In brief
A Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) lets an eligible Long Beach resident cook and sell meals directly to consumers from a private home kitchen, up to 30 meals a day and 90 a week, with a Public Health Permit from the city’s Bureau of Environmental Health and a Long Beach business license. In the fee year that ended September 30, 2026, the Health fee schedule listed a MEHKO application fee of $551.45 and an annual registration of $504.51.
- The limits on the city’s MEHKO page: 30 meals a day, 90 a week, annual gross sales up to $100,000 (adjusted annually for inflation), one full-time-equivalent employee, and food “prepared, cooked, and served the same day”1.
- Before operating you need a Public Health Permit, a business license, food safety certifications and a home kitchen inspection1.
- The Municipal Code lists MEHKOs among allowed home occupations and bars the city from requiring a rezone or charging zoning-related fees for one34.
- The home-based business license is $299.54 plus $12.66 per employee in the 2026-27 table5.
- The MEHKO ordinance “was introduced and advanced by the City Council on April 14, 2026”1.
A MEHKO is authorized by California’s Assembly Bill 626 and, in Long Beach, administered by the city’s own Bureau of Environmental Health; the council advanced the local ordinance on April 14, 20261. It is the home-kitchen route for cooked meals, as opposed to cottage food, which covers dry and low-risk foods and is a separate registration. This page covers what the city’s pages say about the permit, the limits, the fees and the zoning rules for a home business. The section pillar, How to Open a Food Business in Long Beach, compares it with every other path.
The short answer
| If you are… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Cooking meals at home and selling them directly to customers, within 30 a day | Apply for a MEHKO health permit through the Bureau of Environmental Health1 |
| Baking cookies, candy, jams or other approved dry foods | Cottage food, not a MEHKO; see Cottage Food in Long Beach |
| Planning to serve more than 30 meals a day or 90 a week | Outside the MEHKO limits; the restaurant or commissary path applies; see How to Open a Restaurant in Long Beach |
| Wanting to cook from a truck or cart | A different permit; see Food Truck Permits in Long Beach |
What a MEHKO is, and what the city requires
The Bureau’s page defines a MEHKO as “a small-scale, home-based food business authorized under California law through Assembly Bill 626 (AB 626) and regulated under the California Retail Food Code”1. A MEHKO “requires approval and a Public Health Permit from the Long Beach Bureau of Environmental Health before operating”1.
The page lists four things you must have before operating1, and chapter 5.35 adds two more conditions3:
- A Public Health Permit from the Bureau.
- A Long Beach business license.
- Required food safety certifications. The page does not name them; ask the Bureau which ones apply to your menu.
- A home kitchen inspection.
- A MEHKO accessory permit with conditions from Business Services, alongside the health permit and the business license; chapter 5.35.040 bars operating without all three3.
- No cottage food registration. Chapter 5.35.060.K says a MEHKO “may not be permitted/registered as a Cottage Food Operation”3.
The process runs in six stages: check your eligibility, get the certifications, submit the application, complete the inspection, receive the permit and start operating1. The page links a “How to Apply” guide and an inspection checklist, and its FAQ is marked “Coming Soon”1. The page gives no processing time.
The limits
| Requirement | Limit |
|---|---|
| Meals per day | Up to 30 |
| Meals per week | Up to 90 |
| Annual gross sales | Up to $100,000, adjusted annually for inflation |
| Employees | 1 full-time equivalent, not counting family members |
| Food preparation | Prepared, cooked and served the same day |
Source:1. The code says the same of staffing: “no more than one full-time equivalent employee, not including a household or family member”3. The zoning code carries the meal limits as “up to 30 meals a day and up to 90 meals a week”4.
Fees
The Bureau’s MEHKO page states no fees1. The Health fee schedule, the version stamped June 16, 2026 and still within the fee year that ended September 30, 2026, lists two2:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| MEHKO application, to review submitted applications | $551.45 per application |
| MEHKO annual registration, to review, process, track and register | $504.51 a year |
Source:2. The council approved updated city fee schedules effective October 1, 2026, and the city’s fee-schedules page lists new schedules for Building, Fire and others but no Health schedule7. The Health Department’s page still links the FY26 mid-year schedule10, and the city’s August 2026 memo proposed fee adjustments in which “no individual fee is increasing to over $100 per month, and the average increase across all adjusted fees is kept to 39 percent”6. The figures here are the schedule in force through September 30, 2026, so ask the Bureau for the current MEHKO amounts before you apply.
