These are the permit requirements for a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) as published by the California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch. Chefry posts them here word for word so you can read them before a home kitchen lists food for sale, or before you order from one.
From the department
General Permit Requirements for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations
(Local Environmental Health Permit Required)
Microenterprise home kitchen operation (MEHKO) defined under the California Retail Food Code (CRFC), is a food facility that is operated by a resident in a private home where food is stored, handled, and prepared for, and may be served to consumers. Beginning January 1, 2019, individuals may apply for a permit to operate from their local environmental health agency in those counties where an ordinance or resolution has been adopted to allow microenterprise home kitchen operations to operate in that jurisdiction. Please check with the local environmental health agency (PDF) for the current status of any MEHKOs ordinance or resolution.
A MEHKO does not include either of the following:
- A catering operation, as defined in California Health & Safety Code (H&SC) Section 113739.1.
- A cottage food operation, as defined in H&SC Section 113758.
General permitting requirements for MEHKOs under California Retail Food Code (CRFC) H&SC Chapter 11.6 include:
- Submit a permit application to the local environmental health agency;
- Obtain an inspection of the microenterprise home kitchen operation facilities;
- Complete an approved food manager certification;
- Sales must occur directly between the MEHKO and the customer;
- Food must be prepared, cooked and served on the same day;
- Only 30 meals per day, or a total of 60 meals per week is allowed;
- Operate within established gross annual sales limits of $50,000.
To learn about the full permit and operational requirements to operate a Microenterprise home kitchen operation in your area, contact your local agency (PDF).
California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, "General Permit Requirements for Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations", read on October 10, 2026. Read it on cdph.ca.gov.
A note on the figures
The department's page still reads "60 meals per week" and "$50,000". Those figures predate AB 1325, which raised the limits in Health and Safety Code section 113825 to 90 meals a week and $100,000 a year, adjusted each year for inflation, and the department's own adjustment table puts the 2026 sales limit at $110,442. Source: CDPH, Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit (PDF).
Who issues it
Your county or city, every year
Your permit is issued by your county or city environmental health agency and must be renewed every year. Find your agency in the department's directory (PDF).
Chefry does not issue, inspect or renew permits. The agency's inspection is the only verification there is. The department's program page, with its directories and the current sales limit, is CDPH Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations.
The law
Read the statute
The MEHKO rules, for home kitchens and for platforms like Chefry, are Chapter 11.6 of the California Retail Food Code, Health and Safety Code sections 114367 to 114367.6. Read Chapter 11.6 on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
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