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

Under California Government Code Section 51035 (added by AB 1616, the California Homemade Food Act), a city may not prohibit a cottage food operation in any residential dwelling and must either classify it as a permitted residential use, grant a nondiscretionary permit, or process a conditional use permit limited to reasonable standards on spacing, traffic, parking, and noise. Health and Safety Code Section 113758 caps Class A operations at 75,000 dollars and Class B operations at 150,000 dollars in verifiable gross annual sales, adjusted annually for inflation; only non-potentially-hazardous foods on the CDPH-approved list may be produced, and one full-time-equivalent non-household employee is allowed. HSC Section 114365 requires Class A operators to register with the local enforcement agency and self-certify, while Class B operators need a permit and inspection. In Rialto, the local enforcement agency is San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Services (DEHS); per the county's AB 1616 FAQ, Class A registration was 184 dollars and a Class B permit 251 dollars as of March 2020, food worker certification is required within three months, and all cottage food operators must also obtain approval from their city planning department - in Rialto, the home occupation permit process under RMC Chapter 5.68. RMC 5.68.050(G) separately lists catering and food preparation businesses as permitted home occupations subject to San Bernardino County Health Department approval.