The essentials
Which class fits your plans?
California allows approved shelf-stable foods made in your home kitchen. The right class depends on who you sell to.
| Choose your route | Class ASell directly to customers | Class BDirect sales + permitted retailers |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 gross annual sales limit | $88,878 | $177,756 |
| Before you start | Registration + self-certification | Permit + initial inspection |
| Sell to shops for resale | No | Yes, to permitted retailers |
| Renewal | Every year | Every year |
| Where to apply | Your local environmental health agency. Fees vary locally. | |
Both classes cover approved products. Product, venue and local requirements still apply.
Read the full overview
California lets residents sell approved shelf-stable foods made in their home kitchen. Choose Class A for sales directly to customers or Class B for direct sales plus sales through permitted retailers. For 2026, the gross annual limits are $88,878 for Class A and $177,756 for Class B. Registration or a permit is required before opening; approval comes from local environmental health, not CDPH.
View official sources (12)
- Health and Safety Code 113758: definitions and sales channels California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365: registration, permits and inspections California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 California Department of Public Health
- Approved Cottage Foods California Department of Public Health
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operator Training California Department of Public Health
- Food Allergies: major allergens and label declarations U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Government Code 51035: residential use and local requirements California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operations: official starting page California Department of Public Health
- Marin County cottage food operations Marin County Environmental Health Services
- Food and Agricultural Code §82001 — quality and safety date labels California Legislature
One step at a time
Your first four steps
Match your actual recipe to the approved list
Check the current CDPH category, filling, frosting and processing restrictions before buying packaging.
A food being shelf-stable does not automatically put it on the approved list. Give your local agency the complete product description when the category is uncertain.
Choose Class A or Class B and apply locally
Class A needs registration and the local self-certification checklist.
Class B needs a permit and an initial inspection. Request the current application, fee schedule, renewal charges and any local home-use requirements. Both classes renew annually; moving or changing the business can affect the approval.
Prepare your kitchen and training records
Keep production separate from family cooking and other domestic activity, with children and pets out of the kitchen.
Use potable water and sanitize food-contact equipment. Each person preparing or packaging food, including household helpers, must complete approved training within three months and repeat it every three years.
Finish labels, listings and sales records
Prepare labels for each recipe and package size.
Add the county, approval number and home-kitchen statement to public advertisements too. Keep verifiable gross-sales records against your class’s current-year limit, and keep your registration or permit copy onsite when selling.
View official sources (11)
- Health and Safety Code 113758: definitions and sales channels California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365: registration, permits and inspections California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 California Department of Public Health
- Approved Cottage Foods California Department of Public Health
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operator Training California Department of Public Health
- Food Allergies: major allergens and label declarations U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Government Code 51035: residential use and local requirements California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operations: official starting page California Department of Public Health
- Marin County cottage food operations Marin County Environmental Health Services
Make what you love
Can you sell what you make?
These are examples. Check the complete recipe, preparation method and sales route before offering a product.
Bread, cookies and fruit pies: allowed with conditions
Allowed with conditionsBread, tortillas and cookies are listed examples when the finished product is nonpotentially hazardous.
Fruit-only pies qualify within the list’s restrictions; cream, custard and meat fillings do not. Pumpkin pie is specifically excluded. Check frosting separately: buttercream appears on the list, while cream-cheese frosting does not.
Jams, honey and nuts: recipe details matter
Specific recipe rulesFruit jams and jellies must fit 21 CFR Part 150 and use its listed fruits.
Pepper jelly is not approved. Honey must be pure without added ingredients, and nuts or nut butters must use roasted or pasteurized nuts. These restrictions make a generic “all shelf-stable foods allowed” summary misleading.
Salsa, pickles and custard pies: outside the CFO list
Outside this programCDPH excludes salsa, pickles, hot sauce and pumpkin or sweet-potato custard pies.
A home pH test does not make an unapproved product eligible under this program. Ask environmental health about the appropriate separate food-business pathway before offering it.
