State Guides5 min read
Nevada Cottage Food Laws 2026: Registration, $35K Cap
Nevada cottage food operations must register with a health authority, cap sales at $35,000, and sell in person. A 2027 law raises the cap and adds online sales.
At a glance
- Who it's for
- a natural person who makes food items in a private home kitchen, or, if allowed by the health authority, in the kitchen of a fraternal or social clubhouse, a school or a religious, charitable or other nonprofit organization, for sale to a natural person for consumption (NRS 580.600).
- What you need
- register with your health authority before selling. The authority may charge a fee that does not exceed its actual cost to establish and maintain the registry (NRS 580.600).
- Sales cap
- $35,000 in gross sales per calendar year (NRS 580.600).
- Where you can sell
- direct, in-person sales at venues like farmers' markets licensed under chapter 244 or 268 of NRS, flea markets, swap meets, church bazaars, garage sales and craft fairs. No internet or phone sales (NRS 580.600).
- Changes coming July 1, 2027
- the cap rises to $100,000, online and phone sales become legal, and oversight moves to the State Department of Agriculture (AB 352).
What you can sell
Nevada law lists the food items a cottage food operation may make and sell. They include nuts and nut mixes; candy; jams and jellies and preserves; vinegar and flavored vinegar; dry herbs and seasoning mixes; dried fruit; cereals, trail mixes and granola; popcorn and popcorn balls; and certain baked goods (NRS 580.600).
Allowed baked goods include bread, cookies, brownies and fruit pies that are not potentially hazardous foods. They must not contain cream, uncooked egg, custard, meringue or cream cheese frosting or garnishes, and must not require time or temperature controls for food safety (NRS 580.600).
Foods that require refrigeration, such as cakes with cream or custard fillings, are not allowed.
How and where you can sell
Sales must take place on your private property or at a location where you sell directly to a consumer, including a farmers' market licensed under chapter 244 or 268 of NRS, flea market, swap meet, church bazaar, garage sale or craft fair (NRS 580.600).
The law limits sales to in-person transactions that do not involve selling the food item by telephone or via the Internet (NRS 580.600). You cannot sell through wholesalers, brokers, distributors, restaurants or on consignment. You can use a website to advertise, but not to take orders or offer shipping.
Food must be prepackaged in a manner that protects it from contamination during transport, display, sale and acquisition by consumers (NRS 580.600).
Registration and kitchen rules
Each natural person who wishes to conduct a cottage food operation must register with the health authority before selling any food item. The application includes your name, address and contact information, and the name under which you sell if different from your own (NRS 580.600). The health authority may charge a fee that does not exceed its actual cost to establish and maintain the registry; ask your authority what it charges.
Food must be prepared and processed in the kitchen of your private home, or, if allowed by the health authority, in the kitchen of a fraternal or social clubhouse, a school or a religious, charitable or other nonprofit organization (NRS 580.600).
The health authority may inspect a cottage food operation only to investigate a food item that may be deemed adulterated under NRS 585.300 to 585.360, or an outbreak or suspected outbreak of illness known or suspected to be caused by a contaminated food item (NRS 580.600).
Labels
Nevada requires each food item to carry a label that meets federal labeling requirements and a specific printed disclaimer. The block below lists the verified label rules.
Label rules last verified Oct 3, 2026 against 4 official sources.
Make a Nevada labelChange coming Jul 1, 2027. Nevada AB 352 (83rd Session, 2025), enrolled act text.
Change coming Jul 1, 2027. Nevada AB 352 sec.
More
(nuts and nut mixes, candies, jams, jellies and preserves, vinegar and flavored vinegar, dry herbs and seasoning mixes, dried fruits, cereals, trail mixes and granola, popcorn and popcorn balls, and certain baked goods). The label conditions in NRS 580.600(1)(c) and (d) apply to each food item sold. NRS 580.600 is marked '[Effective through June 30, 2027.]'; from 2027-07-01 the program moves to the State Department of Agriculture under AB 352 (see pendingChanges).Required on the label
MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION
- Label complying with the federal labeling requirementsThe food item must be 'Affixed with a label which complies with the federal labeling requirements set forth in 21 U.S.C. § 343(w), 9 C.F.R. Part 317 and 21 C.F.R. Part 101'.
The cottage food rules say nothing about product name, ingredients, allergens, net quantity, date made, business or producer name, address. That does not make them optional: general food labeling rules may still apply, and the label generator lets you add them.
General labeling law: (1) The law in force today is NRS 580.600, read from the compiled NRS chapter 580 (Rev. 4/15/2026), where it is marked '[Effective through June 30, 2027.]'.
Sources (4)
- NRS 580.600 (compiled NRS chapter 580, Rev. 4/15/2026; marked '[Effective through June 30, 2027.]'), label conditions
- Nevada AB 352 (83rd Session, 2025), enrolled act, sec. 29 (effective dates). Saved in full.
- NRS chapter 587 (Rev. 4/15/2026), table of contents only; the craft food section text is cut off
- NRS chapter 587 (Rev. 4/15/2026), shorter copy of the same page; table of contents only
Before your first sale
- To do: Check every product against the allowed food items list in NRS 580.600.
- To do: Register your cottage food operation with your health authority.
- To do: Prepare your food in your private home kitchen or an approved nonprofit kitchen.
- To do: Package all food items so they are protected from contamination.
- To do: Print labels with the required federal information and state disclaimer.
Common questions
How much does a cottage license cost in Nevada?
The health authority may charge a fee for registration in an amount that does not exceed its actual cost to establish and maintain the registry. The statute does not set a dollar amount, so ask your health authority what it charges. The Southern Nevada Health District charges $220 for a cottage food operation registration in Clark County for Fiscal Year 26/27.
Can I sell cottage foods online in Nevada?
Not under the current law. Sales must be in-person transactions that do not involve selling the food item by telephone or via the Internet. A 2027 law will allow online and phone sales fulfilled in person, by mail or through a food delivery service platform.
What is the sales cap for a Nevada cottage food operation?
The current cap is $35,000 in gross sales per calendar year. Starting July 1, 2027, the cap rises to $100,000 per calendar year.
Do I need a separate cottage food permit for Clark County or Las Vegas?
Registration is with your health authority. The Southern Nevada Health District remains the registering authority for Clark County until July 1, 2027, when the Nevada Department of Agriculture takes over statewide. In Washoe County, register with Northern Nevada Public Health, which handles cottage food registrations through July 2027. The state Division of Public and Behavioral Health registers operations in Elko, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Nye, Storey and White Pine counties, and a state registration applies only to those counties; other areas, such as Carson City, have their own health authority, so apply with the county where you want to sell.
