Nevada Craft Food Operation Can you legally sell food from home in Nevada?

Cottage Food Law

In 2015, Nevada passed the “pickle bill” (SB 441), allowing homemade acidified foods to be sold. This law permits individuals to prepare and sell these foods from their homes, or from approved locations like social clubs, schools, or nonprofits. Sales are capped at $35,000 per year.

Table of Contents

Selling Allowed Foods Limitations Business Labeling Resources Forum

Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?

Allowed Venues

Events Farmers markets Home Roadside stands

Allowed Services

Delivery Home Pickup

Prohibited Venues

Online Restaurants Retail stores

Prohibited Services

Mail order Wholesale

Nevada craft food operators can sell directly to consumers at places like farmers’ markets, flea markets, and craft fairs, or through home pickup and delivery. You can’t sell online or through restaurants or stores.

Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?

Craft food operations must use recipes from the pickling recipes guide or get their own recipes approved by a process authority. Specific requirements include maintaining the original form of the item, not shortening canning times, using vinegar with at least 5% acidity, maintaining the vinegar-to-water ratio, adding only a limited number of additional items, and adjusting spice amounts within specified limits.

Only "non-potentially hazardous" foods are allowed, but certain non-PHFs may not be allowed. Most foods that don't need to be refrigerated (foods without meat, cheese, etc.) are considered non-potentially hazardous. Learn more

Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?

Limitations

Children restricted Direct sales only No domestic activity Sales limit Smoking restricted

There may be more limitations, but the ones above have been confirmed

Sales are limited to $35,000 per year

Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?

Application and Testing

To sell craft food items, submit an application and pass a safety exam on canning. Passing the exam grants a 3-year craft food permit. The testing fee is $30, and the application fee is $50.

Three testing locations are available in Nevada: Sparks, Elko, and Las Vegas. Contact one of the locations to schedule an exam date and time.

Nevada Department of Agriculture – Sparks
405 S. 21st Street Sparks, NV 89431
775-353-3607
Nevada Department of Agriculture – Elko
4780 E. Idaho Street Elko, NV 89801
775-753-1360
Nevada Department of Agriculture – Las Vegas
2300 E. St. Louis Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89104
702-668-4545

Product Testing

Each product batch must undergo pH measurement using a meter with ±0.02 accuracy (±0.01 preferred) and a 2-point calibration using pH 4.0 and 7.0 buffers. Refer to the measuring pH guide for calibration and testing preparation details.

Food Safety Training

Craft food operators must undergo food safety training, register with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, pay a registration fee, and maintain transaction logs for at least five years.

Labeling How do you label cottage food products?

Label Requirements

Allergens Business address Business name Ingredients Net amount Phone number Product name Statement

Sample Label

Chocolate Chip Cookies

“MADE IN A CRAFT FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION”

Forrager Cookie Company

123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, NV 73531

Phone: (123) 456-7890

Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (cream, salt), semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract (vanilla bean extract, alcohol, sugar), baking soda, salt (salt, calcium silicate)

Contains: milk, eggs, wheat, soy

NET WT 2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)

Labeling information must be prominently and conspicuously printed in English, with a minimum print size of 1/16 of an inch based on the lowercase letter “o”. For more information and examples, here is a labeling guide.