Cottage food rules
Home Bakery License in California: What to Know Online
Who to ask, what each class allows, and how to stay on the approved food list.
On this page
What to remember
- The state health department does not permit or register cottage food operations.
- Every bake you sell has to be on the CDPH Approved Cottage Food List.
- Class A covers direct sales statewide, including farmers markets, up to $88,878 in 2026.
- Class B adds retail and restaurant sales and needs a permit from your local enforcement agency.
- Products must be non-potentially hazardous and labeled under the California Health and Safety Code.
If you have been searching for one tidy state form and coming up empty, that is why. The state sets the food list and the labeling rules. Your county decides how the permit works. If you want to see how another state splits this up, our guide to a home bakery license in Arizona walks through a different setup.
Who actually issues a cottage food permit
The California Department of Public Health does not permit or register Cottage Food Operations. What it does do is maintain the Approved Cottage Food List, which is the document that decides what you are allowed to bake and sell. For a Class B operation, the law is clear that you may not be open for business unless you get a permit from the local enforcement agency, in the manner that agency approves. That last part matters, because each agency sets its own way of taking the application.
Class A and Class B in plain terms
California cottage food law has two permit classes. Class A allows direct sales statewide, including at farmers markets, up to $88,878 in 2026. Class B adds retail and restaurant sales on top of that. If your plan is selling cakes to neighbors and at the Saturday market, you are looking at the Class A side of things. If you want your bread on a coffee shop counter, that is the Class B conversation with your local agency.
Getting set up, step by step
Check the approved food list
The California Department of Public Health maintains the Approved Cottage Food List. Everything you plan to sell has to appear on it, and it has to be non-potentially hazardous.
Pick your class
Class A is direct sales statewide, including farmers markets, up to $88,878 in 2026. Class B adds retail and restaurant sales.
Go to your local enforcement agency
A Class B operation may not be open for business without a permit from the local enforcement agency, in the manner that agency approves.
Ask how they want it submitted
Because the law leaves the manner of the permit to your agency, ask them directly whether they take it online, by mail, or in person.
Line up your labels
All food products sold by Cottage Food Operators must be prepared, packaged, and labeled according to the California Health and Safety Code.
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Labels and the approved list
Labeling is not a separate errand you get to later. The requirement runs alongside the food list: what you sell has to be on the CDPH list and prepared, packaged, and labeled according to the California Health and Safety Code. If you want a feel for how detailed a cottage food label can get, this look at cottage food law labels shows the kind of information states ask for, even though the rules there are not California rules.
Rules shift from state to state, so if you are comparing options, see how Washington handles its cottage food license. Wherever you bake, the safe move is the same: read the approved list first, then confirm the permit steps with the agency that will actually process yours.
Common questions
Do I need a state license in California to sell baked goods from home?
The California Department of Public Health does not permit or register Cottage Food Operations. It maintains the Approved Cottage Food List instead. If you sell beyond direct sales, the permit comes from your local enforcement agency.
What is the difference between Class A and Class B?
Class A allows direct sales statewide, including at farmers markets, up to $88,878 in 2026. Class B adds retail and restaurant sales, and a Class B operation may not be open for business without a permit from the local enforcement agency.
How much can I sell under Class A in 2026?
Up to $88,878 in 2026 for direct sales, including farmers markets.
Can I sell any baked good I want?
No. Cottage food products must be non-potentially hazardous and must comply with the Approved Cottage Food List maintained by the California Department of Public Health.
Where do I find the approved food list?
The California Department of Public Health maintains the Approved Cottage Food List. Check it before you build your menu, since everything you sell has to appear on it.
Sources
This is general information about California cottage food rules, not legal advice. Rules and dollar limits change, so confirm the details with your local enforcement agency before you sell.