Santa Cruz County, CA Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SCCC § 13.10.613(B)(10)
- State law tie-in
- Cal. Health & Safety Code Ch. 11.5, § 113758
- Per-home cap
- One CFO or one MEHKO per home
- Reviewing agency
- County Environmental Health Services Division
- Home occupation type
- Allowed secondary residential use
Summary
Santa Cruz County allows cottage food operations as a home occupation, but only if the business follows California's cottage food law and clears the county's Environmental Health Services Division. A home is capped at one cottage food operation or one microenterprise home kitchen operation at a time, never both.
13.10.613. Home occupations as secondary uses. ... (10) Cottage industries, including cottage food businesses, are allowed as home occupations if consistent with State law governing such operations and compliant with applicable requirements of the County's Environmental Health Services Division. [SCCC § 13.10.613(B)(10)] ... "Cottage food operation" means a home-based food service enterprise as defined in Section 113758 of the California Retail Food Code and operated pursuant to Chapter 11.5 of the California Retail Food Code. [SCCC § 7.150.020(D)] ... Only one MEHKO or one cottage food operation (CFO) is allowed per home. [SCCC § 7.150.030(C)]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
613(B) lists cottage industries, including cottage food businesses, among the activities allowed as a secondary use of a residential property. 020(D)). 15, and stay clear of the ban on commercial weddings, community events and firewood operations as home occupations. 030(C) states "Only one MEHKO or one cottage food operation (CFO) is allowed per home," so a resident cannot stack a cottage food business and a separate microenterprise home kitchen operation on the same property. 613(B)(9).
Violations & Fines
A cottage food business that fails to meet state Health and Safety Code Chapter 11.5 standards, or that skips required review by the Environmental Health Services Division, is not a permitted home occupation and can be cited as an unpermitted use under the county's home occupation rules. Operating a second home-based food enterprise on top of an existing cottage food operation or MEHKO at the same address violates the one-per-home limit in § 7.150.030(C). Because the business is also a home occupation, it remains subject to the underlying restrictions in § 13.10.613(B), including the noise, floor-area and outdoor-activity limits that apply to every home occupation in the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a cottage food business from my Santa Cruz County home?
Can I have both a cottage food operation and a MEHKO at my house?
Does a cottage food business have to follow the general home occupation rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California home business overview
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