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Selling homemade food in California means your label has to follow the California Homemade Food Act (AB 1616) — Cottage Food Operation (CFO). Here is exactly what that label must show in 2026 — the required fields, the allergen rule, and the verbatim disclaimer and its font size — sourced to the statute and dated.
Print this statement on the label, word for word:
Must appear in at least 12-point type. The label must also carry the CFO's permit/registration number and the name of the local (county) agency that issued it.
A cottage food operation (CFO) is an enterprise operated by an individual cottage food operator who owns the business and resides in the private home where the food is prepared or packaged (Health & Safety Code (H&SC) 113758(a)). Work must occur in the registered or permitted area, meaning the home's kitchen plus attached rooms used exclusively for storage; a private home includes an apartment or other leased space. The operation may have no more than one full-time equivalent cottage food employee, not counting immediate family or household members of the operator, and not counting a person who only delivers product. Class A operations may make direct sales only; Class B operations may make both direct and indirect sales and must pass an initial inspection before a permit is issued (H&SC 114365(a)).
Allowed:
Not allowed under the program:
H&SC 113758(a): a Class A cottage food operation shall not have more than $75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales; a Class B cottage food operation shall not have more than $150,000. The statute states both amounts 'shall be annually adjusted for inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index.' The CDPH Cottage Food Operations page states the current maximums as $75,000 (Class A) and $150,000 (Class B).
Registration is handled by The local enforcement agency, in practice the county (or city) environmental health department. CDPH states it does not permit or register cottage food operations and only maintains the approved foods list..
Fee: Not set by state statute. Registration and permit fees are set by each local enforcement agency and therefore vary by county. For Class B operations, H&SC 114365.6(b) allows the local agency to add a surcharge on top of the permit fee, capped at CDPH's reasonable cost of delivering training. For Class A operations, a local agency may seek recovery of its reasonable inspection costs only if the operation is found in violation (H&SC 114365(a)(1)(C)(iv)). Under Gov. Code 51035, zoning review fees may not exceed the cost of the review and permit process, and an applicant may request a written fee breakdown within 45 days.
Renewal: A registration or permit must be renewed annually (H&SC 114365(b)(3)). It is nontransferable and valid only for the named person, location, type of food sales and distribution activity. A registration or permit from one county is sufficient to operate throughout the state (H&SC 114365(b)(4)).
H&SC 114365.2(d): any person who prepares or packages cottage food products must complete a food processor course approved by CDPH and posted on its website within three months of becoming registered, and again every three years during operation. The course may not exceed four hours. CDPH works with the local enforcement agency to notify operators of class locations, dates and times.
Class A: no initial and no routine inspections. A local enforcement agency representative may access the registered area only when, on the basis of a consumer complaint, there is reason to suspect adulterated or unsafe food or a violation of the chapter; access is limited to the registered area and to enforcing this chapter. If a violation is found, the agency may recover its reasonable inspection costs (H&SC 114365(a)(1)(C)). Class B: an initial inspection is required before the permit number is issued, and thereafter no more than one inspection per year, plus the same complaint-based access to the permitted area (H&SC 114365(a)(2)(B)-(C)).
The local enforcement agency (county or city environmental health department) runs the program: it approves the self-certification checklist form, issues the Class A registration number and the Class B permit, conducts the Class B initial and annual inspections, and sets the fee amounts, which differ from county to county. Zoning is governed by Gov. Code 51035: a city, county, or city and county may not prohibit a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling and must either treat it as a permitted use of residential property, grant a nondiscretionary permit, or require a use permit granted where the operation complies with local ordinances on spacing and concentration, traffic control, parking and noise (noise standards must be consistent with the general plan's noise element). Zoning review fees may not exceed the cost of review, and the applicant may request a written fee verification. Separately, H&SC 114367 lets a city or county opt in by ordinance or resolution to permit Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs); a MEHKO is a different program that may make potentially hazardous foods served the same day without storage, cannot coexist with a CFO in the same residence (CDPH CFO/MEHKO FAQ, Q1), and enjoys stronger zoning protection under H&SC 114367.4 (no separate zoning permit, rezone or zoning fee). CFO registration is available statewide and does not depend on any county opting in.
