Chapter 6.1. Cottage Food Operations of California Government Code >> Division 1. >> Title 5. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 6.1.
(a) A city, county, or city and county shall not prohibit a
cottage food operation, as defined in Section 113758 of the Health
and Safety Code, in any residential dwellings, but shall do one of
the following:
(1) Classify a cottage food operation as a permitted use of
residential property for zoning purposes.
(2) Grant a nondiscretionary permit to use a residence as any
cottage food operation that complies with local ordinances
prescribing reasonable standards, restrictions, and requirements
concerning spacing and concentration, traffic control, parking, and
noise control relating to those homes. Any noise standards shall be
consistent with local noise ordinances implementing the noise element
of the general plan. The permit issued pursuant to this paragraph
shall be granted by the zoning administrator, or if there is no
zoning administrator, by the person or persons designated by the
planning agency to grant these permits, upon the certification
without a hearing.
(3) Require any cottage food operation to apply for a permit to
use a residence for its operation. The zoning administrator, or if
there is no zoning administrator, the person or persons designated by
the planning agency to handle the use permits, shall review and
decide the applications. The use permit shall be granted if the
cottage food operation complies with local ordinances, if any,
prescribing reasonable standards, restrictions, and requirements
concerning the following factors: spacing and concentration, traffic
control, parking, and noise control relating to those homes. Any
noise standards shall be consistent with local noise ordinances
implementing the noise element of the general plan. The local
government shall process any required permit as economically as
possible. Fees charged for review shall not exceed the costs of the
review and permit process. An applicant may request a verification of
fees, and the city, county, or city and county shall provide the
applicant with a written breakdown within 45 days of the request. The
application form for cottage food operation permits shall include a
statement of the applicant's right to request the written fee
verification.
(b) In connection with any action taken pursuant to paragraph (2)
or (3) of subdivision (a), a city, county, or city and county shall
do all of the following:
(1) Upon the request of an applicant, provide a list of the
permits and fees that are required by the city, county, or city and
county, including information about other permits that may be
required by other departments in the city, county, or city and
county, or by other public agencies. The city, county, or city and
county shall, upon request of any applicant, also provide information
about the anticipated length of time for reviewing and processing
the permit application.
(2) Upon the request of an applicant, provide information on the
breakdown of any individual fees charged in connection with the
issuance of the permit.
(3) If a deposit is required to cover the cost of the permit,
provide information to the applicant about the estimated final cost
to the applicant of the permit, and procedures for receiving a refund
from the portion of the deposit not used.
(c) Use of a residence for the purposes of a cottage food
operation shall not constitute a change of occupancy for purposes of
the State Housing Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) of
Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code), or for purposes of local
building and fire codes.
(d) Cottage food operations shall be considered residences for the
purposes of the State Uniform Building Standards Code and local
building and fire codes.