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Selling homemade food in Arizona means your label has to follow the Arizona Cottage Food Program — registered cottage food operator, administered by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) (A.R.S. §§ 36-136(I)(4)(g), 36-931 to 36-933). Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and the verbatim disclaimer and its font size — sourced to the statute and dated.
Print this statement on the label, word for word:
A.R.S. § 36-932(A) requires a clear and legible printed or handwritten font but sets NO minimum type size in points or inches — so no point value is claimed. Reconfirm on azdhs.gov.
An individual may prepare cottage food products for commercial purposes if that individual is registered with the Arizona Department of Health Services and holds an active food handler certification (A.R.S. § 36-932(C); A.A.C. R9-8-101.02(A)). The food must be prepared in a 'home kitchen', defined as a kitchen in the registered individual's own residential home or dwelling, of a type normally found in a residential home and not exceeding one thousand square feet, or a kitchen in a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities (A.R.S. § 36-931(3); R9-8-101.02(C)(1)). Another unregistered individual may assist only under the direct supervision of the registered preparer (A.R.S. § 36-932(C); R9-8-101.02(A)(2)(c)(vii)). Cottage food products and food preparation equipment may not be stored outside the preparer's home, and the home kitchen may not operate as a commissary (A.R.S. § 36-932(D)(2), (H)).
Allowed:
Not allowed under the program:
No cap. Neither A.R.S. §§ 36-931 to 36-933 nor A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 states a dollar limit on sales; A.R.S. § 36-932(D)(1) provides that a food preparer 'may sell cottage food products to the maximum extent allowed by federal law' except as otherwise provided in the article.
Registration is handled by Arizona Department of Health Services (A.R.S. § 36-931(2); online registry established under A.R.S. § 36-136(I)(13)).
Fee: Not stated in the sources read. Neither A.R.S. §§ 36-136, 36-931, 36-932, 36-933 nor A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 sets a registration fee; the AZDHS Cottage Food Program page, which would state any fee, could not be retrieved, so we do not quote one.
Renewal: Registration must be renewed every three years (A.R.S. § 36-136(I)(13); A.A.C. R9-8-101.02(A)(5)). Any change to the registration information or documents must be reported to the Department within 30 days (A.R.S. § 36-136(I)(13); R9-8-101.02(A)(6)). Food handler certification must be kept active throughout (R9-8-101.02(A)(4)).
The person preparing the cottage food product, or directly supervising its preparation, must complete a food handler training course from an accredited program that has been evaluated and listed by an accrediting agency as conforming to national standards, and must maintain active certification (A.R.S. § 36-932(C); A.A.C. R9-8-101.02(A)(1), (A)(4)). A copy of the active certificate of completion is filed with the registration application (R9-8-101.02(A)(2)(b)). If the certification lapses, the individual loses the exemption from the other food establishment requirements of 9 A.A.C. 8, Article 1 (R9-8-101.02(B)). A.R.S. § 36-933(B)(1) requires the Department to adopt a rule on recertification. No number of training hours and no certificate validity period are stated in the sources read.
Cottage food products are exempt from routine food establishment licensing and inspection: A.R.S. § 36-136(I)(4)(g) exempts cottage food prepared in a private home kitchen for commercial purposes from the food establishment rules, and the mandatory label states the product 'is not subject to public health inspection' (A.R.S. § 36-932(A)(3)). The article does not impede the Department from investigating any reported foodborne illness (A.R.S. § 36-933(A)(2)), and impeding such an investigation is grounds for suspension or revocation of registration (A.A.C. R9-8-101.02(G)(2)(c)). The Department notifies the preparer in writing of suspected noncompliance or a food safety complaint and may suspend or revoke registration for noncompliance, a verified food safety complaint, impeding an investigation, or a violation under A.R.S. § 36-601 (R9-8-101.02(G)); appeals follow A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10 (R9-8-101.02(H)). Registration does not exempt the operator from brand inspections, animal health inspections or any food inspection required by state or federal law, nor from the milk and raw milk requirements (A.R.S. § 36-933(A)(3); R9-8-101.02(A)(2)(c)(xvii)).
The cottage food article does not affect any county or municipal building code, zoning code or ordinance, or other land use regulation, so local governments may apply those to a home kitchen operation (A.R.S. § 36-933(A)(4)). The Department may enforce the article; a county may not be required to enforce it, and the Department may enter into a delegation agreement with a local health, environmental or public health services agency for enforcement (A.R.S. § 36-933(C), (D), (E)). A.R.S. § 36-136(J) preserves the right of a local board of health or county board of supervisors to adopt ordinances and rules within its jurisdiction that do not conflict with state law.
