LA County is waiving the $597 MEHKO application fee through June 30, 2026 for the first 1,000 qualifying home kitchens. Cook and sell real meals from home, legally — and start taking orders on Chefry for free.
California's AB 626 created the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) — a legal way to cook hot, made-to-order meals in your home kitchen and sell them to the public. It's a big step up from a cottage food permit, which only covers shelf-stable items like baked goods.
With a MEHKO, you can serve up to 30 meals a day and 90 meals a week, with up to $100,000 in gross annual sales. That's exactly the model for weekly meal-prep drops, Sunday pre-order plates, and small-batch home cooking — no commercial kitchen, no storefront, no landlord.
Why now? The county set aside funding to cover the $597 application fee for the first 1,000 operators. Once those subsidies are claimed — or the clock hits June 30, 2026 — the fee comes back. There's no reason to pay $597 when you can pay $0 by moving early.
Your kitchen is in unincorporated LA County or a participating city (not Pasadena, Long Beach, or Vernon), your MEHKO net revenue is under $50,000/yr, and you've never held an LA County MEHKO permit or received the subsidy before.
MEHKO operators need a food handler card and must follow AB 626 safety rules — cooked-to-order meals, same-day service, 30 meals/day and 90 meals/week limits, and up to $100,000 in gross annual sales.
Submit the Public Health Permit Application for MEHKO and request the fee subsidy. You have up to 3 months to send all required documents — but your home can’t be scheduled for evaluation until everything is in.
While your permit processes, set up your free Chefry menu so you’re ready to take pre-orders and weekly drops the day you’re approved — with online payments and daily payouts built in.
Apply through the LA County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division. Chefry is an independent marketplace and isn't affiliated with LA County — always confirm current fees, deadlines, and eligibility on the county's official MEHKO page before applying.
New to all this? Read our beginner's guide to selling food from home in Los Angeles — no jargon, no pressure.
The first 100 chefs on Chefry become Founding Chefs — with the lowest platform fees we'll ever offer, locked in for the life of your account. Pair a $0 MEHKO permit with founder pricing and you've built a legal home food business with almost nothing out of pocket. Only 22 founding spots left.
List your menu and take orders with no monthly fee. You only pay a small fee when you actually get paid for an order.
Get paid fast — money for completed orders is paid out daily, with instant-to-debit options. No waiting two weeks, no chasing screenshots.
Price weekly meal-prep plates and pre-orders the way home cooks actually sell — typically $25–$35 per person — with a clean menu and checkout.
Open a pre-order window, let customers pay up front, and cook to confirmed orders. Perfect for the 30-meals-a-day MEHKO model.
A Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) is a home-based food business legalized under California AB 626. Unlike a cottage food permit (which only covers low-risk, shelf-stable items like baked goods and jams), a MEHKO lets you cook and sell hot, restaurant-style meals made to order from your home kitchen.
The initial application review fee is normally $597, plus a $347 annual health permit. Through June 30, 2026, LA County is waiving the $597 application fee for up to 1,000 qualifying home kitchens on a first-come, first-served basis — so the upfront cost can be $0.
To qualify, your MEHKO must not be in Pasadena, Long Beach, or Vernon (those cities run their own programs), your MEHKO net revenue must be under $50,000 per year, and you must never have held an LA County MEHKO permit or received this subsidy before. The waiver runs through June 30, 2026 or until the 1,000 subsidies are used up — whichever comes first.
Cooked, ready-to-eat meals prepared to order — the kind of food you’d serve at a restaurant. MEHKOs can serve up to 30 meals per day and 90 meals per week, with up to $100,000 in gross annual sales. It’s ideal for weekly meal-prep drops, pre-order plates, and small-batch home cooking.
It varies, but you can submit your supporting documents within 3 months of applying. Your home will be scheduled for an evaluation once all paperwork is received. Many operators set up their menu and start building a customer list while the permit is processing so they can sell the day they’re approved.
You can create your free Chefry profile and build your menu anytime — it costs nothing to start. We recommend getting your MEHKO permit before you begin selling cooked meals so you’re operating legally under AB 626. Use the wait time to photograph your dishes and line up pre-orders.
Set up your free Chefry menu today so you're ready to take orders the moment your MEHKO permit clears. Founding spots are almost gone.
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