A plain-English, step-by-step path from "I cook for my family" to "I'm a licensed home-kitchen operator taking orders from my neighbors." Most people get fully permitted in 4–8 weeks.
A Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) is a state-legal way to cook food for paying customers in your own home kitchen. It was created by California AB 626 in 2018 and expanded by AB 1325 in 2024. San Diego County opted into the program, so if you live in San Diego County, you can legally run one. You prepare, cook, and sell food the same day, out of the kitchen you already live in. The County inspects you once at startup, and then you self-certify year to year. It's real, it's legal, and roughly 140 San Diegans have already done it.
A MEHKO is not a full restaurant. The state draws a line so that home kitchens stay home kitchens:
Anyone who touches food in your kitchen needs a California Food Handler Card. It's an online course and exam — about 2 hours end-to-end. Take it through any ANSI-accredited provider (StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, eFoodHandlers, etc.).
The person running the MEHKO (you) needs a higher-level cert: the Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). It's a nationally recognized credential — ServSafe is the best-known issuer, but Prometric and 360training also qualify. Online study + in-person proctored exam in most cases.
This is the one piece of paper SDEHQ will always ask for. Do it first so it doesn't hold up your permit application.
Your existing kitchen is almost certainly fine. A MEHKO inspection isn't a restaurant inspection — it's a sanity check that a reasonable home cook is running a reasonable home kitchen. Before your inspector arrives, make sure you have:
The state and County will let you operate a MEHKO, but your landlord or HOA might not. Before you pay for a permit, take 10 minutes to:
If your landlord says no, you can sometimes negotiate — offer to add the County's food liability insurance as a named insured, or agree to cap your meal volume.
The County's Food & Housing Division handles MEHKO permits. As of 2026, the process looks like this:
A DEHQ environmental health specialist will come to your home — usually within 2–4 weeks of application. Plan on 45–90 minutes. They'll:
They're not trying to fail you. They want clear answers. If something's missing or wrong, they'll usually give you a correction notice and re-inspect — no second application fee in most cases.
Your MEHKO permit arrives by email (and a physical copy to post in your kitchen) usually 1–3 weeks after passing inspection. From that moment, you can legally take orders and sell food in California.
Your permit is annual. You'll renew each year with a shorter self-certification and a re-inspection may or may not happen.
The authoritative source — use this if anything in this guide looks off:
Phone and address current as of 2026. Double-check on the County website before showing up in person.
Yes. Unincorporated San Diego County doesn't issue a general business license, but the cities (San Diego, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, etc.) each do. If you're in city limits, apply for a Business Tax Certificate with your city's Treasurer's office — usually $30–$100/year. If you're in an unincorporated area (Ramona, Fallbrook, parts of Escondido), your MEHKO permit is effectively your operating license.
The County doesn't require it, but we strongly recommend it. A $1M general liability policy for a MEHKO typically costs $30–$60/month. Providers like Foxquilt, FLIP, and Thimble cater specifically to home cooks. Mehko does not resell insurance — we'll just point you at good options when you ask.
Prepared food sold for immediate consumption is generally taxable in California. You'll need a Seller's Permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). It's free and takes ~15 minutes online at cdtfa.ca.gov. Mehko calculates and remits sales tax on your behalf for orders placed through the platform.
Check your lease. A MEHKO is a legal home occupation in California, but many leases reserve the landlord's right to prohibit "commercial use." Most landlords are fine with a MEHKO once you explain the scale (30 meals/day max, no additional employees, no signage) and offer to add them to your liability policy.
Yes — up to one non-household employee, or one household family member. Both need their own Food Handler Card. You (the permit holder) have to be on-site whenever food is being prepared or sold.
MEHKOs can do direct delivery by the operator (you) or a person the operator directly employs. Third-party couriers (DoorDash, Uber Eats) are technically not compliant under current California law — the operator must hand the food to the eater or deliver it themselves. Most MEHKOs do pickup only to stay simple. Mehko launches with pickup-only by default and will add compliant in-house delivery later.
4–8 weeks, most often closer to 6. The rate-limiting step is usually the plan check + in-home inspection schedule with DEHQ. Food handler card, manager cert, and kitchen setup you can knock out in a weekend.
Typical all-in, first year:
All-in: roughly $900–$1,500 to be live and legal. After year one, it drops by a few hundred dollars.
DEHQ maintains a public list of permitted food facilities, which includes MEHKOs. You can also file a Public Records Act request specifically for "active MEHKO permits" — the County is required to provide it. The current list has roughly 140 permitted MEHKOs across San Diego County as of early 2026.
The first 50 licensed MEHKO cooks on Mehko keep 100% of every dollar — forever. We build your menu, photograph your first three dishes, and walk you through your first three orders.
See the Founding Cook offer → Open MehkoAlready have your permit? Sign up as a cook. Still figuring it out? Email us — we've walked people through this dozens of times.