View official sources (3)
- Approved Cottage Foods California Department of Public Health
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cottage Food California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operations: official starting page California Department of Public Health
From your kitchen to your customers
Where and how you can sell
| Selling method | Who can use it | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Home pickup and markets | Class A + B | Both classes can sell approved products directly to California consumers, including at home, markets and temporary events. Keep applicable venue and local operating requirements in view. |
| Online orders | Class A + B | Both classes can take California direct orders by phone, website or another digital method. Public listings must include the county, approval number and applicable home-kitchen statement. |
| Delivery and shipping | Class A + B | California transactions may be fulfilled in person, by mail or by third-party delivery. The cottage-food permission covers in-state transactions; it does not authorize interstate cottage-food sales. |
| Retail shops and restaurants | Class B only | Class B can supply a third-party retailer with a valid retail food permit within California. Class A cannot use that indirect-sales channel. One county CFO approval covers statewide CFO operation, without removing other applicable venue requirements. |
View official sources (4)
- Health and Safety Code 113758: definitions and sales channels California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365: registration, permits and inspections California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Government Code 51035: residential use and local requirements California Legislature
Your label, explained
Every field has a purpose.
Use the example to understand the structure. Follow the California requirements below for your product and sales route.
Chocolate chip
cookies
Your product name and actual net quantity
Your complete recipe and supplier ingredients
Operation name; city and ZIP; street address unless the directory exception applies; approval number and issuing county
The statement for your state, product and sales route
Class A or B · made in your home kitchen
A guide to the fields, not a ready-to-print label. Use your actual product and business details.
Name it. Measure it.
Identify your product and its actual net quantity. Check the state’s formatting and unit requirements below.
Use your actual recipe.
Check every ingredient and supplier label. Use the applicable ingredient and allergen declarations for your product.
Identify your operation.
Operation name; city and ZIP; street address unless the directory exception applies; approval number and issuing county
Use the wording for your route.
Requirements can differ by product and sales channel. Keep the disclosure, placement and type-size conditions together.
The front of an illustrative cookie label
For a hypothetical approved cookie: show “Chocolate Chip Cookies,” the actual net quantity in US and metric units, and “Made in a Home Kitchen” in 12-point type on the primary display panel.
Use “Repackaged in a Home Kitchen” when applicable; purchased whole ready-to-eat products not used as ingredients need a description.
Example scope: Illustrative structure only; no recipe, package size or label is certified.
Business identity, ingredients and allergens
Add the operation name, city, ZIP, street address unless the telephone-directory exception applies, and the registration/permit number with issuing county.
List actual ingredients by descending weight and declare applicable allergens, including sesame. A cookie containing wheat, milk and eggs needs those allergens identified; supplier ingredients may add others. Never copy an example allergen list without checking the recipe.
Example scope: The hypothetical cookie contains wheat, milk and eggs; its complete supplier formulations are unknown.
Before printing a full label run
The approval number is an additional field, not a blanket substitute for your address.
Keep labels legible and in English. Check federal formatting and any nutrition or health claims with your local reviewer before printing; the 12-point home-kitchen statement is not a complete specification for every other field.
The wording for your label
Class A or B · made in your home kitchen
Class A or B · repackaged in your home kitchen
View official sources (3)
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products California Department of Public Health
- Food Allergies: major allergens and label declarations U.S. Food and Drug Administration
A useful head start
Your California label kit.
Editable template, example label and starting checklist.
Personalize it for your products and business.
Enter your email. Get the files immediately.
Before your first sale
A few details worth getting right.
An example
From weekend orders to a coffee shop
Imagine a registered Class A baker selling approved, correctly labeled cookies through California online orders and mail delivery.
Those direct orders fit Class A. If a permitted coffee shop wants to buy cookies and resell them to customers, the baker needs Class B approval first. The higher Class B cap alone does not grant that permission.
Example scope: Hypothetical resident baker; eligible recipe, valid registration, training and labels; transactions wholly within California.
Do not use last year’s sales allowance
Use the year-specific CDPH table.
