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Coconino County, AZ Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Registration authority
Arizona Dept. of Health Services online registry
Renewal
every three years
Home kitchen size cap
1,000 square feet
Training required
accredited food handler course
County enforcement
not required, DHS enforces
Zoning/building codes
unaffected, still apply separately

Summary

Coconino County has no separate cottage food ordinance: Arizona Revised Statutes Section 36-136(I)(13) puts home food producers under a single statewide registry run by the Department of Health Services. Producers register online, renew every three years, and must complete food handler training before selling foods made in a home kitchen anywhere in the county, incorporated or not.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Coconino County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

I. The director, by rule, shall: ...

13. Establish an online registry of food preparers that are authorized to prepare cottage food products for commercial purposes pursuant to paragraph 4 of this subsection and chapter 8, article 2 of this title. A registered food preparer shall renew the registration every three years and shall provide to the department updated registration information within thirty days after any change.

36-933. Applicability of article; rules; enforcement

A. This article: ...

4. Does not affect any county or municipal building code, zoning code or ordinance or other land use regulation. ...

D. A county may not be required to enforce this article.

Source: Arizona Revised StatutesView official code

Full Breakdown

' Section 36-931 defines a 'cottage food product' as food prepared in a home kitchen of up to 1,000 square feet by a registered preparer, and excludes alcohol, unpasteurized milk, and most meat, poultry, and fish unless a specific federal exemption applies. ' Section 36-933 is what actually determines Coconino County's role: the article 'does not affect any county or municipal building code, zoning code or ordinance or other land use regulation,' and 'a county may not be required to enforce this article,' so a cottage food producer in unincorporated Coconino County still needs any zoning or building permit the county's own code would otherwise require for a home-based use, layered on top of the state registration.

Violations & Fines

The Department of Health Services, not Coconino County, enforces the cottage food statute: Section 36-933(C) gives DHS enforcement authority, and Section 36-933(D) confirms the county is never required to police it. DHS may suspend or revoke a preparer's registration for noncompliance or for impeding a foodborne-illness investigation under Section 36-933(B)(1). Selling without registration or without the required allergen label leaves a preparer with the same exposure as any unlicensed food operation under Title 36's food-safety rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Coconino County require a permit for a home-based food business?
Not a separate cottage food permit. Arizona regulates cottage food statewide through a Department of Health Services registry under A.R.S. Section 36-136(I)(13), so a producer anywhere in Coconino County, incorporated or not, registers with the state rather than the county. The county's own zoning and building codes still apply on top of that registration for the home itself.
What foods can I legally sell as a cottage food producer?
Section 36-931 covers food made in a home kitchen of 1,000 square feet or less by a registered preparer, so long as it is not potentially hazardous under the FDA food code as adopted by the department. Alcohol, unpasteurized milk, and most meat, poultry, and fish are excluded unless a specific federal exemption listed in the statute applies.
What has to be on my cottage food label?
Section 36-932 requires your name and registration number, a full ingredient list, the production date, and the exact disclosure 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 a state website for reporting illnesses or verifying registration.
Does Coconino County inspect or enforce cottage food rules?
No. Section 36-933(C) gives enforcement to the Department of Health Services, and Section 36-933(D) says a county is never required to enforce the article. DHS can suspend or revoke a registration for violations; the county's role is limited to its own separate zoning and building permit requirements.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Coconino County

All Coconino County rules

Compare Coconino County to another location·View the Arizona home business overview

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