Cottage food laws · Arizona
Selling homemade food in Arizona.
Arizona has one of the broadest home-food laws in the country, and it’s free to join. Since the 2024 “Tamale Bill,” you can make almost anything from your home kitchen — not just cookies and jam but tamales, cheesecake, full meals, soups, salsas, even charcuterie — register with the state at no cost, and sell. There’s no inspection and no sales cap. The one rule worth learning up front: perishable foods — and anything with meat or poultry — can only be sold and handed over in person, while other shelf-stable goods can ship and go on store shelves. Here’s the whole picture, in plain English.
Verified against Arizona Revised Statutes §§ 36-931 to 36-933 and the ADHS Cottage Food Program
Last checked June 12, 2026 — every section links its sources.
A friendly guide, not legal advice — we’re not lawyers. Always confirm the details with your own city and state before you sell.
The 2-minute version
Three cards, the whole story. Everything below is detail — with the actual laws linked, so you never have to take our word for it.
One free program
Arizona runs one homemade-food path — the ADHS Cottage Food Program. Registration is $0, there’s no kitchen inspection, and there’s no revenue or volume cap. You do need an accredited food-handler card before you start — that’s set by the course provider, not the state.
Shelf-stable goods reach furthest
Shelf-stable goods with no meat or dairy — cookies, breads, jams, candy — can sell in person, ship within Arizona, go through delivery apps, and sit on store shelves. A shelf-stable item that contains meat, poultry, or dairy is the exception: still direct-only.
Perishable goods are hand-to-hand
Perishable (TCS) foods — tamales, cheesecake, meals, soups, fresh salsas — are direct-sale only. You deliver in person, kept at a safe temperature, in one transport leg of two hours or less. No shipping, no delivery apps, no store shelves.
How selling works — one program, two tiers
In shortArizona has ONE path — the ADHS Cottage Food Program — and you register once for all of it. What changes by product is HOW you’re allowed to sell it. Two questions decide your channels.
Arizona keeps it simple: there’s one homemade-food path — the ADHS Cottage Food Program — and you register once for all of it. What changes by product isn’t whether you can sell it, it’s how. Two questions decide your channels.
Shelf-stable (non-TCS)
Shelf-stable goods get the widest reach: sell in person, online, ship within Arizona, through third-party delivery, and on retail-store shelves.
The one catch lives in Question 2 — if it contains meat, poultry, or dairy, it drops to direct-only even though it’s shelf-stable.
Pick this path if: what you make doesn’t need refrigeration — cookies, breads, jams, candy, dry mixes, roasted coffee.
Perishable (TCS)
Perishable foods have been allowed since September 2024, but they’re direct-sale only: you (the registrant) deliver in person, kept at a safe temperature, in one transport leg of two hours or less.
No shipping, no third-party platforms, no store shelves. Cheesecake passes — ADHS lists it among approved foods — you just sell it under these perishable rules.
Pick this path if: what you make needs temperature control — tamales, cheesecake, meals, soups, fresh salsas.
Contains meat, poultry, or dairy
If a food contains meat, poultry, or dairy, it’s direct-sale only even if it’s shelf-stable — so a shelf-stable beef jerky still can’t go through a store. (Dairy’s direct-only treatment is in the statute itself; most dairy is perishable anyway.)
Meat and poultry are allowed only from USDA-inspected sources (or home-raised poultry under the federal 1,000-bird exemption).
Pick this path if: your product contains meat, poultry, or dairy — even if it’s otherwise shelf-stable.
One path-changing exception: some foods that start perishable — fresh salsas, acidified, or freeze-dried items — can be lab-tested for pH or water activity. If the lab confirms the finished product is shelf-stable (non-TCS), it then sells under the wider shelf-stable channels. Want to sell wholesale, ship out of state, or sell anything off the program? That’s beyond cottage food — you’d need a licensed retail food establishment.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-931 · A.R.S. § 36-932 · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 · ADHS — Cottage Food Program
Where you can sell
In shortAll sales are in Arizona only. Shelf-stable + no-meat goods can ship, hit retail shelves, and use delivery apps; perishable (TCS) foods AND anything with meat/poultry/dairy are direct, in-person only — one transport leg of two hours or less.
