vendors or store products/prep outside preparer’s home (legiscan.com).

12. Getting Started (Practical Steps)

1. Take a food handler training course from an ANSI‑accredited provider and get certified.
2. Register online with ADHS’s Cottage Food Program; receive registration number and maintain certificate for temporary setups in events.
3. Plan your menu, focusing on allowed shelf-stable items; if including meat/dairy or freeze-dried goods, ensure sourcing meets federal standards.
4. Design compliant labels with preparer’s name & registration, ingredients, production date, disclaimer, and DHS website link for online sales.
5. Set up sales channels: home pickup, farmers markets, events, online in‑state sales, or third-party vendor venues (with appropriate display/signage).
6. Register for TPT, collect and remit sales tax via AZTaxes.gov; verify local tax rules.
7. Keep records, renew registration every three years, update ADHS within 30 days for any changes, and comply with transport and delivery rules for TCS items.

13. Official Resources

• Arizona Department of Health Services (Cottage Food Program page): comprehensive guidance, approved foods list, training, labeling - see sections on Approved Foods, Labeling Requirements, FAQs (azdhs.gov).
• HB2042 full text and legislative summaries (Arizona Legislature site): details on legal requirements, definitions, exemptions (azleg.gov).

Official Sources

This guide was compiled from the following official sources:

• www.azleg.gov
• www.azleg.gov
• www.azleg.gov
• standscout.com
• legalclarity.org
• legalclarity.org
• legalclarity.org
• legalclarity.org
• www.pickyourown.org
• www.kawc.org
• www.azdhs.gov
• www.azleg.gov