Home food business guide · Last reviewed October 2026
Cottage Food Laws in Arizona
Arizona has no annual sales cap on most home food sales (No cap). Getting started: ADHS registration (every 3 years); food handler card. Some foods that need refrigeration are allowed, with conditions, which is less common. Of the 40 common products in our finder, 28 can be made in a home kitchen in Arizona, many with conditions.
Arizona has one of the most open cottage food laws. There is no sales cap, and with an ADHS registration and a food handler card, producers can make foods that need refrigeration, including dishes with inspected meat. These must be sold and delivered in person within two hours.
Shelf-stable foods can be sold online and through stores and shipped within Arizona. The main gray area is acidified and fermented foods, which are not excluded but are not addressed in the rules either. It is worth asking before selling salsa or hot sauce in jars. Foods that contain alcohol, including vanilla extract, are excluded.
Non-TCS online and by carrier in Arizona; TCS delivered in person
Sell through stores
Third-party vendors like stores for non-TCS foods
Refrigerated & TCS foods
Yes, sold and delivered in person within two hours; inspected meat allowed
Quick facts are summarized from 50-state trackers (Ardent Seller, reviewed October 1, 2026, cross-checked with PermitDeck and Food Business Pros). Where the details below differ, follow the state sources listed at the bottom of this page and confirm with the agency.
How 40 common products are treated in Arizona, with the condition or reason for each. Items marked "general rule" weren't specifically addressed in the state's guidance.
Home-cooked meals. Prepared TCS foods are allowed. Meat and poultry must come from inspected sources, and you must sell and deliver in person.
Needs a commercial kitchen
Vanilla extract. Foods that are or contain alcohol are excluded.
Ask the agency first
Pepper jelly. Not excluded, but ADHS rules don't address acidified or canned foods.
Shelf-stable salsa. Not excluded, but ADHS rules don't address acidified or canned foods. Shelf-stable acidified products also fall under FDA's acidified food rules.
Hot sauce. Not excluded, but ADHS rules don't address acidified or canned foods. Shelf-stable acidified products also fall under FDA's acidified food rules.
Canned pickles. Not excluded, but ADHS rules don't address acidified or canned foods.
Sauerkraut & kimchi. Not excluded, but ADHS rules don't address fermented foods.
Canned tomato sauce. Not excluded, but canned and acidified foods aren't addressed.
Beef jerky. Arizona allows some cottage foods made with inspected meat, but jerky isn't specifically addressed. Meat products for sale generally need USDA or state inspection. Ask ADHS before selling.
Cheese & yogurt. Unpasteurized milk is excluded; dairy made from pasteurized milk must be sold and delivered in person.
Cold-pressed juice. Not excluded, but fresh juice is a TCS food with special federal rules.
Kombucha. Foods containing alcohol are excluded, and kombucha can reach 0.5% ABV or more.
How to start selling from home
Make sure the product isn't excluded: alcohol, raw milk, fish and shellfish, or uninspected meat and poultry.
Complete an accredited food handler course and keep it active.
Register with ADHS's online cottage food registry; renew every three years.
Sell only in Arizona. TCS foods and foods with meat or poultry must be sold and delivered by you in person, held at a safe temperature, within two hours.
Label every product and post the same details in online listings (see the checklist below).
Legal paths
Registered cottage food
Where
Your home kitchen (up to 1,000 sq ft)
Sell
In Arizona only. Non-TCS foods can be sold online and through third-party vendors like stores, and shipped by carrier. TCS, meat, and poultry foods are sold and delivered by you in person.
Sales cap
None
Paperwork
ADHS registration (renew every three years); food handler card
Commercial kitchen
Where
A permitted commercial kitchen
Sell
Wholesale, restaurants, and food made with alcohol or seafood
Sales cap
None
Paperwork
County food establishment permit; usually FDA registration
Commercial canning
Where
Licensed commercial facility
Sell
Acidified and low-acid canned foods
Sales cap
None
Paperwork
Process authority review, FDA scheduled-process filing
Label requirements
Required by A.R.S. 36-932 and ADHS rule on every packaged cottage food. Online listings must show the same information.
“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.”
Preparer's name and registration number
All ingredients
Date the food was prepared
ADHS website for reporting illness and checking registration. azdhs.gov/Cottagefood
Tamper-evident packaging. The label can serve as the seal.
Turning a recipe into a product?
Mendocino Food Consulting helps food entrepreneurs with food science, formulation, and process questions. We are food scientists, not attorneys, and we don't provide legal advice.