Step 1 of 5
Where will you run the business?
Rules change by county and city, so we start here.
Regulatory OS · Food permits
Tell us what you want to sell and where. Regulatory OS identifies the exact permit — Cottage Food, home kitchen (MEHKO), food truck or event booth — lists every requirement with its official source, and drafts your forms, labels and operating procedures. Discovery is free. Alameda County, Oakland and San Francisco to start.
Step 1 of 5
Rules change by county and city, so we start here.
| You want to… | Permit | Apply to | Agency fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bake or make shelf-stable food, sell directly | Cottage Food — Class A | County health dept. | $190 (Alameda) |
| Also sell through shops, cafés or restaurants | Cottage Food — Class B | County health dept. | $450 (Alameda) |
| Cook and sell meals from home | MEHKO | County health dept. (where opted in) | $696 (Alameda); not yet in SF |
| Sell from a truck, cart or stand | Mobile Food Facility | County health dept. | Varies |
| Sell at an event or market booth | Temporary Food Facility | County health dept. | Per event |
For shelf-stable foods like bread, cookies and jam, a Cottage Food Operation registration (Class A, direct sales, $75,000 cap) or permit (Class B, also through shops, $150,000 cap). For cooked meals, a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) permit, available only where your city or county has opted in.
Alameda County publishes $190 for a Class A cottage food registration, $450 for a Class B permit and $696 for a MEHKO permit. City business licenses and training are extra.
San Francisco has not yet authorized home kitchen (MEHKO) permits. File 261052 to allow them was still pending as of Oct 31, 2026, so there is no MEHKO application to file in SF yet.
Regulatory OS is JustiGuide's food permit assistant. Describe what you want to sell and where; it identifies the permit, lists every requirement with its official source, drafts your forms, labels and operating procedures, and tracks the application through agency review. Discovery is free.
No. It prepares your packet and tells you exactly where and how to submit it. You submit through the agency's official channel and pay agency fees directly. Agencies make every permit decision.
Alameda County (with Oakland city steps) and San Francisco, plus the statewide California rules. More counties are coming.
Last checked against official sources on . Regulatory OS explains official requirements and prepares applications; it is not a government agency and does not give legal advice. Agencies make all permit decisions.