Cottage food rules
Does Nevada Have Cottage Food Laws?
A clear look at Nevada's cottage food law, so you know what to file and what you can sell.
On this page
What to remember
- Nevada’s cottage food law started with SB206 in May 2013 and is now NRS 446.866.
- You register as a cottage food operation before you sell, not after.
- Only a limited list of non-potentially hazardous, shelf-stable foods are allowed.
- Gross sales are capped at $35,000 per calendar year, counted per operation.
- A health authority can inspect only to investigate a food item that may be adulterated.
If you bake from your kitchen in Las Vegas, Reno, or anywhere in between, the first thing to understand is that Nevada does not treat homemade food as a free for all. There is a real law, there is a registration step, and there is a short list of foods you are allowed to sell. The Southern Nevada Health District and the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health both publish plain language pages on how it works. If you are comparing states before you commit, the Idaho guide and the Montana guide follow the same register first, then sell pattern.
Register before you sell a single loaf
Nevada’s cottage food law allows limited non-potentially hazardous foods to be prepared in a person’s home only if that person has registered as a cottage food operation. The registration comes first. Think of it as the step that turns a hobby you share with friends into something you are allowed to charge money for.
What the law lets you sell
Nevada does not open the door to every recipe in your binder. The law covers a limited list of non-potentially hazardous foods, and it is written around shelf-stable homemade food rather than anything that needs constant refrigeration. The state’s cottage food guide is the place that sets out which foods qualify, and it is worth reading line by line if your menu leans on custards, cream fillings, or anything that spoils quickly. Build your sell list from what the guide allows, not the other way around.
The $35,000 ceiling on a year of sales
Nevada caps annual cottage food sales at $35,000 in gross sales per calendar year under NRS 446.866, and the cap is applied per cottage food operation. That number is the whole year, not a single busy month. If you sell at markets through the spring and take holiday orders in November and December, check where you stand as you go rather than adding it all up in January.
When a health authority can step in
The inspection power in Nevada is narrow. The food safety 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. In plain terms, the law is written around a specific concern about a specific food, not around routine walk throughs of home kitchens.
That is worth knowing because it shapes how you should run your shop. Clean as you go, label what you sell, and keep track of which batch went to which order, so that if a question ever comes up about a food item you can answer it with records instead of a guess. If you are still choosing how to take orders and keep those records, this fair roundup of home bakery apps walks through the options without pushing you toward one.
Once the paperwork side is settled, the day to day becomes ordinary shop work: taking orders, baking to a schedule, and getting paid. Nevada bakers can take card payments through their own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash, which covers most of how neighbors actually pay.
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Common questions
Do I have to register to sell baked goods from my Nevada home?
Yes. Nevada allows limited non-potentially hazardous foods to be prepared in a person's home if that person has registered as a cottage food operation. The registration comes before selling, not after your first order.
How much can a Nevada cottage food operation sell in a year?
Nevada caps annual cottage food sales at $35,000 in gross sales per calendar year under NRS 446.866. The limit is applied per cottage food operation.
When did Nevada get its cottage food law?
In May 2013 the Nevada Legislature passed the cottage food bill, SB206, and the Governor signed it. That bill became Nevada Revised Statutes 446.866.
Where can I find the list of foods Nevada allows?
The Division of Public and Behavioral Health publishes a cottage food guide that covers what qualifies, and the Southern Nevada Health District also has cottage food pages and a FAQ. Read those before you plan a menu.
Can a health inspector inspect my home kitchen any time?
The food safety 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. The inspection power is tied to investigating a specific food concern.
Sources
This is general information about Nevada's cottage food law, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change and local health districts may add requirements. Confirm the current details with the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health or your local health district before you sell.