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California cottage food laws

How to sell food from your home kitchen legally in California: the permit rules, the annual sales cap, how online orders work, and how to start selling on Koti.

PermitPermit required
Annual sales cap$160,950 per year
Online salesAllowed
WholesaleAllowed
Where you can sellCalifornia only
Selling on KotiNow Available

What you can sell from home in California

Class A (DTC, $80k cap) and Class B (wholesale + DTC, $160k cap). Online sales and shipping within CA allowed. Statewide wholesale with Class B since AB 1144. MEHKO permits allow hot meals and drinks.

How to get your California cottage food permit

  1. 1. Confirm what California requires

    For cottage food in California, the rules database lists: permit required. Enforcement is local, so confirm the current requirements with your county or state health department before you apply.

  2. 2. Apply for your permit

    File the permit application with the agency your state or county designates for cottage food producers, and keep the confirmation with your business records.

  3. 3. Stay inside the sales cap

    California caps cottage food sales at $160,950 per year. Track your totals from day one so you never cross it by accident.

  4. 4. Set up your shop

    Once your paperwork is sorted, list your products, set your pickup or delivery options, and connect payouts. The last section of this guide covers selling on Koti in California.

Sales cap and where you can sell

California caps cottage food sales at $160,950 per year. Online sales are allowed, and sales must stay within California. Wholesale is allowed under the state rules tracked in our database.

Hot meals: the California MEHKO option

Beyond shelf-stable cottage food, California runs a MEHKO program (Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation) that lets you cook and serve hot meals from home. The key limits from the rules database:

MEHKO annual sales cap$100,000 per year
Meal limits30 per day, 90 per week
Kitchen inspectionRequired
Food safety certificationRequired
Same-day prep and serviceRequired
Non-family employeesUp to 1

Requires ANSI-accredited Food Safety Manager exam within 3 months of registration. One MEHKO per home. Must be approved by local Environmental Health Dept — not all counties authorize MEHKOs. Food must be prepared, cooked, and served the same day. Dine-in or pickup only.

Sell on Koti in California

Seller onboarding is open in California. When you sign up, Koti shows you the California rules during setup, walks you through your permit details, and gives you a shop page with real cart and checkout. Payouts go straight to your bank through Stripe. Koti never holds your money.

Start selling in California

Listing is free. You pay 8% only on orders the Koti marketplace brings you, and 0% on orders from your own direct link. No monthly fee is required.

Get listed free

Compare other state guides

Thinking about a different state, or selling near a border? Compare the rules in the other states with full guides:

Last updated from Koti's state rules database (reviewed March 2026). Cottage food rules change and counties can add their own requirements. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current rules with your county or state health department before you start selling.