How do I get a cottage food permit in San Francisco?
Apply online to the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). You need a San Francisco Business Registration Certificate, a California food handler card, and, for each recipe (up to 8), SF's written operational procedures form and a product label. You also send a floor plan of your home, a government photo ID and a signed declaration. The annual license is $172 for Class A (direct sales) and $599 for Class B (also through shops and restaurants).
Key facts
- Class A license
- $172 a year · direct sales · $88,878 sales limit (2026)
- Class B license
- $599 a year · also through shops and restaurants · $177,756 limit (2026)
- Fees from Apr 1, 2027
- $189 Class A, $659 Class B
- How to apply
- Online with SFDPH Environmental Health
- Recipes
- Up to 8 per application, each with its own procedures form and label
- Inspection
- SF says to expect a first health inspection within 45 days of approval
Step by step
- Check every product against the state's approved cottage food list.
- Get your San Francisco Business Registration Certificate.
- Get a California food handler card (an ANSI-accredited course).
- Fill in SF's written operational procedures form for each recipe (up to 8).
- Make a label for each recipe: "Made in a Home Kitchen" in 12-point type, your name, city and ZIP, permit number, ingredients, net quantity in both units, and allergens.
- Draw a floor plan on 8.5 x 11 paper: living areas, kitchen, food prep and storage areas, and square footage.
- Apply online with your photo ID and the signed declaration, then pay the license fee once approved.
Questions
How much is a cottage food permit in San Francisco?
$172 a year for Class A and $599 for Class B, from April 2026 to March 2027. From Apr 1, 2027 it is $189 and $659.
How many recipes can I put on one San Francisco application?
Up to 8. Each recipe needs its own written operational procedures form and label.
Can I sell home-cooked meals in San Francisco instead?
San Francisco has not yet authorized home kitchen (MEHKO) permits. File 261052, which would allow them, was introduced on Sept 22, 2026 and was still in the Board's Budget and Finance Committee as of Nov 1, 2026, so there is no MEHKO application to file in SF yet.
Official sources
- Sell food you make at home (Cottage Food permit) — San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health
- Environmental Health fee schedule FY27 (Cottage Food Operations, Tier A and Tier B) — San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health
- Written Operational Procedures for Cottage Food Operation (form, one per product) — San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health
- Starting a business in San Francisco (Business Registration Certificate) — San Francisco Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector
- Cottage Food Operations — California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026 — California Department of Public Health
- Cottage Food Operator Training — California Department of Public Health
- Labeling Requirements for Cottage Food Products — California Department of Public Health
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.