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Cottage food by state

California cottage food law: what you can sell and how

California lets home kitchens make foods from the state's approved list and sell them under a Class A or Class B registration or permit from the county.

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Updated November 2026 by the Madeline's team, who set these tools up for makers and farms.

The short version

Class A sells direct to the public, including online, and currently caps gross annual sales at $75,000. Class B can also sell through restaurants and food markets and currently caps sales at $150,000. Only foods on the CDPH Approved Cottage Food List qualify, and you register or get a permit through your county environmental health department.

California rules at a glance

  1. Who regulates

    Your county or city environmental health department registers or permits cottage food operations. CDPH maintains the rules and the approved food list but does not register operators.

  2. Class A

    Direct sales to the public, in person, by mail, by third-party delivery, or by phone, internet or other digital methods. Current maximum gross annual sales: $75,000.

  3. Class B

    Direct sales plus indirect sales through restaurants and food markets. Current maximum gross annual sales: $150,000.

  4. Allowed foods

    Only non-potentially hazardous foods on the CDPH Approved Cottage Food List.

  5. Training

    Complete Cottage Food Operator Training within three months of registration or permitting.

  6. Labels

    Labels must meet state and federal requirements.

Check the source

  • Official source

    California Department of Public Health: Cottage Food Operations

    Rules change. Confirm the current figures and forms with the state before you start selling.

    Open the official page

  • Cottage food to commercial kitchen

    What changes when you outgrow the limits.

    Read the guide

  • Free tool

    Cost per jar calculator

    Price your cottage food products from what they really cost.

    Use the calculator

  • Food label requirements

    What a packaged food label needs, including allergens.

    Read the guide

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Questions

What is the sales limit for a California cottage food operation?

Currently $75,000 in gross annual sales for Class A and $150,000 for Class B. Check CDPH for the current figures.

Can I sell cottage food online in California?

Class A operators can sell directly to the public by phone, internet or other digital methods.

Who do I register with?

Your county environmental health department, not CDPH.

Which foods are allowed?

Only foods on the CDPH Approved Cottage Food List.

Get a plan and a price

Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.

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