Program sources: Cal. Health & Safety Code 113758 (definitions of cottage food operation, Class A/Class B, direct and indirect sale, private home, registered or permitted area), as amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 178 (AB 1144), eff. Jan. 1, 2022 - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=113758. · Cal. Health & Safety Code 114365 (registration for Class A, permit and initial inspection for Class B, inspection limits, annual renewal, statewide validity), as amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 178 (AB 1144) - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&division=104.&title=&part=7.&chapter=11.5.&article= · Cal. Health & Safety Code 114365.2 (hygiene, potable water, food processor course within three months and every three years, labeling, advertising disclosures), as amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 155 (AB 831) - same chapter text URL above · Cal. Health & Safety Code 114365.5 (CDPH-maintained approved food products list, 16 statutory categories, notice-and-comment process for changes), as amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 76 (AB 383) - same chapter text URL above · Cal. Health & Safety Code 114365.6 (CDPH training for local agencies, Class B surcharge fee), added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 415 (AB 1616) - same chapter text URL above · Cal. Health & Safety Code 114367 (city/county opt-in authorization for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations), added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 536 (AB 377) - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=114367. · Cal. Health & Safety Code 114367.4 (MEHKO zoning protections), as amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497 (AB 991) - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=114367.4. · Cal. Government Code 51035 (local zoning treatment of cottage food operations), added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 415 (AB 1616) - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=51035. · California Department of Public Health, 'Cottage Food Operations' program page (Class A/Class B descriptions, current $75,000 and $150,000 sales limits, CDPH does not register or permit CFOs) - https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/CottageFoodOperations.aspx · California Department of Public Health, 'Approved Cottage Foods' list (PDF), document last reviewed April 2026 - https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/FDB/FoodSafetyProgram/CottageFood/ApprovedCottageFoodsList.pdf · California Department of Public Health, 'Frequently Asked Questions: Cottage Food Operations and Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations' (PDF) - https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/FDB/FoodSafetyProgram/RetailFood/MEHKOandCFOFAQs.pdf
California uniquely runs a TWO-TIER, locally-administered system under the California Homemade Food Act (AB 1616). You register or permit with your COUNTY environmental health department (the "local enforcement agency"), not the state. A "Class A" operation self-certifies with a checklist, is capped at $75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales, and may only make DIRECT sales (to the end customer). A "Class B" operation must obtain a permit and pass an initial home-kitchen inspection, is capped at $150,000, and may make both direct AND indirect sales (through third-party retail food facilities, restaurants, and offsite events). Both caps are adjusted yearly for inflation by the California CPI. You may sell only non-potentially-hazardous foods on CDPH's approved list, you're limited to one full-time-equivalent non-household employee, and the operator must complete an approved food processor course shortly after registering.
A Class A registration only authorizes direct sales you make yourself (home, farm stand, farmers' market, your own online-to-local pickup). The moment your product is resold through a grocery, cafe, or consignment shelf, that is an INDIRECT sale and legally requires a Class B permit plus a passed home-kitchen inspection. Decide up front: if any retailer will carry your product, apply for Class B.
Only non-potentially-hazardous foods qualify. Cheesecake, cream or custard pies, meat-filled items, fresh salsa, hot sauce, canned/pickled vegetables, and anything needing refrigeration are excluded. Allowed items are on CDPH's list (breads and cookies without cream/custard/meat, candy, jams/jellies meeting 21 CFR Part 150, dried fruit, granola, nut butters, roasted coffee, etc.). Verify your exact product against the current CDPH approved list before selling.
California requires the cottage food operator to complete an approved food processor course within roughly three months of registering. Sellers often submit the county checklist, start selling, and forget the course deadline, leaving them out of compliance. Complete the CDPH-approved course as part of onboarding, not later.
