Selling dried sourdough starter in California
What California official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — dry mix / non-tcs list supports — confirm. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in California, selling dried sourdough starter is a different cottage-food question than selling bread. The product is flour and water that you fermented, then dried. Official pages almost never use the words “dried starter.” This post only repeats what the current statute, agency page, or extension guide actually says — and where that source is silent.
Dried starter is not automatically a baked good
A loaf is baked. Dried starter is a dry culture. Some states publish a closed allowed-foods list (baked goods, jams, dried herbs). Some allow non-TCS / non-potentially-hazardous foods as a class. A few name baking mixes, dry mixtures, or — in Kansas — dehydrated sourdough starter. We do not stretch a baked-goods line into a dry-culture line unless a source supports that read.
The quick facts
- Law
- California Homemade Food Act (AB 1616, amended AB 1144/AB 831)
- Statute
- Cal. Health & Safety Code §113758
- Agency
- California Department of Public Health
- Dried-starter read
- Dry mix / non-TCS list supports — confirm
- Annual sales cap
- Class A $88,878 / Class B $177,756 (2026 CPI-adjusted; confirm CDPH 2026 sales-limit PDF)
- Registration / permit
- Registration required (statute row): County EH — not CDPH.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): No.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): Yes (specific course).
- Last verified
- 2026-10-15
HSC § 113758 sets the statutory bases at $75,000 (Class A) and $150,000 (Class B), adjusted annually for California CPI. County and UCANR materials that reprint the 2026 CDPH sheet use $88,878 / $177,756. The May 2026 guide still printed the $75,000 / $150,000 bases. Open the current CDPH 'Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026' PDF linked from the Cottage Food Operations page — we could not fetch a stable PDF URL on 2026-10-15.
Sales cap, registration, allowed foods, and every county — free on Crosodo.
Where in-state sales usually go
From the Crosodo statute row: Class B permit holders may sell indirectly through retail stores and restaurants statewide; Class A registrants are limited to direct sales only and may not sell through any retail or wholesale venue.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the California state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include the county name, permit or registration number, and the statement 'Made in a Home Kitchen' or 'Repackaged in a Home Kitchen.' Wherever the CFO advertises to the public (including websites and social media), all three of these items must be included.
Walk the fields in the California cottage food labeling guide. Do not copy another state's disclaimer.
Interstate / shipping across state lines
Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.
Cottage-food exemptions are state instruments. They do not replace federal rules that apply when food enters interstate commerce. If you want to ship out of state, ask the state manufactured-food program and confirm FDA facility registration for your situation. We do not invent a license name or a fee here.
Official sources
Every number and product claim on this page is tied to a source opened on 2026-10-15, plus the Crosodo statute row and — where we have them — the regulations library notes for Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia.
- CDPH Approved Cottage Food List (PDF) — last verified 2026-10-15
- Cal. Health & Safety Code §113758
- California Department of Public Health
- CDPH Cottage Food Operations
- HSC § 114365.5
- California extension
- California cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in California
- California labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
California dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in California?
CDPH's Approved Cottage Foods List includes a 'Dried, Dehydrated, and Freeze-Dried Foods' category with baking mixes as an example. Health & Safety Code § 114365.5 also lists dry baking mixes. Dried sourdough starter is not named. A fully dried flour mix may fit that category — ask your county environmental health department (CDPH does not register CFOs). CDPH posted an October 2026 notice to amend the list; re-check the live PDF before you sell.
What is the California cottage-food sales cap?
Class A $88,878 / Class B $177,756 (2026 CPI-adjusted; confirm CDPH 2026 sales-limit PDF) HSC § 113758 sets the statutory bases at $75,000 (Class A) and $150,000 (Class B), adjusted annually for California CPI. County and UCANR materials that reprint the 2026 CDPH sheet use $88,878 / $177,756. The May 2026 guide still printed the $75,000 / $150,000 bases. Open the current CDPH 'Adjusted Gross Annual Sales Limit 2026' PDF linked from the Cottage Food Operations page — we could not fetch a stable PDF URL on 2026-10-15.
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of California under cottage food law?
Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.
Crosodo Journal entries are recipe, craft, and cottage-food notes for home bakers. Recipes assume an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — start with the free state directory, check a product with Can I sell this?, or grab a label template. Not legal advice.
