In May, 2013, the Nevada Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, the Cottage Food bill (SB206 PDF) which was incorporated into Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Chapter 466.866 allowing certain foods to be prepared and sold from a person’s home.

A cottage food operation means a natural person who manufactures or prepares food items in a non-permitted food establishment setting for sale directly to an end consumer. There are limitations on where, how, and to whom cottage foods can be sold. More information is available at NRS 580.600 and on the FAQ page.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

Assembly Bill (AB) 352 transitioned the cottage food program to the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) during the 2025 legislative session. As part of this administrative transition, NRS 446 was repealed and those sections regarding cottage food were codified under NRS 580.600, which is in effect until June 30, 2027. The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) remains the current registering authority for cottage foods made or sold in Clark County, NV.

The NDA becomes the registering authority for the entirety of Nevada effective July 1, 2027, under NRS 585.700-770. As information is available, it will be posted on the NDA’s website, Food Safety Program.

REGISTRATION PROCESS

1. Submission/Application Screening: 
   1. The Cottage Food Operation Registration Application must be completed for pre-screening prior to applying within the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) portal. The application must be signed by the owner of the business. Incomplete applications will not be processed. The owner of the business is a SINGLE NATURAL PERSON (an individual person), not a partnership, family, corporation, or business with employees.
   2. E-mail the completed application to regsupport@snhd.org. The application must be in PDF, JPG, or PNG format. Links to personal document management systems such as Google Docs or iCloud will not be accepted.
   3. The application will be reviewed in the order in which it is received. The cottage food operation is not registered and cannot operate until an approval letter has been received.
   4. SNHD will contact you if there are any questions about your application, if more information is needed, or with the reason the application cannot be processed.
      1. If you choose to have a voluntary SNHD label review, you will be contacted and invoiced separately.
2. Application Submission:
   1. If the application can be approved, you will be provided with instructions on how to create your online User Account via the ACA portal and complete the application process in the portal.
3. Pay fees: 
   1. After you have successfully completed the online Cottage Food Operation Registration Application process, an invoice will be sent at a later date electronically for a one-time, non-refundable cottage food registration fee.
   2. Written instructions for online payment in the ACA portal will be provided.
   3. The cost of a cottage food operation registration for Fiscal Year 26/27 is $220 and can be found on the last page of the Environmental Health Fee Schedule under “MISCPR – COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION REGISTRATION.”
      1. Please note: beginning Fiscal Year 27/28, Assembly Bill (AB) 352 transitioned the cottage food program to the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) effective July 1, 2027, under NRS 585.700-770. As information becomes available, it will be posted on the NDA’s website, Food Safety Program.
   4. If the invoice is not paid within 30 days, the application will be denied as a delinquent account. Any future applications for registration from the same person will not be accepted until the account is brought into financial compliance.
4. Registration letter:
   1. After the fee has been paid, an approval letter will be sent. The cottage food operation is not registered and cannot operate until an approval letter has been received.
   2. This completes the cottage food registration process with SNHD. Additional licenses are required, such as with the Nevada Secretary of State and local business licensing agencies. Please reach out to the appropriate agencies to secure those licenses.