All sales are in Arizona only — the rule reads “shall only offer cottage foods for sale and delivery in Arizona.” Out of state is federal (interstate) territory. Within Arizona, the channel you may use depends on the same two questions — is it perishable, and does it contain meat/poultry/dairy?
| Channel | Shelf-stable, no meat/dairy | Perishable, or contains meat/poultry/dairy |
|---|---|---|
| In person (home, farmers market, events) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (display your registration certificate when operating as a temporary food establishment) |
| Online ordering | ✅ Yes (label info must appear in the listing) | ✅ to order — but you deliver in person |
| Shipping within Arizona | ✅ Yes (third-party carrier OK) | ❌ cannot be shipped |
| Third-party delivery apps | ✅ if the platform complies | ❌ No |
| Retail store / third-party vendor | ✅ with separation + “homemade and exempt from state licensing and inspection” signage | ❌ — and meat products are direct-only even if shelf-stable |
| As an ingredient at a permitted establishment | ❌ may not be used as an ingredient in food sold at a permitted retail food establishment | ❌ No |
Perishable transport rule: appropriate temperature, one transport leg, two hours or less (including time stuck in traffic), sold only at that first destination.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-932 · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 · ADHS — Cottage Food Program
What you can sell
In shortArizona flipped from a short approved list to a near-universal allowance with a short exclusion list. Both shelf-stable and perishable foods are allowed; meat/poultry only from USDA-inspected sources.
Allowed — shelf-stable and perishable
- Baked goods & cheesecakes
- Tamales, burritos & meals
- Soups & stews (menudo, posole)
- Salsas & pickles
- Fermented foods (kimchi, kombucha)
- Jerky & freeze-dried candy
- Roasted coffee
- Fresh juices & aguas frescas
- Charcuterie
- Jams, jellies & honey
- Nut butters
Arizona flipped from a short approved list to a near-universal allowance (September 2024). Special processes — freeze-drying, acidification, fermentation, canning, dehydrating — are allowed. Meat and poultry only from USDA-inspected sources (or home-raised poultry under the 1,000-bird exemption); home-raised quail and hunted game are not approved sources.
Prohibited
- Alcoholic beverages
- Raw (unpasteurized) milk
- Fish & shellfish
- Marijuana / CBD
- Supplements & capsules
- Kava
- Non-GRAS ingredients
- Wild-foraged produce
- Pet treats
- Home-raised shell eggs (sold alone)
Alcohol cooked off as an ingredient is OK. Supplements, capsules, kava, non-GRAS ingredients, wild-foraged produce, pet treats (Department of Agriculture jurisdiction), and home-raised shell eggs sold on their own are out, per ADHS.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-931 · ADHS — Cottage Food Program
The rules that actually matter
In shortNo sales cap. Arizona-only. Perishable = in-person, direct-sale only. Meat/poultry/dairy = direct-only even when shelf-stable. Home kitchen must be ≤1,000 sq ft.
- No sales capNo revenue or volume limit in §§ 36-931–933, § 36-136, or R9-8-101.02. The only volume limit is federal and product-specific: home-raised poultry must stay within the 1,000-bird exemption.
- Arizona onlyEvery sale and delivery is in-state; out of state is federal (interstate) territory.
- Perishable = in-person, direct-sale onlyTemperature-controlled (TCS) foods are direct-sale only — one transport leg of two hours or less, sold at that first destination.
- Meat/poultry/dairy = direct-only, even when shelf-stableAnything containing meat, poultry, or dairy is direct-sale only — a shelf-stable beef jerky still can’t go through a store.
- Home kitchen ≤ 1,000 sq ftA “home kitchen” means a residential kitchen of 1,000 square feet or less.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-136 · A.R.S. § 36-931 · A.R.S. § 36-932 · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02
Getting set up
In shortOne path, in order: food-handler course first, register online with ADHS (free, 4–6 weeks), no inspection, mind local rules, renew every three years.
The ADHS Cottage Food Program — one path
- Take a food-handler course firstAn accredited (ANSI/ANAB-listed) food-handler training is required before you prepare anything, and you keep the certification active; a Food Manager Certification also satisfies it. The course is run by private companies, so the price varies (commonly a little over $10) — there’s no official state fee because the state doesn’t run the course.
- Register online with ADHS through MyHealthDepartmentContact info, your home kitchen’s street address, product descriptions, a copy of your training certificate, and a signed attestation. Processing takes up to four to six weeks; your certificate arrives by email.
- No kitchen inspection“An inspection is not required,” and your label says so.
- Mind local rulesNo state business license is required by the program — but check your city’s business-license rules, county planning and zoning, and any HOA rules; the statute preserves local zoning.
- Renew every three yearsReport any change within 30 days. Display your certificate when selling away from home.
- Adding perishable (TCS) foods later?Email ADHS your updated menu and attestation — new foods need program approval before you sell them.
That’s it — $0 to register, no inspection, no sales cap.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-136 · A.R.S. § 36-933 · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 · ADHS — Cottage Food Program
Labels
In shortRequired on every package and in any online listing: your individual name + registration number (there is NO business-name field), all ingredients, production date, the verbatim allergen statement, and the department website string.