The business license is a separate charge. The 2026-27 table puts a home-based business at $299.54 plus $12.66 per employee5. A home-based business needs a license like any other: “all businesses operating within the City of Long Beach need to obtain a business license, including out-of-city or home-based businesses”8.
The zoning rules for a home business
A MEHKO is a home occupation under the zoning code, which lists “cottage food” and “MEHKOs” among the allowed home occupations and prohibits other “food preparation” at home, along with “restaurants”4. The conditions that apply to home occupations in general, from section 21.51.2354:
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| People | Only residents of the dwelling engaged or employed, and no more than two. Does not apply to a MEHKO (see below) |
| Signs | None visible from outside; signed vehicles parked out of public view |
| Visitors | No more than two business visitors an hour and eight a day, and two deliveries a week. Does not apply to a MEHKO (see below) |
| Storage | No more than 128 cubic feet; a garage may not be used for operations or storage |
| Advertising | “No advertisement shall be placed in any media containing the address of the property” |
| Appearance | The residential appearance may not be altered; no separate entrance |
| Transfer | Valid only for the person to whom it was issued |
Source:4. The People and Visitors rows do not apply to a MEHKO. Section 21.51.235.B.1 says a MEHKO “is not subject to the employment limitations outlined in this section” and gives it one full-time employee (up to 40 hours a week) or several whose hours total no more than 40 a week, not counting family or household members; B.9 says a MEHKO “is not subject to the visitor limitations outlined in this section”4. Chapter 5.35 sets the staffing limit in its own terms (one full-time-equivalent employee, not including a household or family member)3.
Where to check The Planning fee schedule lists a “Business License Zoning Review – Home Occupation” at $52.00, or $58.24 with surcharge, as of October 2026, “for home occupations in a residence only”, while chapter 5.35 bars the city from requiring a rezone or levying zoning-related fees on a MEHKO39. The schedule does not say whether the $58.24 applies to a MEHKO. Ask the Planning line, (562) 570-6194, before you pay it.
The city’s MEHKO page says nothing about leases or homeowners’ association rules, so check your own lease before you apply.
What it adds up to
In the fee year that ended September 30, 2026, the city’s MEHKO charges were $551.45 to apply and $504.51 a year, plus the home-based business license at $299.54 and $12.66 for each employee25. If both Health charges fall in the first year, that is $1,055.96 in Health fees and $1,355.50 with the license for a one-person operation, before the cost of the food safety certifications, whose prices are not on the city’s pages125. Compare the restaurant path’s plan check of $1,547 or more and an annual permit of $880 or more2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell food from my home kitchen in Long Beach?
Yes, under a MEHKO permit from the Bureau of Environmental Health, or under cottage food registration for approved low-risk foods. A MEHKO needs a health permit, a business license, food safety certifications and a home kitchen inspection1.
How many meals can a MEHKO sell?
Up to 30 meals a day and 90 a week, with annual gross sales up to $100,000, adjusted yearly for inflation1.
How much does a MEHKO permit cost in Long Beach?
In the fee year that ended September 30, 2026: $551.45 for the application and $504.51 for annual registration, on the Health fee schedule. The city’s MEHKO page itself lists no fee12. The council approved updated city fee schedules effective October 1, 20267; the Health Department’s page still links the FY26 mid-year schedule10, and the city’s memo proposed an average increase of 39 percent6.
Can I hire employees for a MEHKO?
Do I need a business license for a MEHKO?
Does a MEHKO need a zoning change?
What is the difference between a MEHKO and cottage food?
A MEHKO sells prepared meals, within limits, under a health permit and inspection; cottage food covers approved non-hazardous foods under a Class A or Class B registration. The cottage food rules are in Cottage Food in Long Beach.
Related Articles
Sources
- Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) — City of Long Beach, Bureau of Environmental Health. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Environmental Health fees and charges, FY26 mid-year schedule (June 16, 2026) — City of Long Beach, Health and Human Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 5.35 Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 21.51 Accessory and Temporary Uses (section 21.51.235 Home Occupations) — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Business License Rates Effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Memo: Processes and Fees for Food Safety Program, August 25, 2026 — City of Long Beach, City Manager. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Fee Schedules — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- General Business License — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Planning Bureau Fee Schedule, revised October 1, 2026 (FY27 fees version) — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- Environmental Health Bureau — City of Long Beach, Health and Human Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.