How do I get a cottage food permit in California?
California lets you make approved shelf-stable foods (bread, cookies, jams, dried fruit, candy) in your home kitchen and sell them under a Cottage Food Operation. Class A is for direct sales to customers and needs a county registration; in 2026 its gross sales limit is $88,878. Class B also allows sales through shops and restaurants, needs a county permit with an inspection, and has a $177,756 limit. You apply to your county or city environmental health department, not the state, and one registration covers sales anywhere in California.
Key facts
- Class A
- Direct sales only · registration · $88,878 limit (2026)
- Class B
- Direct + indirect sales · permit and inspection · $177,756 limit (2026)
- What you can sell
- Only foods on CDPH's approved cottage food list — nothing that needs refrigeration
- Where to apply
- Your county (or city) environmental health department; renew every year
- Training
- A California food handler card, within three months of registering; renew every three years
- Label
- “Made in a Home Kitchen” in 12-point type, plus your name, city and ZIP, permit number, ingredients, net quantity and allergens
Step by step
- Check every product against the CDPH approved cottage food list.
- Decide Class A (direct sales only) or Class B (you also want to sell through shops or restaurants).
- Take an ANSI-accredited California food handler course. The state accepts it as the cottage food training, and Alameda and San Francisco ask for the card with your application.
- Prepare your registration or permit application, self-certification checklist and label samples.
- Submit to your local environmental health department with the fee.
- Get your city business license and, if your sales are taxable, a CDTFA seller's permit.
Questions
What is the difference between Class A and Class B cottage food?
Class A can only sell directly to customers (in person, at events, or by mail or delivery service) and needs a registration. Class B can also sell through permitted shops, cafés and restaurants, and needs a permit with an inspection. The 2026 sales limits are $88,878 for Class A and $177,756 for Class B.
Can I sell cottage food online in California?
Yes. Both classes can take orders by phone, online or any other digital method, and fill them in person, by mail or through a delivery service. Selling through shops, cafés or restaurants requires Class B.
Can I sell cottage food in other counties?
Yes. Since 2022, a registration or permit from one county lets a cottage food operation sell anywhere in California.
Why do some sites say the limits are $75,000 and $150,000?
Those are the base amounts in state law ($75,000 for Class A, $150,000 for Class B). CDPH adjusts them for inflation every January; for 2026 they are $88,878 and $177,756.
What happens if I go over the cottage food sales limit?
Above $177,756 a year you are past the 2026 Class B limit and can no longer run as a cottage food operation. CDPH says a business that outgrows cottage food can apply for a retail food permit from its local environmental health department, or for a processed food registration from CDPH if it manufactures or wholesales food.
Can I sell cheesecake or other refrigerated foods as cottage food?
No. Cottage food is limited to non-potentially hazardous foods on the state's approved list. Foods that need refrigeration require a commercial kitchen or, where allowed, a home kitchen (MEHKO) permit.
Official sources
- Cottage Food Operations — California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 — California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operator Training — California Department of Public Health
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products — California Department of Public Health
- AB 1144 Fact Sheet (cottage food sales statewide) — California Department of Public Health
- Cottage food and MEHKO frequently asked questions — California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operations — forms and instructions — Alameda County Department of Environmental Health
- Sell food you make at home (Cottage Food permit) — San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health
Last checked against official sources on . Regulatory OS explains official requirements and prepares applications; it is not a government agency and does not give legal advice. Agencies make all permit decisions.