Where can home cooks sell prepared meals?
Qualifying home cooks can use DineDash in the states listed below and in participating California MEHKO (Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation) jurisdictions. Eligibility is not automatic: the cook, menu, kitchen, transaction, and local rules must all qualify.
Last reviewed: August 13, 2026. This directory is educational and is not legal advice.
Every market has its own permit, registration, training, labeling, menu, temperature-control, pickup, delivery, and local requirements. A place appearing here means a qualifying legal pathway exists; it does not mean every home, cook, dish, or fulfillment method qualifies.
Current state pathways
These twelve states currently provide a pathway for at least some qualifying time- and temperature-controlled home-prepared foods.
Idaho
Idaho permits qualifying direct-to-consumer sales of perishable homemade food under its food-freedom framework.
Read eligibility guideIndiana
Indiana's 2026 homestead and small-farm framework includes qualifying prepared foods such as meals, sandwiches, salads, and meal kits.
Read eligibility guideWyoming
Wyoming's Food Freedom framework permits qualifying direct-to-informed-end-consumer homemade-food transactions.
Read eligibility guideUtah
Utah provides a permit-based microenterprise home-kitchen pathway for qualifying home-prepared meals.
Read eligibility guideMontana
Montana permits qualifying direct-to-informed-end-consumer sales of homemade food under its Local Food Choice framework.
Read eligibility guideAlaska
Alaska provides a pathway for qualifying direct sales of homemade food, including specified foods requiring temperature control.
Read eligibility guideArizona
Arizona's registered cottage-food pathway permits qualifying time- and temperature-controlled homemade foods.
Read eligibility guideTexas
Texas permits qualifying registered cottage-food producers to sell specified time- and temperature-controlled foods directly to consumers.
Read eligibility guideNebraska
Nebraska permits registered producers to sell qualifying homemade foods, including specified foods requiring temperature control.
Read eligibility guideOklahoma
Oklahoma has a current homemade-food pathway for qualifying direct-to-consumer foods requiring temperature control.
Read eligibility guideWest Virginia
West Virginia provides a permit-based pathway for qualifying potentially hazardous cottage foods.
Read eligibility guideIowa
Iowa permits qualifying home-prepared foods through its licensed Home Food Processing Establishment pathway.
Read eligibility guideCalifornia MEHKO jurisdictions
California participation is local, not statewide. These jurisdictions were on the approved MEHKO participation list at the review date. Cooks must obtain approval from the participating county or city.
Alameda County, California
Read eligibility guideAmador County, California
Read eligibility guideBerkeley, California
Read eligibility guideContra Costa County, California
Read eligibility guideImperial County, California
Read eligibility guideLake County, California
Read eligibility guideLos Angeles County, California
Read eligibility guideLong Beach, California
Read eligibility guideMonterey County, California
Read eligibility guideRiverside County, California
Read eligibility guideSanta Barbara County, California
Read eligibility guideSan Benito County, California
Read eligibility guideSanta Clara County, California
Read eligibility guideSanta Cruz County, California
Read eligibility guideSan Diego County, California
Read eligibility guideSan Mateo County, California
Read eligibility guideSierra County, California
Read eligibility guideSolano County, California
Read eligibility guideSonoma County, California
Read eligibility guideReady to apply as a cook?
Build your cook profile and submit your kitchen and menu information. DineDash reviews onboarding information, but you remain responsible for obtaining every permit or approval required where you operate.
Start cook onboardingColorado is not listed because its new TCS provisions begin January 1, 2027. Virginia, Michigan, and North Dakota are not current DineDash TCS recruitment markets under the reviewed framework.