A plain-language guide to the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation permit in Los Angeles County: what it costs, what it lets you do, and the rules every operator has to follow.
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 directly to the public. It's a step up from a cottage food permit, which only covers shelf-stable items like baked goods.
With a MEHKO you can make up to 30 meals a day and 90 a week, with gross annual sales up to $110,442 for 2026. Food has to be prepared, cooked, and served the same day.
From the California Health and Safety Code.
Food must be prepared, cooked, and served on the same day. Customers eat on site, pick up, or you deliver within a safe time for your holding equipment.
Health and Safety Code 113825No more than 30 meals a day and 90 a week, and gross annual sales up to $100,000, adjusted each year for inflation ($110,442 for 2026). The county can set lower limits, never higher.
Health and Safety Code 113825The operator must pass an approved, accredited food safety certification exam (a food protection manager certification). Anyone else who helps prepare, store, or serve the food needs a food handler card.
Health and Safety Code 114367.1Only you, an employee, or a family or household member may deliver. Third-party delivery services such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, or Postmates are not allowed. The one exception is delivery to a customer whose disability limits their access to food, which comes with record-keeping and notice rules.
Health and Safety Code 114367.5Sell directly to the people eating the food, not to stores, restaurants, or wholesalers. Catering is not covered by a MEHKO permit.
Health and Safety Code 113825Your home must be in unincorporated LA County or a participating city. Pasadena, Long Beach, and Vernon run their own health departments, so apply with them instead.
The operator needs an accredited food safety certification (food protection manager). Anyone helping in the kitchen needs a food handler card.
Submit the Public Health Permit Application for MEHKO ($597 review fee now that the 2026 waiver has ended). You have up to 3 months to send all required documents, and your home can’t be scheduled for evaluation until everything is in.
Once your paperwork is complete, the county schedules an evaluation of your home kitchen. After you pass, you receive your health permit, which renews each year.
Apply through the LA County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division. Chefry is an independent company and isn't affiliated with LA County. Always confirm current fees, deadlines, and eligibility on the county's official MEHKO page before applying.
A Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) is a home-based food business allowed 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, made-to-order meals from your home kitchen.
The initial application review fee is $597, plus a $347 annual health permit. LA County ran a fee waiver program that ended June 30, 2026, so new applications now pay the standard fee. Confirm current fees with the county before you apply.
Cooked, ready-to-eat meals prepared, cooked, and served the same day. You can make up to 30 meals a day and 90 a week, with gross annual sales up to $110,442 for 2026. Sales must go directly to your customers, and catering is not covered.
The operator needs to pass an approved, accredited food safety certification exam, which is more than a food handler card. Anyone else who helps prepare, store, or serve the food needs a food handler card.
No. State law says food from a MEHKO can’t be delivered by a third-party delivery service. You, an employee, or a family or household member can deliver. The only exception is delivery to a customer whose disability limits their access to food, and it comes with record-keeping and notice rules.
It varies. You can submit your supporting documents within 3 months of applying, and your home is scheduled for an evaluation once all paperwork is received.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with LA County Environmental Health for your situation.