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

Pleasanton's Municipal Code does not appear to contain a cottage-food-specific ordinance, so cottage food operations are controlled by California's Homemade Food Act, codified at Health and Safety Code Section 114365 et seq. (originally AB 1616 and amended by AB 1144). State law establishes two classes of operation: a Class A cottage food operation makes direct sales (in person, online, and shipping) and must register with the local environmental health agency after completing a self-certification checklist; a Class B operation also allows indirect/wholesale sales to stores and restaurants and requires a permit plus a home-kitchen inspection. In Alameda County, the registration or permit is handled by the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health. Operators and employees must complete an approved food safety training course (renewed every three years) and may make only foods on the California Department of Public Health approved cottage foods list. State law sets inflation-adjusted gross annual sales caps; as of 2025 these are reported at roughly $86,206 for Class A and $172,411 for Class B (verify the current figure with the state). Because cottage food is the statutory exception that cities must allow in residential zones, the operation is treated as a permitted home occupation, meaning the operator must still comply with Pleasanton's Chapter 18.104 home occupation conditions (residents only, no signs, no excess traffic, incidental to residential use) and obtain any required city business registration.