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

Home food businesses in unincorporated Madera County operate under California's statewide Cottage Food Law, enforced locally by the County Environmental Health Division. Under Health and Safety Code Section 113758, a Class A cottage food operation may engage only in direct sales (for example, at the home, farmers markets, or events) and is limited to $75,000 in verifiable gross annual sales, while a Class B operation may engage in both direct and indirect sales (such as through retail stores) and is limited to $150,000; both caps are adjusted annually for inflation using the California Consumer Price Index. The permitting track is set by Health and Safety Code Section 114365: a Class A operation must register with the local enforcement agency after submitting a self-certification checklist, while a Class B operation must obtain a permit from the local enforcement agency following an initial inspection. Class A operations are generally exempt from routine inspections (except on complaint), and Class B operations may not be subject to more than one inspection per year. For zoning, Government Code Section 51035 directs the County to do one of three things - treat the operation as a permitted residential use, grant a nondiscretionary permit, or require a use permit limited to reasonable standards for spacing, traffic, parking, and noise - so cottage food cannot be flatly prohibited in residential areas. Madera County's Environmental Health Division provides the cottage food application and guidelines.