San Benito County, CA Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

003 specifically addresses cottage food operations in the unincorporated county. 03, and that the standards apply in addition to requirements imposed by the San Benito County Department of Public Health and other agencies. 003(B), requires that 'All cottage food operations shall comply with the standards and provisions in the Home Occupations section, as well as regulatory standards established by state law (Cal. and Cal. 004(A)). In practice this means a cottage food operation may be run from the home with no separate planning permit (because home occupations require none), but the operator must still meet the home-occupation operating limits and register with, or be permitted by, the County's Environmental Health program under the state Homemade Food Act.

State law sets the two classes of operation - Class A (direct sales) and Class B (direct and indirect sales) - the allowable food list, labeling rules, and the gross-sales caps. The County of San Benito's Health and Human Services Agency / Environmental Health administers cottage food registration and permitting locally.