A California Cottage Food Operation is authorized to sell within California only. Shipping across state lines pulls you under FDA and the destination state's rules and is outside your CFO registration. Keep sales in-state, and confirm any online orders are fulfilled to California customers.
Timeline: Class A: often 1-3 weeks. Complete the approved food processor course, fill out the county's self-certification checklist confirming your home-kitchen practices, submit it to your county environmental health department, and receive a registration number (no routine inspection). Class B: typically several weeks because the county must schedule and pass an initial home-kitchen inspection before issuing the permit number.
Cost: Varies by county — registration/permit fees are set locally by each county environmental health department, not by a single statewide schedule, so confirm the exact amount with your county (Class B permits cost more than Class A because of the inspection). The required food processor course is a small one-time cost through a CDPH-approved provider (confirm the provider's fee).
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Make my California label →California requires this exact statement on a cottage food label: “Made in a Home Kitchen.” It must be set at a minimum of 12-point type.
Yes. In California the permit / registration number must appear on the label (together with the issuing county agency).
At minimum: product name — the common name of the food; your business / producer name; the address of the cottage food operation; a complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight (sub-ingredients included); an allergen declaration — the 9 major FDA allergens, in the ingredient list or a “Contains:” line; net weight, in US customary and metric units; the state's required disclaimer at a minimum of 12-point type (see below); your permit / registration number and the issuing local (county) agency.
Registration in California goes through The local enforcement agency, in practice the county (or city) environmental health department. CDPH states it does not permit or register cottage food operations and only maintains the approved foods list.. Confirm every product is on the CDPH Approved Cottage Foods List. Class A: register with the local enforcement agency and submit a completed self-certification checklist approved by that agency, attesting to the six operating conditions in H&SC 114365(a)(1)(A) (no concurrent domestic activity in the kitchen, no infants/small children/pets present during production, clean and well-maintained equipment, food contact surfaces washed/rinsed/sanitized before each use, areas free of rodents and insects, no smoking). Class B: apply for a permit from the local enforcement agency and pass an initial inspection confirming the operation and its method conform to the chapter (H&SC 114365(a)(2)(B)). Receive a registration number (Class A) or permit number (Class B) from the local enforcement agency.
Allowed: Baked goods without cream, custard, or meat fillings (bread, cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, scones, tortillas, churros, bagels, pretzels, crackers, quick breads, waffle cones); Fruit-only pies, tarts, empanadas, tamales and samosas (no pumpkin pie); Candy and confections (brittle, toffee, fudge, caramels, hard candy, marshmallows without eggs, popcorn balls, chocolate, freeze-dried candies, edible dessert sprinkles); Chocolate-covered nonperishable foods (nuts, dried fruit, candy, potato chips); Extracts of at least 70 proof / 35% food-grade ethanol, limited to the listed fruit and flavor types (e.g. vanilla, lemon, cinnamon); Dried, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods (dried fruit and vegetables, fruit powders, fruit roll-ups, vegetable chips, potato chips); Dry mixes (baking mixes, grain mixes, bean and vegetable soup mixes, hot chocolate mix, seasoning salt, spice mixes and rubs); Cereals, granola and trail mixes; Dried pasta; Popcorn; Roasted or freeze-dried coffee and dried tea; Herbs and herb blends, dried mole paste.
H&SC 113758(a): a Class A cottage food operation shall not have more than $75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales; a Class B cottage food operation shall not have more than $150,000. The statute states both amounts 'shall be annually adjusted for inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index.' The CDPH Cottage Food Operations page states the current maximums as $75,000 (Class A) and $150,000 (Class B).
No. CottageCompliance gives general information based on each state's published rules, dated to when we last verified them. Always confirm with your state or local agency before selling.
Source: Cal. Health & Safety Code §114365 / §114365.1; CCDEH AB 1616 FAQ. Reconfirm on cdph.ca.gov and your county environmental health department. Verified 2026-06-15. General information, not legal advice — confirm with your state or local agency before selling.