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Lodi, CA Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Authorizing law
Cal. H&S Code §113758 (AB 1616)
Class A revenue cap (base)
$75,000/yr (CPI-indexed)
Class B revenue cap (base)
$150,000/yr (CPI-indexed)
Non-family employees
Max 1 FTE
County permit
San Joaquin County Environmental Health
City permit
Lodi Home Occupation Permit (LMC §17.36.060)

Summary

California's Homemade Food Act (Cal. Health & Safety Code §113758, AB 1616) authorizes Class A and Class B Cottage Food Operations from a private home. In Lodi, applicants register with San Joaquin County Environmental Health and file a Home Occupation Permit for the residential-use component.

(a) “Cottage food operation” means an enterprise that has no more than the amount in gross annual sales that is specified in this subdivision, is operated by a cottage food operator, and has no more than one full-time equivalent cottage food employee, not including a family member or household member of the cottage food operator, within the registered or permitted area of a private home where the cottage food operator resides and where cottage food products are prepared or packaged for direct, indirect, or direct and indirect sale to consumers pursuant to this part. A “Class A” cottage food operation shall not have more than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) in verifiable gross annual sales. A “Class B” cottage food operation shall not have more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) in verifiable gross annual sales. The gross annual sales for a “Class A” or “Class B” cottage food operation shall be annually adjusted for inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index. A cottage food operation includes both of the following:

(1) A “Class A” cottage food operation, which is a cottage food operation that may engage only in direct sales of cottage food products from the cottage food operation or other direct sales venues described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b).

(2) A “Class B” cottage food operation, which is a cottage food operation that may engage in both direct sales and indirect sales of cottage food products from the cottage food operation, from direct sales venues described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b), from offsite events, or from a third-party retail food facility described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b).

Source: Cal. H&S §113758 - Cottage Food OperationsView official code

Full Breakdown

Cal. Health & Safety Code §113758 defines a Cottage Food Operation (CFO) as a private-home enterprise producing non-potentially hazardous 'cottage foods' with no more than one full-time-equivalent non-family employee, operating within statutory gross-sales caps (statutory base of $75,000 Class A / $150,000 Class B, indexed to CPI under AB 1144 (2021)). Class A operations conduct only direct sales; Class B operations may also sell indirectly (e.g., to retailers). San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department issues Class A registrations and Class B permits and conducts the required Class B inspection. The Lodi Home Occupation Permit application expressly cross-references §113758 and requires an 'approved application from County' for cottage-food operators. Local zoning may impose only reasonable performance standards on traffic, parking, signage, hours, and external impacts: it may not prohibit CFOs outright.

Violations & Fines

Operating a CFO without county registration/permit is a violation of Cal. Health & Safety Code §113758 and county environmental-health regulations and can result in cease-and-desist orders and administrative penalties from San Joaquin County. Operating without the Lodi Home Occupation Permit is separately enforceable under LMC §17.36.060 by administrative citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Lodi ban me from running a cottage food business in my house?
No. State law (Cal. H&S Code §113758) preempts local outright bans of CFOs in residential zones. Lodi may impose only reasonable operational standards through the Home Occupation Permit.
Which agency registers my cottage food operation?
San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department issues the Class A registration or Class B permit. The City of Lodi separately requires a Home Occupation Permit for the residential zoning component.

Sources & Official References

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