How to Get a Cottage Food Permit in California: Class A or B Steps

To get a cottage food permit in California, you register with or apply to your county environmental health department for one of two permit types, complete an approved food handler course, and meet the state’s product, labeling, and kitchen sanitation rules. The state does not issue these permits directly; every county runs its own process, sets its own fees, and handles its own inspections.¹ Your first decision is which class of permit you need, because that choice determines where you can sell, whether an inspector visits your kitchen, and how much you can earn.

Decide Between Class A and Class B

California law creates two tiers of cottage food operations.

Class A is a registration for operators who sell directly to customers only: from home, at certified farmers’ markets, at community events, and at bake sales. You submit a self-certification checklist to your county. No kitchen inspection is required. Your annual gross sales cap is $75,000.²¹

Class B is a permit that lets you do everything a Class A operator does and also sell indirectly through third-party retailers like local shops and restaurants. Your kitchen must pass an inspection before the permit is issued and again each year at renewal. Your annual gross sales cap is $150,000.³¹

Both caps are adjusted annually for inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index, so check the CDPH site for the current figures.⁴ Online, phone, and digital sales are allowed under both classes, and orders can be fulfilled in person, by mail, or through a third-party delivery service.¹

Confirm Your Products Are Approved

Cottage food products must be “non-potentially hazardous,” meaning they stay safe at room temperature without refrigeration. CDPH maintains the official approved list, which it can update at any time.⁵ Approved categories include:

Baked goods without cream, custard, or meat fillings (breads, cookies, muffins, pastries, tortillas)
Candy and confections such as fudge, toffee, brittles, caramels, hard candy, chocolate-covered nonperishables, and marshmallows made without eggs
Jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters
Dried and dehydrated foods including granola, trail mixes, dried fruit, pasta, popcorn, roasted coffee, herbs, spice blends, and vegetable chips
Roasted or pasteurized nuts, nut mixes, and nut butters
Pure honey and sorghum syrups with no added ingredients
Vinegars (including fruit-infused vinegars made from high-acid fruits) and mustards without eggs

Anything requiring refrigeration is off-limits: no meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, fresh-cut produce, cooked vegetables, or raw seed sprouts. If a product you want to sell isn’t on the CDPH list, check the list directly before buying ingredients or packaging.

Complete an Approved Food Handler Course

Every person who prepares or packages cottage food, including you, any employees, and household members who help, must complete an ANSI-accredited food handler course within three months of becoming registered or permitted. Courses are widely available online in several languages at low cost. Keep the resulting card or certificate on file; your local enforcement agency can ask to see it at any time. Cards expire after three years and must be renewed.⁶

Prepare Your Kitchen

Your home kitchen becomes your cottage food kitchen, but during preparation, packaging, and handling for sale it has to meet standards beyond typical home cooking. No infants, small children, or pets can be in the kitchen while you’re making product.¹ Equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized before each use. You need a handwashing station with warm water of at least 100°F, soap, and paper towels accessible during preparation. Food areas must be free of pests.

If you’re pursuing Class B, an inspector will visit before your permit is issued. Inspectors check sanitizer concentrations using test strips (200 ppm for quaternary ammonium, 100 ppm for chlorine), verify dishwashing procedures, confirm food is stored off the floor and away from contamination sources, and look for pest activity.⁷ Address these before the visit; a failed first inspection delays your permit.

Submit Your Application

Contact your local county environmental health department to get the correct forms, current fee schedule, and any county-specific requirements.¹

Class A Registration

Complete the self-certification checklist confirming that your kitchen meets sanitation requirements, your food handler training is current, and you’ll sell only approved products through direct channels. Submit the checklist with your fee. Once processed, your registration is issued without an inspection.

Class B Permit

Submit an application listing your name, home address, business name, and the specific products you plan to sell, with confirmation that each appears on the CDPH approved list. After you pay the fee, your county schedules a home kitchen inspection. Processing timelines vary by county and volume; San Diego County, for example, reviews completed applications within 10 business days when volumes allow.³

Both types are valid for one year. Class B renewals include another kitchen inspection.

Budget for County Fees

There is no statewide fee schedule, and the differences are substantial:

Los Angeles County: Class A registration is $118.⁸
San Diego County: Class A initial registration is $216; Class B initial permit is $491 (including inspection and label review). Renewals are $87 for Class A and $339 for Class B.³
Sacramento County: Class A registration is $297; Class B initial permit is $513 (including inspection).⁹

Some counties charge separate label review fees for labels submitted after your initial application. Los Angeles County charges $167 per hour for additional label reviews.⁸ Confirm your county’s schedule before you apply.

Label Every Product Correctly

Labeling errors are one of the fastest ways to have your registration or permit held up. Every cottage food label must include:

The phrase “Made in a Home Kitchen” in 12-point type on the main display panel
The product name
An ingredients list in descending order of predominance
An allergen declaration in plain language if the food contains milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soybeans, either within the ingredient list or in a “Contains” statement immediately after it¹⁰
Net weight or volume
Your name and the registered address of your cottage food operation
The registration or permit number issued by your county

Allergen disclosure is the point people most often underestimate. Peanut brittle, cookies made with almond flour, anything containing one of the eight major allergens has to be flagged clearly.

Handle the Other Local Requirements

Your county health permit is not the only step. Most cities and counties require a business license (sometimes called a business tax registration) for any business operating within their jurisdiction, including home-based ones. If your home is in an incorporated city, contact the city; if it’s in an unincorporated area, contact the county.¹¹

Check with your local planning department to confirm that home-based food production is permitted under your zoning.¹¹ Most residential zones allow it, but a homeowner association or specific ordinance can create complications worth resolving before you buy equipment.

California also generally requires a seller’s permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for anyone selling tangible goods. You apply online at no cost. Most food for human consumption is exempt from sales tax, but some cottage food items like candy and certain snacks may be taxable depending on classification; the CDTFA can tell you which of your products need sales tax collected.

Stay Compliant After You’re Approved

Registrations and permits expire after one year, and Class B renewals include another kitchen inspection.³ Track your gross sales throughout the year; if you approach the $75,000 (Class A) or $150,000 (Class B) ceiling, you have to stop selling or move to a licensed commercial food facility before exceeding it.¹ Renew every food handler card every three years.⁶ When you add products, make sure the new labels meet the same requirements; some counties charge additional label review fees.

The most common compliance failure is sloppy sales records. Without them, you can’t prove you’re under the cap and your county can’t verify it at renewal. A simple spreadsheet by date, product, and amount is enough.

1
California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Cottage Food Operations
2
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code HSC 114365
3
County of San Diego. California Cottage Food Law FAQs
4
California Legislative Information. California Code, Health and Safety Code HSC 113758
5
California Department of Public Health. Approved Cottage Food List
6
California Department of Public Health. Cottage Food Operator Training
7
County of San Bernardino Department of Public Health. Cottage Food Operator Class A and B Inspection Checklist
8
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Class A Cottage Food Operators
9
Sacramento County Environmental Management Department. Cottage Food
10
California Department of Public Health. Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products
11
California Office of the Small Business Advocate. Business Quick Start Guide – Cottage Food Operation