Selling and marketing
Selling Baked Goods From Home California: Permit (2026)
The California permit, approved food list, and label rules to check before your first sale.
On this page
What to remember
- A Cottage Food Operation permit is required to sell baked goods from home in California.
- Only non-potentially hazardous foods on the state Approved Cottage Food List are allowed.
- Labels must follow state and federal labeling rules.
- Price with ingredients, labor, and overhead, not ingredients alone.
Before you start selling baked goods from home California, decide what you will bake and where you will sell it. Those two answers decide which rules apply to you. The requirements guide walks through the full checklist.
What does California require before you sell
California treats a home bakery as a Cottage Food Operation. That is a home-based kitchen operation where you make certain foods at home and sell them to the public, according to the California Department of Public Health. You need a Cottage Food Operation permit to legally sell baked goods from a home in California, according to the business licenses guide. The permit is the first gate, not a step you add after you have orders.
Check the Approved Cottage Food List
Go to the state Approved Cottage Food List and confirm every item you plan to sell is allowed. Do this before you buy packaging or take an order.
Get your Cottage Food Operation permit
Apply for the permit before you sell. The business licenses guide states a permit is required to legally sell baked goods from a home in California.
Build your label
Use the state labeling requirements to list what your label needs. Keep a copy of the label for each product.
Price with ingredients, labor, and overhead
Add your ingredient receipts, your hours, and overhead such as $20 a month for Brevl. Subtract all three from your price to find your margin.
Which baked goods can you sell from home
The state allows cottage food products that are non-potentially hazardous, according to CDPH. Your product also has to appear on the Approved Cottage Food List. That list is maintained by CDPH and it is the first place to check. If a recipe is not on the list, do not sell it from your home kitchen.
Start with a short menu. A short menu is easier to label, easier to cost, and easier to check against the list. Add items only after you confirm each one is allowed. For low-risk picks, see easy baked goods to sell from home.
What has to be on your label
Cottage food products must be labeled under state and federal labeling rules. The state labeling requirements document lists what your label needs. Do not copy a label from another baker and hope it is complete. Build your label from the required items and keep a copy for each product.
A label is not a sticker you add at the end. It is part of the product. If you change a recipe or a size, check the label again. The rules for selling baked goods from home covers the checks in order.
What does it cost to start and keep selling
Your start-up cost is not just ingredients. You have permit costs, packaging, and the time it takes to bake and sell. Brevl is one flat $20 a month with no cut of your sales, and it comes with a 14 day free trial. That gives you a fixed overhead number you can put into your pricing.
For example, take one month of orders. Write down your ingredient receipts for that month. Put a dollar value on your baking and selling hours. Add $20 for Brevl as overhead. Subtract ingredients, labor, and overhead from what you collected. The number left is your margin. If you take 20 orders in the month, the $20 works out to $1 per order in overhead.
Your overhead is not only Brevl. It includes packaging, labels, and any market fees you pay. Write every overhead item down so you do not hide it in the price. A price that covers ingredients but not overhead is not a real price.
Mistakes that cost California home bakers money
A cheap price is not a safe price. If your price does not cover ingredients, labor, and overhead, more orders just mean more hours for less money. Raise the price or simplify the product. The pricing guide shows how to build a price from all three.
Should you sell at a market or take custom orders
Pick one channel for your first month. A market gives you face to face feedback. Custom orders give you a deposit and a date. Do not open three channels before you know your cost per order. Test one channel, then add the next when the numbers work.
What to do first this week
Open the state Approved Cottage Food List and confirm your top three products. Then contact the office that issues your Cottage Food Operation permit. Build a label from the state labeling requirements. Finally, put your ingredient receipts, your hours, and the $20 Brevl overhead into one price.
If you want the legal overview first, read can you legally sell baked goods from home. It walks through the permit question before you spend money on packaging.
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Common questions
Do I need a permit to sell baked goods from my home in California?
Yes. A Cottage Food Operation permit is required to legally sell baked goods from a home in California. Start with the office that issues the permit in your area before you take an order. Do not rely on a verbal okay from a market organizer.
Which baked goods are allowed?
California allows cottage food products that are non-potentially hazardous and appear on the state Approved Cottage Food List. Check the list before you plan a menu. A baked good you love may still be off the list. If it is not on the list, do not sell it from your home kitchen.
What has to be on my label?
Cottage food products must be labeled under state and federal labeling rules. The state labeling requirements document is the place to check. Do not copy a label from another baker. Build your label from the required items and keep a copy.
Can I sell from my home kitchen?
A Cottage Food Operation is a home-based kitchen operation where you make certain foods at home and sell them to the public. The key limits are the approved food list and the permit. Your kitchen and your process still have to meet the rules that come with the permit.
How do I price baked goods when I start?
Add your ingredient receipts, a dollar value for your hours, and your overhead. Brevl costs $20 a month and takes 0% of your sales, so that is one overhead number you can plan around. Subtract all three from your price to see your margin.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Permit and labeling rules can change. Check with the California Department of Public Health and your local permit office before you sell.