Cottage food label
- The name and registration number of the food preparer — Arizona requires the individual preparer’s name (the actual person registered with the state), not a business name. There is no business-name field anywhere in the law; you can add your porch-shop name, but your own name plus your registration number is the required identifier.
- All ingredients
- The production date
- The allergen 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.”
- The department website, in the rule’s words: “To obtain additional information about cottage foods or to report a foodborne illness, go to azdhs.gov/Cottagefood”
- If it applies: a statement that the product was made in a facility by individuals with developmental disabilities
Packaging must be clean, fully enclosing, and carry a tamper-evident seal (the label can serve as the seal). Products stay in their unaltered home packaging even at a third-party vendor, and samples must be packaged and labeled too. Selling to a retail store adds Weights & Measures requirements.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-932 · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 · ADHS — Cottage Food Program
What changed recently
In shortHB 2042, the 2024 “Tamale Bill,” expanded the program from a short shelf-stable list to almost any homemade food including perishable foods. The implementing rule R9-8-101.02 took effect February 4, 2025.
- HB 2042, the “Tamale Bill” — signed March 29, 2024, effective September 14, 2024Laws 2024, Chapter 18. It created A.R.S. §§ 36-931–933 and expanded the program from a short shelf-stable list to almost any homemade food, including perishable (TCS) foods, meals, and meat/dairy under handling rules. (An earlier version, HB 2509 in 2023, was vetoed.)
- September 2024 — the program went live earlyThe Governor directed ADHS to implement the law immediately rather than wait for rulemaking, so the expanded program was live that fall.
- A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 — effective February 4, 2025The implementing rule took effect — application contents, the tamper-evident-seal requirement, and the sale/delivery detail all live here. No further cottage-food bills were found in the 2025–2026 legislature as of June 2026.
Sources: HB 2042 (2024) · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02
Common questions
- Can I sell cheesecake from home in Arizona?
- Yes — cheesecake is on ADHS’s approved list. Sell it under the perishable (TCS) rules: in person, kept at a safe temperature, one transport leg of two hours or less.
- Can I sell tamales or full meals?
- Yes — that’s exactly what the 2024 Tamale Bill opened up. They’re perishable, so they’re direct-sale, in-person only.
- Is there a limit on how much I can earn in Arizona?
- No — there’s no sales cap.
- Do I need an inspection?
- No — “an inspection is not required.”
- Do I need a food-handler card to sell homemade food in Arizona?
- Yes — an accredited food-handler course is required before you start preparing food.
- Can I ship my cookies in Arizona?
- Shelf-stable goods can ship within Arizona. Perishable foods and anything with meat or dairy can’t be shipped — those are in-person only.
- Can a store carry my jam?
- Yes, if it’s shelf-stable with no meat or dairy — displayed separately with the “homemade and exempt from state licensing and inspection” signage. Perishable and meat products can’t go on store shelves.
- Can I ship to family out of state?
- No — Arizona sales only; across the state line is federal territory.
Sources: A.R.S. § 36-932 (labeling, channels, food-handler cert) · A.R.S. § 36-931 (definitions, exclusions, no cap) · A.A.C. R9-8-101.02 (in-Arizona-only, sale/delivery detail)
You won’t be doing this alone
119 porch bakers are already selling across Arizona under these exact laws. Browse their pages and learn from people two steps ahead of you — what they sell, how they price, how they talk about their bread. Cottage bakers are famously generous with what they’ve learned, and most are a DM away on Instagram.
- Quinntessentials bakery LLCYuma
- The Bread BasketApache Junction
- Lexi | Cottage Baker | All Things SourdoughApache Junction
- Sara GoldbergScottsdale
- Dan FrancisScottsdale
- Ashley 💖 Good Day SourdoughSurprise
- Stephanie MurphySurprise
- Loaf N Round Bakery™️Surprise
- Katy | KK's DoughSurprise
- Vanessa| Artisan baker 👩🍳| Tolleson, AZTolleson
This page is educational, not legal advice — we’re not lawyers, just neighbors who read Arizona’s official sources and wrote down what they say (every claim above links to its source). Arizona’s required label strings are set by statute and rule — the one printed here is the statute’s wording, which controls if a Department web page paraphrases it differently. Cities, counties, and HOAs set their own zoning and business-license rules — check yours. When something here and the law disagree, the law wins; if you spot that happening, tell us and we’ll fix it. Always double-check the details with your own city and state before you sell. When something here and the law disagree, the law wins; if you spot that happening, tell us and we’ll fix it.