Cottage food rules
California Cottage Food Law: What Home Bakers Should Know
A plain look at what California cottage food rules cover, and what to confirm before you sell.
On this page
What to remember
- The state health department does not permit or register Cottage Food Operations.
- Only non-potentially hazardous foods that comply with the Approved Cottage Food List can be sold.
- The list can change: food categories may be added or deleted, with notice of the change and the reason.
- Cottage food products must be labeled under state and federal labeling regulations.
- Permit and registration paperwork is not on the CDPH site, so find out who issues yours before you sell.
If you have been hunting the state site for a form to fill in, that is why you cannot find one. The real work sits in three places: the approved foods list, your label, and the permit you need to hold. Other states handle the county side in more detail, and Washington County cottage food laws is a useful example of the questions worth asking.
Start with the Approved Cottage Food List
Everything you sell has to be non-potentially hazardous, and it has to comply with the Approved Cottage Food List that the California Department of Public Health maintains. The department can add or delete food categories, and when it does it gives notice of the change and the reason for it. That means a list you saved two years ago is not good enough. Read the current list before you plan a menu, and read it again whenever you add something new.
The state does not issue the permit
This is the part that trips people up. The California Department of Public Health does not permit or register Cottage Food Operations, so cottage food permit and registration documents are not found on the CDPH website. Before you take a single order, find out who issues the permit you need and what they want from you. Ask two questions when you call: do you handle cottage food permits for my address, and what do you need from me before I sell. Write the answers down, with the date and the name of the person you spoke to.
Your label is part of the rules
Cottage food products must be labeled in line with state and federal labeling regulations. Build the label before your first sale, not after the first complaint. Virginia cottage food labels walks through what a cottage food label looks like in another state, which is a handy model while you work out your own wording.
Open the current Approved Cottage Food List
Read the list on the CDPH site. Do not work from a copy someone texted you last year.
Check each item you plan to sell
Every product has to be non-potentially hazardous and on the list. If something is not there, leave it off your menu for now.
Find out who issues your permit
The CDPH does not permit or register Cottage Food Operations, so ask directly who does and what they need from you.
Build your label
Follow state and federal labeling regulations and get the label made before your first order goes out.
Write down what you checked and when
Keep your own notes, so when the list changes you know exactly what to re-check.
When the list changes
The department can add or delete food categories, and it gives notice of the change and the reason for it. That is good news when a bake you wanted gets added, and hard news when one is removed. Either way, the habit that protects you is the same: check the list at the start of every season and before you print a new menu. Whether you sell at a market, at a church fair, or from your own kitchen, it is the same list you check.
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Common questions
Does California issue cottage food permits through the state health department?
No. The California Department of Public Health does not permit or register Cottage Food Operations, and cottage food permit and registration documents are not found on the CDPH website. Ask who issues yours before you sell.
Where do I find the list of foods I am allowed to sell?
The California Department of Public Health maintains the Approved Cottage Food List. Read it before you plan a menu, because the department can add or delete food categories.
Can I sell anything I bake from home?
No. Cottage food products must be non-potentially hazardous and must comply with the Approved Cottage Food List. If a bake is not on the list, it is not something you can sell under these rules.
Do I need a label on my bakes?
Yes. Cottage food products are required to be labeled in accordance with state and federal labeling regulations.
How often does the approved list change?
There is no set schedule you can rely on. The department may add or delete food categories, and it gives notice of the change and the reason, so re-check the list before each new season.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the California Department of Public Health before you sell.