The Checker
Can I sell this?
Pick your state and what you'd like to sell for an instant cottage food verdict — or skip the picker and open a full 50-state guide for a specific product (cookies, sourdough, cheesecake, and 39 more).
Verdict
yes — allowed.
Sourdough bread in California: Allowed in nearly all states as a non-potentially-hazardous (non-TCS) food.
What to do next
Don't stop at the verdict.
Labeling, county zoning, and a 50-state product guide turn one lookup into a plan. Your readiness score updates as you go.
Labels
Labeling requirements in California
See required fields, disclaimer wording, and allergens for sourdough bread.
Deep dive
50-state guide: Sourdough bread
Compare yes / conditional / no across all 51 jurisdictions.
Free PDF
Download label template
Print-ready California mockup with researched disclaimer language.
Local
Compare nearby counties
Browse localities — each county page has a side-by-side neighbor comparison.
Permits
What permits do I need?
Home cottage-food permit stack by county or independent city — not a storefront kitchen.
Directory
Full California breakdown
Sales cap, registration, statute excerpt, and every county tracked.
Interactive
Food safety quiz
Interactive check before you scale batches or book a market booth.
State quick facts
California
- Sales cap
- Tiered (see notes)
- Registration
- Registration required. Food handler cert: yes (specific course)
- Allowed products
- Only foods on the official state-approved foods list may be sold; this includes most non-perishable foods such as baked goods, jams and preserves, candies, chocolates, dried goods, and spices. Class A operations are…
How this works. Each product is mapped to a regulatory category (non-TCS baked good, TCS, meat, high-acid preserve, acidified, fermented drink, frozen, raw dairy). We start with a default verdict per category, then apply state-specific overrides where the statute differs from the federal baseline.
Not legal advice. Cottage food laws change every legislative session and county-level rules can add zoning and licensing requirements on top of state law. Confirm with your state department of agriculture and local health department before selling.
Product-first guides
Can I sell…? — 42 national food guides
Each guide is a 50-state + DC matrix (Allowed / Conditional / Not allowed) with statute notes. Start here when you already know the product.
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell cookies?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell sourdough bread?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell cake with buttercream?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell muffins?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell brownies?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell fruit pies?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell cake pops?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell baguettes?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell bagels?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell soft pretzels?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell croissants?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell granola?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell royal icing?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Baked, non-refrigerated
Can I sell buttercream icing?
39 yes · 0 conditional · 12 no
TCS (time/temperature-controlled)
Can I sell cream cheese icing?
0 yes · 0 conditional · 51 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell chocolate?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell fudge?
49 yes · 0 conditional · 2 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell caramels?
49 yes · 0 conditional · 2 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell marshmallows?
48 yes · 2 conditional · 1 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell candied nuts?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell freeze-dried candy?
1 yes · 50 conditional · 0 no
High-acid preserve
Can I sell jam and jelly?
1 yes · 50 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell honey?
45 yes · 6 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell dried fruit?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell popcorn?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell roasted nuts?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell spice blends?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell dry baking mixes?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell dried tea?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell roasted coffee beans?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Shelf-stable pantry
Can I sell dry pasta?
51 yes · 0 conditional · 0 no
Acidified / fermented
Can I sell hot sauce?
0 yes · 50 conditional · 1 no
Acidified / fermented
Can I sell infused oils?
0 yes · 1 conditional · 50 no
Acidified / fermented
Can I sell pickles?
0 yes · 50 conditional · 1 no
Acidified / fermented
Can I sell kombucha?
1 yes · 47 conditional · 3 no
TCS (time/temperature-controlled)
Can I sell cheesecake?
0 yes · 1 conditional · 50 no
TCS (time/temperature-controlled)
Can I sell cream pies?
0 yes · 0 conditional · 51 no
TCS (time/temperature-controlled)
Can I sell custard?
0 yes · 0 conditional · 51 no
TCS (time/temperature-controlled)
Can I sell flavored butter?
0 yes · 2 conditional · 49 no
Dairy
Can I sell cheese?
0 yes · 9 conditional · 42 no
Meat / poultry
Can I sell meat jerky?
0 yes · 8 conditional · 43 no
Meat / poultry
Can I sell meat pies?
0 yes · 0 conditional · 51 no
Related reading
Go deeper.
Cottage food label templates by state
Free mockups and disclaimer language for every state + DC.
18 official label examples
Real agency-published cottage food labels with source links.
Cottage food vs. commercial kitchen — when to switch
A decision checklist for bakers approaching their state's sales cap.
50-state cottage food directory
Sales caps, registration, and every county page in your state.
How to sell from home
Five steps to sell baked goods legally in the U.S.
Read your state's cottage food law
+
Every U.S. state (and DC) has its own cottage food law that sets which foods you can sell from home, where, and how. Look up your state on the Crosodo directory to see the statute, tier, and sales cap.
Check your county zoning
+
State law is the floor. Many counties and cities add a home-occupation permit, business license, or zoning rule on top. Confirm with your local zoning office before your first sale.
Register or certify if required
+
Some states require a free registration or a food handler certification before you sell. Others don't. The Crosodo state-by-state checker shows whether you need to register and links to the official portal.
Label your product correctly
+
Cottage food labels typically need: business name, address, product name, ingredient list, allergen disclosure (the nine federal major allergens), and a 'made in a home kitchen' disclaimer. Exact wording varies by state.
Sell only through allowed channels
+
Most states allow farmers markets, home pickup, delivery, and roadside stands. Indirect sales (grocery, retail, online with shipping, wholesale) depend on your state — some allow them, some don't. Stay within the allowed list to keep your cottage food protection.
From the Crosodo collection
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While you're checking the rules — vintage-varsity tees for the cottage-baker life. Sourdough, lamination, and the craft, on heavyweight garment-dyed cotton.
