Home and Hearth BakerCottage food operation, "Class A" (direct sales only)
Cal. Health & Safety Code (California Retail Food Code) 113758, 114365, 114365.2, 114365.5, 114365.6 · AB 1616 (2012), California Homemade Food Act; amended by AB 1144 (2021), effective 2022-01-01 (higher caps, inflation adjustment, mail and third-party delivery)
Yearly sales limit
$88,878
Statute: $75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales, adjusted every year for inflation using the California CPI (HSC 113758(a)). CDPH tables: $75,000 (2022), $80,475 (2023), $83,614 (2024), $86,206 (2025). Each year CDPH raises the prior limit by the previous calendar year's California CPI change (2022: 7.3%, 2023: 3.9%, 2024: 3.1%). The 2026 figure of $88,878 is quoted from CDPH's 2026 table by third-party sites; that PDF could not be opened, but it equals $86,206 raised by the official 2025 California CPI change of 3.1% (Dept. of Industrial Relations). The 2027 figure is not published yet as of 2026-11-03 (it depends on the 2026 CPI, out in early 2027). CDPH's web pages and many counties still show the base $75,000. Calendar-year limit.
Statute: $75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales, adjusted every year for inflation using the California CPI (HSC 113758(a)). CDPH tables: $75,000 (2022), $80,475 (2023), $83,614 (2024), $86,206 (2025). Each year CDPH raises the prior limit by the previous calendar year's California CPI change (2022: 7.3%, 2023: 3.9%, 2024: 3.1%). The 2026 figure of $88,878 is quoted from CDPH's 2026 table by third-party sites; that PDF could not be opened, but it equals $86,206 raised by the official 2025 California CPI change of 3.1% (Dept. of Industrial Relations). The 2027 figure is not published yet as of 2026-11-03 (it depends on the 2026 CPI, out in early 2027). CDPH's web pages and many counties still show the base $75,000. Calendar-year limit.
Permit or registration
Yes
Registration with self-certification checklist
County (or city) environmental health department, the local enforcement agency, where the home is; CDPH does not register CFOs
Fee: Set by each county; varies. Examples: Orange County $225 application review for Class A or B plus an annual renewal fee (packet dated 2026-07-01); Los Angeles County Class A registration $118 (fee page).
Official page
Registration with self-certification checklist
County (or city) environmental health department, the local enforcement agency, where the home is; CDPH does not register CFOs
Fee: Set by each county; varies. Examples: Orange County $225 application review for Class A or B plus an annual renewal fee (packet dated 2026-07-01); Los Angeles County Class A registration $118 (fee page).
Official page
Food safety training
Yes
Food processor course approved by CDPH, within 3 months of registration (HSC 114365.2(d)); course not more than 4 hours
Food processor course approved by CDPH, within 3 months of registration (HSC 114365.2(d)); course not more than 4 hours
Where you make it
The registered area of a private home where the cottage food operator lives: the home kitchen plus attached rooms used only for storage. A private home includes an apartment or other leased space (HSC 113758). No cottage food work while doing other household activities (family meals, dishwashing, laundry, guests); no infants, small children or pets in the kitchen during work; no smoking in work areas; clean and sanitize surfaces before each use; no vermin (HSC 114365). Potable water; no one with a contagious illness may work; wash hands before work (HSC 114365.2). At most one full-time equivalent employee, not counting family or household members (HSC 113758).
Selling in person
Allowed: direct sales such as from the home, holiday bazaars, bake sales, food swaps, farm stands, certified farmers' markets, and CSA subscriptions (HSC 113758; CDPH)
Phone and online orders
Allowed: a direct sale may be made by phone, internet, or other digital method (HSC 113758)
Delivery and shipping
Allowed: a direct sale may be fulfilled in person or by a third-party delivery service (HSC 113758)
Selling out of state
No
Stores and wholesale
No
Examples you can sell
Only nonpotentially hazardous foods on the CDPH Approved Cottage Foods list (HSC 113758, 114365.5). CDPH may add foods after a 20-day public notice; a proposed food is not allowed until it is on the official list.
- Baked goods without cream, custard, or meat fillings: bread, bagels, biscuits, brownies, cakes, cookies, crackers, cupcakes, donuts, muffins, pastries, scones, tortillas, waffle cones
- Fruit pies (no pumpkin), fruit-only empanadas, samosas, and tamales
- Macarons with approved fillings
- Candy and confections: brittle, caramels, chocolate, chocolate-covered nonperishables, cotton candy, freeze-dried candy, fudge, hard candy, marshmallows without eggs, toffee, popcorn balls
- Frostings, icings, fondants, and gum pastes without eggs, cream, or cream cheese (buttercream made with butter is listed; meringue powder, powdered eggs, or pasteurized eggs are allowed)
- Dried foods: baking mixes, soup mixes, cereal, granola, trail mix, pasta, popcorn, dried fruit and vegetables, herbs, spice rubs, tea, roasted coffee
- Fruit butters, jams, jellies, and preserves that comply with 21 CFR Part 150 (only fruits listed there)
- Roasted or pasteurized nuts, nut mixes, and nut butters
- Pure honey and sorghum syrup (no added ingredients)
- Powdered beverage mixes; vinegars, fruit-infused vinegars (listed high-acid fruits), plain mustards without eggs
Not allowed
- Any food not on the CDPH Approved Cottage Foods list
- Potentially hazardous foods that need time or temperature control
- Baked goods with cream, custard, or meat fillings
- Pumpkin pie
- Frostings or icings with raw eggs, cream, or cream cheese
- Jams or jellies made from fruits or vegetables not listed in 21 CFR Part 150
- Raw (not roasted or pasteurized) nuts
- Honey or sorghum syrup with added ingredients
- Extracts other than the listed flavors
The statement your labels must carry
Made in a Home Kitchen
In type at least 12 point.