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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(H)(4), 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.
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.
Cottage food laws get revised, and a new disclaimer or font size can quietly make your label non-compliant. Leave your email and we'll write to you only when Arizona's cottage food label rules change. Nothing else, ever — and you can unsubscribe from any message.
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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.
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(H). azleg.gov/ars/36/00932.htm. Verified 2026-08-09. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.