Can I sell home-cooked food in San Francisco?
Not yet for cooked meals. 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. You can still sell approved shelf-stable foods from home under a San Francisco Cottage Food registration, or sell cooked food at events with a Temporary Food Facility permit prepared in a permitted kitchen.
Key facts
- MEHKO in SF
- Not available — enabling ordinance (File 261052) pending
- Available now
- Cottage Food (Class A / Class B) for approved shelf-stable foods
- Cooked food option
- Shared commercial kitchen or commissary + food facility permit
- Events
- Temporary Food Facility permit per event
Step by step
- If you bake or make shelf-stable foods, apply for a San Francisco Cottage Food registration with SFDPH.
- If you cook meals, rent time in a commercial kitchen and apply for a food facility permit.
- Register your business with the SF Treasurer & Tax Collector.
- Watch File 261052 — Regulatory OS will update this page when it passes.
Questions
Is MEHKO legal in San Francisco?
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.
What can I legally sell from my San Francisco home kitchen today?
Approved shelf-stable cottage foods — such as bread, cookies, jams and dried fruit — under a Cottage Food registration (Class A) or permit (Class B) from SFDPH.
Official sources
- Board of Supervisors File 261052 (MEHKO ordinance, pending) — San Francisco Board of Supervisors
- Food safety permits, including Cottage Food — San Francisco Department of Public Health — Environmental Health
- Cottage Food Operations — California Department of Public Health
- Business registration — San Francisco Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector
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.