Program sources: A.R.S. § 36-931, Definitions (cottage food product, home kitchen, potentially hazardous, third-party food delivery platform) — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/00931.htm · A.R.S. § 36-932, Labeling; food handler certification; sale and delivery requirements — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/00932.htm · A.R.S. § 36-933, Applicability of article; rules; enforcement — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/00933.htm · A.R.S. § 36-136, Powers and duties of the director (subsection I, paragraph 4(g) cottage food exemption; subsection I, paragraph 13 online registry and three-year renewal; subsection J local ordinances; subsection R definitions) — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/00136.htm · Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-8-101.02, Cottage Food (Title 9, Ch. 8, Art. 1), full text as reproduced by Cornell Legal Information Institute; note: 'New Section made by final expedited rulemaking at 31 A.A.R. 666, effective 2/4/2025' — https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R9-8-101.02
Arizona uses a registration-and-training model, not a pure exemption: every cottage food operator must complete an accredited food handler training course, keep that certification active, and register on the ADHS online cottage food registry before selling. What sets Arizona apart is that it lets you sell some potentially hazardous, refrigerated homemade foods (including certain dairy and even cottage-produced meat items) — most states ban these outright — but with a catch: those perishable items must be sold by the preparer directly and handed to the buyer in person, while shelf-stable non-dairy/non-meat goods can be sold and shipped more freely. Registration itself is free; the only mandatory cost is the food handler card.
Arizona requires the exact statement that the 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,' plus preparer name, registration number, full ingredients, and production date. Paraphrasing it or dropping the registration number is the most common violation.
Dairy, meat, and other potentially hazardous cottage foods must be sold by the preparer and delivered to the consumer in person. Sellers wrongly ship these; only shelf-stable non-dairy/non-meat goods qualify for remote sale and mail delivery.
Certification must stay active. Operators register once and forget to renew the food handler training, which invalidates their standing to sell even though the ADHS registration still shows up.
Cottage foods can't be stored offsite and can't be used as ingredients in a retail establishment. Selling through a third-party vendor also requires a separate display with signage stating the food is homemade — a step sellers skip at farmers markets and consignment shelves.
Timeline: About 1-3 days. Step 1: take an ADHS-accredited food handler training course online (often completed same day). Step 2: create the ADHS online cottage food registration listing your name, contact, and the products you'll make. Step 3: design compliant labels with the required allergen statement and your registration number. You can begin selling as soon as the registration and active food handler card are in place — no inspection or waiting period.
Cost: Registration with ADHS is $0. The only required cost is the food handler training/card, which varies by accredited provider (commonly around $10-15 online) — confirm the current price with your chosen ADHS-accredited course provider.
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Make my Arizona label →Arizona requires this exact statement on a cottage food 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.” The state sets no minimum point size for it.
Yes. In Arizona the permit / registration number must appear on the label.
At minimum: product name — the common name of the food; your business / producer name; the address of the cottage food operation; a complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included); an allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line; net weight, in US customary and metric units; the state's required disclaimer (see below); your permit / registration number; the date the food was made.
Registration in Arizona goes through Arizona Department of Health Services (A.R.S. § 36-931(2); online registry established under A.R.S. § 36-136(I)(13)). Complete a food handler training course from an accredited program evaluated and listed by an accrediting agency as conforming to national standards (A.A.C. R9-8-101.02(A)(1)). Submit an application for registration to the Department, in a Department-provided format, with the individual's name, address, telephone number and email address; the street address, city, county and state of the home where the cottage food is prepared; whether that home is a facility for developmentally disabled individuals; and a description of each cottage food prepared for commercial purposes (R9-8-101.02(A)(2)(a)). Attach a copy of the active certificate of completion for the food handler training course (R9-8-101.02(A)(2)(b)). Sign the Department-provided attestation covering food safety review, labeling, waste disposal, prohibited foods, ingredient sources, storage, delivery and other statutory obligations (R9-8-101.02(A)(2)(c)).
Allowed: Foods prepared in a home kitchen that are not potentially hazardous and do not require time or temperature control for safety (A.R.S. § 36-931(1)(a)(i)); Foods prepared in a home kitchen that are potentially hazardous or require time or temperature control for safety, subject to the transport and in-person delivery limits of A.R.S. § 36-932(E)(3) and R9-8-101.02(D)(4); Dairy-containing cottage food products, subject to in-person sale and delivery only (A.R.S. § 36-932(E)(2)); Poultry, poultry by-products and poultry food products where the registered preparer raised the poultry under the 1,000-bird exemption of 9 C.F.R. § 381.10(c) (A.R.S. § 36-931(1)(b)(i)); Poultry, poultry by-products and poultry food products from an inspected source under 9 C.F.R. § 381.10(d) (A.R.S. § 36-931(1)(b)(ii)); Meat, meat by-products and meat food products where the meat is from an inspected source under 9 C.F.R. § 303.1(d) (A.R.S. § 36-931(1)(b)(iii)); Only ingredients from sources approved by law (A.R.S. § 36-932(G); R9-8-101.02(C)(2)).
No cap. Neither A.R.S. §§ 36-931 to 36-933 nor A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 states a dollar limit on sales; A.R.S. § 36-932(D)(1) provides that a food preparer 'may sell cottage food products to the maximum extent allowed by federal law' except as otherwise provided in the article.
No. CottageCompliance gives general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 36-932 (Labeling; food handler certification); framework A.R.S. § 36-136(I). azleg.gov/ars/36/00932.htm. Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.