How to Start a Cottage Food Business in Nevada

The Short Answer: Yes, But Only Certain Products

You can legally sell baked goods, cookies, bread, cakes, jams, candies, and other shelf-stable foods from your home kitchen in Nevada. The state's cottage food law (NRS 446.866) exempts registered home food operations from commercial kitchen requirements and routine health inspections — as long as your products are non-perishable, your sales stay under $35,000 per year, and you sell directly to customers face-to-face.

The catch is that "shelf-stable" is narrower than most people expect. Cream cheese frosting, meringue, custard fillings, and pumpkin pie are all off-limits. Sourdough starters are prohibited in Washoe County. And every ingredient must come from a commercial source — no backyard eggs or homegrown produce.

Here is the actual startup sequence, in order.

Step 1: Verify Your Recipe Is Eligible

Before you spend money on business registration, confirm your products qualify. Nevada cottage food must be non-potentially hazardous — meaning shelf-stable at room temperature with no refrigeration needed.

You can sell: Loaf breads, rolls, biscuits, cookies, celebration cakes with shelf-stable frosting, fruit pies, pastries, hard candies, cotton candy, popcorn, commercially-coated chocolates, standard fruit jams and jellies, dried herbs and seasoning mixes, trail mix, granola, dehydrated fruits, coated nuts, and strained flavored vinegars.

You cannot sell: Anything with cream, custard, meringue, cream cheese frosting, low-sugar frosting, cheesecake, meat, raw dough, dried or cooked pasta, infused vinegars with solid ingredients, or sugar-free jams. If your recipe needs refrigeration to stay safe, it requires a commercial kitchen.

If you want to make pickles, salsas, hot sauces, or other acidified foods, that falls under Nevada's separate Craft Food Operation category — which requires a different registration through the Nevada Department of Agriculture, a food safety exam, and pH testing of every batch.

Step 2: Identify Your Health District

Nevada splits public health authority across five agencies. Your home address determines which one handles your registration:

• Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas): Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD)
• Washoe County (Reno, Sparks): Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH)
• Carson City and Douglas County: Carson City Health and Human Services (CCHHS)
• Churchill, Mineral, Eureka, Pershing: Central Nevada Health District (CNHD)
• All other rural counties: Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH)

Each has different registration fees, application processes, and local rules. Applying to the wrong one wastes time.

Step 3: Handle Business Registration and Taxes

You need state-level business registration before applying for your cottage food registration:

State Business License: Register through SilverFlume, the Nevada Secretary of State's portal. If you form an LLC, the first-year cost is $425 ($75 Articles of Organization + $150 Initial List + $200 State Business License). Sole proprietors operating under their own legal name may qualify for the $200 license fee exemption if their annual gross revenue falls below the statutory threshold under NAC Chapter 76.

DBA filing: If you operate under a trade name (anything other than your legal name), file a Certificate of Business with your county clerk's office. This name must match what you put on your health department application.

Sales tax permit: Prepared food sold directly to consumers is subject to sales tax in Nevada. Register for a Sales/Use Tax Permit through the Nevada Tax Center for $15.

Local business license: After state registration, apply for a local business license with your city or county. Many municipalities also require a Home Occupation Permit to verify that home-based food production complies with residential zoning.

Step 4: Complete Food Safety Training

Requirements vary by county. Clark County (SNHD) requires an in-person food handler safety card for standard food handlers ($25, valid for three years). Washoe County (NNPH) accepts approved online course certificates. Carson City recommends training but does not mandate it for basic setups. Rural counties under DPBH have no formal training requirement.

Regardless of your county's rules, completing food safety training before you start is worth the small investment — it covers allergen management, sanitization protocols, and illness exclusion rules that protect both your customers and your business.

Step 5: Design Compliant Labels

Every packaged cottage food product must carry a label with these elements:

• Product name (common name like "Chocolate Chip Cookies")
• Business name and physical home kitchen address
• Complete ingredient list in descending order by weight, with sub-ingredients in parentheses
• Major allergen declaration (milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, sesame) formatted as "Contains: wheat, eggs, milk"
• Net weight in both US customary and metric units
• The mandatory warning statement in capital letters and at least 10-point contrasting font: "MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION."

Get your labels designed before you apply — several health districts review labels as part of the registration process.

Step 6: Register With Your Health District and Get Your Approval Letter

This is the step that makes everything legal. The process varies by district:

• SNHD (Clark County): Email your completed application to [email protected]. After review, you will receive a Registration Agreement to sign, then an invoice for the registration fee (approximately $160). You cannot sell until you receive the physical Approval Letter.
• NNPH (Washoe County): Submit online through the onenv.us portal with your application, product list, and label proofs.
• CCHHS (Carson City/Douglas): Submit to [email protected]. Initial registration is free, but labels must be approved before sales begin.
• CNHD (rural central counties): Submit the completed form by email or mail; email submissions go to [email protected].
• DPBH (other rural counties): Online through the Aithent system at nvdpbh.aithent.com. Free registration.

Do not start selling before your registration is complete. Unregistered home food operations are considered unpermitted vendors and are subject to product confiscation and fines.

What Comes Next

Once registered, keep your gross sales under $35,000 per year, sell only face-to-face (no online orders or shipping until AB 352 takes effect in July 2027), and maintain your sanitation standards. If you eventually outgrow the cottage food cap or want to sell wholesale, you will need to transition to a commercial kitchen.

For the full county-by-county registration walkthrough — with product eligibility matrices, label templates, and business setup checklists — the Nevada Cottage Food & Home Food Business Guide covers every step from recipe validation through your first legal sale.

See more Nevada guides →