The agency’s introductory pages still show statutory base amounts; 2026 allowances are higher. Track gross sales rather than money left after costs, and check again when the next annual table appears.
Do not confuse approved cake with approved frosting
A listed baked good can become unsuitable when its filling or frosting breaks the category restrictions.
Review every component, especially cream, custard and cream-cheese additions.
Do not forget your online advertisements
The county, registration/permit number and applicable home-kitchen statement belong in public advertisements, including websites and social posts.
Putting them only on the delivered package misses a separate requirement.
View official sources (5)
- Health and Safety Code 113758: definitions and sales channels California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365: registration, permits and inspections California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 California Department of Public Health
- Approved Cottage Foods California Department of Public Health
A few more answers
Common questions
Can I hide my home address with a registration number?
Not simply by substituting the number. CDPH’s guidance requires the street address unless the operation is in a current telephone directory. The registration or permit number and issuing county remain required separately. Confirm a proposed address omission with your local label reviewer.
View sources for this answer (2)
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products California Department of Public Health
Will my home kitchen be inspected?
Class A has no initial or routine inspection, although a qualifying complaint can trigger one. Class B requires an initial inspection and is ordinarily limited to one inspection per year, with complaint investigations excepted.
View sources for this answer (1)
- Health and Safety Code 114365: registration, permits and inspections California Legislature
What does a California cottage food permit cost?
There is no single price quoted here because application and operating fees are local. Ask your environmental health agency for the current class-specific application and renewal costs, and check whether a home-use permit or other local approval is needed.
View sources for this answer (3)
- Government Code 51035: residential use and local requirements California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operations: official starting page California Department of Public Health
- Marin County cottage food operations Marin County Environmental Health Services
What if I put a best-by date on my packaging?
For covered food made on or after July 1, 2026, California requires standard wording when you display a quality or safety date. Examples are “BEST if Used by” for quality and “USE by” for safety; the law also provides alternatives and abbreviations for small labels. Do not use a readable “sell by” date. This rule does not itself require you to add a date to every cottage-food product.
View sources for this answer (1)
- Food and Agricultural Code §82001 — quality and safety date labels California Legislature
Keep it handy
Your first-sale checklist
Use this free checklist to keep track of your next steps. The conditions in this guide still apply.
0 of 4 completed · Restoring progress…
Official guidance
Sources, updates & your next step
Start with your environmental health agency
Use CDPH’s cottage-food starting page for the local environmental health directory, current approved-food list, training information and annual sales table. Send your application to the responsible city or county agency. CDPH maintains statewide guidance but does not issue your registration or permit.
Official sources 13 references
- Health and Safety Code 113758: definitions and sales channels →
California Legislature · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Health and Safety Code 114365: registration, permits and inspections →
California Legislature · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising →
California Legislature · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 →
California Department of Public Health · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Approved Cottage Foods →
California Department of Public Health · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products →
California Department of Public Health · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cottage Food →
California Department of Public Health · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Cottage Food Operator Training →
California Department of Public Health · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Food Allergies: major allergens and label declarations →
U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Government Code 51035: residential use and local requirements →
California Legislature · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Cottage Food Operations: official starting page →
California Department of Public Health · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Marin County cottage food operations →
Marin County Environmental Health Services · Reviewed September 14, 2026
- Food and Agricultural Code §82001 — quality and safety date labels →
California Legislature · Reviewed September 14, 2026
Guide updates September 14, 2026
Updated the guide with 2026 Class A and B sales limits, clarified the conditions for leaving a street address off a label, and explained the rules for retail sales and advertising disclosures.
View sources for this update (4)
- Health and Safety Code 113758: definitions and sales channels California Legislature
- Health and Safety Code 114365.2: sanitation, training, labels and advertising California Legislature
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 California Department of Public Health
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products California Department of Public Health
This guide is a starting point. Confirm requirements for your products and location with the relevant authority. Examples are illustrative and are not a compliance approval.