(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.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 415, Sec. 2. (AB 1616) Effective January 1, 2013.)