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

California's Homemade Food Act (AB 1616, codified at Health & Safety Code Section 113758 et seq.) authorizes certain non-potentially-hazardous foods to be made in a private home kitchen and sold to the public. In unincorporated Sacramento County these operations are permitted as a home occupation under Zoning Code Section 3.9.3.F, with specific conditions: kitchens must be designed for residential use (but may contain one or more stoves or ovens, including a double oven), only one employee or partner may report to work at the residence, and the operator must comply with conditions imposed by the County Environmental Management Department (EMD). EMD's Environmental Health Division administers two classes. A Class A operation engages only in direct sales to consumers (from home, at events, farm stands, or certified farmers' markets) and requires registration (no routine home inspection); the Class A initial registration/renewal fee is $297. A Class B operation may also sell indirectly through permitted third-party retailers and requires a permit that includes a home inspection; the Class B initial/renewal fee is $513. Under state law, a Class A operation is capped at $75,000 and a Class B operation at $150,000 in verifiable gross annual sales (adjusted for inflation). A County General Business License is also required.