Domestic kitchen license
Anyone who would like to sell food that is made in his or her home kitchen for personal profit must meet special requirements and must obtain a domestic kitchen license. A domestic kitchen bakery license or a domestic kitchen food processor license is issued for bakeries or food processors. A home kitchen on a well and/or septic system has additional requirements.
What is a home kitchen?
The domestic kitchen is the primary kitchen used for personal food preparation in the home. A rented empty house or apartment does not qualify for the domestic kitchen license. A food processing or bakery license would be required in these scenarios. The domestic kitchen license was designed to allow someone to try his or her business venture without a large capital expenditure. All production, including storage of equipment, ingredients, and finished product, must occur within the home kitchen space.
The domestic kitchen license approves only the home kitchen for food processing. Food manufacturing in a garage, basement, any other room in the house, or another building on the property requires a different food processing license. Please contact the Food Safety Program for more information.
The county health departments do not license domestic kitchens for food service activities. Catering from a domestic kitchen is not allowed under law.
What activities are prohibited?
- Processing of low-acid food canned foods
- Processing of milk for the manufacture of any fluid milk and/or milk products (e.g., yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc.)
- Animal food processing (if you make pet food without meat, you don't need a license)
- Catering activities
All activities listed above can be done outside the domestic kitchen in an approved facility that is licensed.
Next Steps
Get a license application