Arizona Market Vendor Permits: A Plain-English Checklist (TPT, Cottage Food, Food Permits)

Thinking about selling at a Flagstaff market for the first time? The paperwork can feel like the scariest part, but it is usually simpler than it sounds once you know which boxes apply to you. At the Flagstaff Mountain-Town Market, we love welcoming makers, growers, and vendors who are brand new to selling, so we put together this plain-English walkthrough to help you get set up with confidence.

A quick, friendly disclaimer: this is general guidance, not legal or tax advice. Rules and especially fees change, so always verify the current fees and requirements directly with the issuing authority before you commit. Think of this as your starting map, not the final word.

Start Here: What Are You Selling?

Your permit path branches based on what is on your table. Selling vintage finds and handmade crafts is a different journey than selling food, and selling shelf-stable jam from your kitchen is different from cooking hot food on-site. Read the section that fits you, and skip the rest.

Arizona TPT License (Almost Everyone Selling Goods)

Arizona's Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) is the state's version of a sales tax license, and most vendors selling tangible goods need one. That includes a lot of artisans, makers, vintage sellers, and food vendors.

You apply through the Arizona Department of Revenue at AZTaxes.gov. The license ties to your business and lets you collect and remit the right tax on your sales. A few things to know:

• Register before your first sale day if you can.
• You may owe both state and city/county portions, so list your selling locations accurately when you apply.
• Filing is ongoing, even in months you sell little, so calendar your due dates.

Verify the current license fee and renewal terms directly with AZDOR, as these can change year to year.

Selling Homemade Food: Arizona Cottage Food

If you bake bread, jar honey, mix granola, or make other non-hazardous, shelf-stable foods in your home kitchen, the Arizona Cottage Food Program (run through the Arizona Department of Health Services, ADHS) may be your route. It is designed exactly for home-based food makers easing into selling.

Typical steps:

• Register with ADHS through the Cottage Food program.
• Complete an approved food-handler training and keep your food-handler card current.
• Label your products as required, including that they were made in a home kitchen.

Cottage Food covers many homemade items, but not foods that need refrigeration for safety. If your product needs to stay cold, you are likely in food-permit territory instead (see below). Check the program's current category list and any registration cost with ADHS.

Prepared & Hot Food: Coconino County Food Permit

Selling prepared or hot food at the market, the kind you cook, hold hot, or that needs temperature control, generally means a Coconino County food permit rather than Cottage Food. The county health department handles food-safety permitting for these higher-risk operations.

Plan ahead here, because this path can involve more lead time:

• Contact the Coconino County health/environmental health office early.
• Expect requirements around handwashing, temperature control, and safe food handling.
• Everyone handling food should carry a current food-handler card.

Permit types and fees vary, so confirm exactly which permit your setup needs, and the current cost, with the county directly.

Insurance & a Weighted Canopy

Two practical items round out most vendor setups, and Flagstaff's high country makes them matter:

• Liability insurance. Many markets expect vendors to carry general liability coverage. It protects you and is often requested before your first day.
• A weighted canopy. Flagstaff sits around 7,000 feet, and summer afternoons can bring sudden monsoon gusts (our Wednesday evenings at Heritage Square run right through that window). A canopy with proper weights on every leg is strongly encouraged for everyone's safety. Bring the weights, not just the tent.

Your Quick Checklist

• Selling goods? Look into a TPT license (AZTaxes.gov / AZDOR).
• Homemade shelf-stable food? Look into Cottage Food (ADHS) + a food-handler card.
• Prepared or hot food? Look into a Coconino County food permit + a food-handler card.
• Everyone: consider liability insurance and bring a weighted canopy.
• Always verify current fees with each authority.

Booth Details & Becoming a Vendor

Booth specifics, like fees, sizes, and what each spot includes, are confirmed directly with us when you reach out, so you always get current, accurate details for your situation. We welcome businesses owned by women and people of color, and we especially love helping first-time sellers find their footing.

Where would your table be? In 2026 the Mountain-Town Market runs three ways: every Saturday, May 2 to October 31, 9 am to 1 pm, at the Pine Forest Charter School parking lot on the east side (2257 E Cedar Ave at Fourth Street); Wednesdays, May 27 to October 28, 3 pm to dusk, at Heritage Square downtown (22 E Aspen Ave); and Sundays from November through April at the Flagstaff City Hall parking lot (211 W Aspen Ave), plus a Holiday Market at the Coconino Center for the Arts on December 5 and 6. Tell us which days fit you when you apply.

Ready to join us? Start the vendor interest form at https://forms.gle/TKZmJKm5D5CHYNNU8, email us at flagstaffmountaintownmarket@gmail.com, and follow @flagstaffmountaintownmarket on Instagram for day-of updates and the latest vendor news. We would love to see your table out there.