Los Angeles County Cottage Food Law: What to Know

On this page

1. The permit comes from the county
2. What you are allowed to make
3. Keeping the kitchen separate
4. Labels and where to read up
5. The order to do this in

If you are baking out of your own oven in Los Angeles County and selling what you make, two different offices matter to you. The county handles the permit and the kitchen. The state handles the list of what counts as a cottage food. Here is what each piece asks of you, in plain terms, and the order to do it in.

The permit comes from the county

A Class B cottage food operation is required to register and obtain a permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. That permit does not arrive the moment you send in paperwork. It is issued only after a Los Angeles County inspection has verified that your home kitchen meets the requirements. So the order of events matters more than speed. You get the kitchen ready, you go through the inspection, and the permit follows.

What you are allowed to make

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. That list is where you check a recipe before you build a business around it. The California Department of Public Health does not permit or register cottage food operations, but it does keep that list, so it is the right place to look for what is allowed.

If you want to see how another state spells out its own allowed foods, Indiana cottage food laws: what home bakers can sell walks through one example line by line. The shape of the question is the same everywhere: is this specific bake on the list, yes or no.

Keeping the kitchen separate

This is the rule that catches most home bakers. No cottage food preparation, packaging, or handling may occur in the home kitchen at the same time as other domestic activities such as family meal preparation, dishwashing, or clothes washing. Read that again and plan around it. Cottage food work is its own block of time, not something you fold in between making dinner and running a load of laundry.

Labels and where to read up

Los Angeles County points operators to the California Department of Public Health website for information on approved cottage foods, labeling requirements, and the food processor course for Class A operators. If you are running a Class A operation, that is the page to read first. For a closer look at what a cottage food label typically needs to carry, Illinois cottage food law label requirements is a useful comparison.

The order to do this in

1. 1

   Decide what you want to make

   The Los Angeles County cottage food operations guide starts here: decide what type of cottage food products you want to prepare and sell.

2. 2

   Check it against the state list

   Your products must be non-potentially hazardous and must comply with the Approved Cottage Food List maintained by the California Department of Public Health.

3. 3

   Plan your kitchen time

   Set cottage food work apart from family meal preparation, dishwashing, and clothes washing, as the Health and Safety Code requires.

4. 4

   Register and apply

   A Class B cottage food operation registers and obtains a permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

5. 5

   Get through the inspection

   The permit is issued only after a Los Angeles County inspection verifies that your home kitchen meets the requirements.

6. 6

   Read up on labels

   Information on approved cottage foods, labeling requirements, and the food processor course for Class A operators is available through the California Department of Public Health website.

Once you know what you can sell and your kitchen has passed, the rest is ordinary bakery work: costing your recipes, taking orders, and getting paid. Knowing the rules first means you can build that side of things with a clear head instead of guessing.

Common questions

Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Los Angeles County?

Yes. A Class B cottage food operation is required to register and obtain a permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

When is the permit issued?

For a Class B operation, the permit is issued only after a Los Angeles County inspection has verified that the home kitchen meets the requirements.

Does the state approve or register cottage food operations?

No. The California Department of Public Health does not permit or register cottage food operations, but it does maintain the Approved Cottage Food List.

What can I sell as a 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.

Can I package bakes while I cook dinner?

No. No cottage food preparation, packaging, or handling may occur in the home kitchen at the same time as other domestic activities such as family meal preparation, dishwashing, or clothes washing.

Where do I find labeling requirements and the food processor course?

Los Angeles County points operators to the California Department of Public Health website for information on approved cottage foods, labeling requirements, and the food processor course for Class A operators.

Sources

1. Class B Cottage Food Operators, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
2. Class A Cottage Food Operators, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
3. Cottage Food Operations, California Department of Public Health
4. Cottage Food Operation Requirements, California Department of Public Health
5. California Health and Safety Code Section 114365
6. Cottage Food Operations Guide, Los Angeles County

This is general information about the rules, not legal advice. Requirements can change, so confirm the current details with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the California Department of Public Health before you sell.