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HomeFood and Agricultural CodeDiv. 9Pt. 3Ch. 4.1Art. 8§ 19010 Meat Processing License Fees

§ 19010 Meat Processing License Fees

Food and Agricultural Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 19010 Meat Processing License Fees

Key Takeaways

  • •You need a license to run a place that processes meat or slaughters animals for people.
  • •The license costs $500 for one year if it's a new place or a meat processing plant.
  • •If you buy an existing slaughterhouse, the license fee depends on how many animals were killed there in the past year (from October to September).
  • •This rule will disappear on January 1, 2027, unless the government decides to keep it.

Example

If you want to open a new butcher shop where you process meat, you need to get a license first.

You have to fill out a form and pay $500 to get the license for one year. If you don’t, you can’t legally run the shop.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 19010 Meat Processing License Fees

(a) Each person shall, before operating a meat processing establishment or a custom livestock slaughterhouse, file an application accompanied with an application fee, with the secretary for a license to operate the establishment. The application shall be in the form as the secretary may prescribe. (b) Subject to Section 19011.5, the application fee for a meat processing establishment or a new, previously unlicensed custom livestock slaughterhouse is five hundred dollars ($500) for a license for one year for each establishment that the applicant desires to operate. Each license shall expire on the last day of the calendar year for which it was issued. The fee shall not be prorated. (c) The fee for a license application submitted upon a change of ownership of an existing, previously licensed custom livestock slaughterhouse shall be based on the number of head of livestock slaughtered by the custom livestock slaughterhouse during the preceding October through September time period, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 19011. (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2027, deletes or extends that date. (Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 392, Sec. 3. (SB 815) Effective January 1, 2022. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, by its own provisions.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

meat processing establishmentcustom livestock slaughterhouseapplication feelicense

Related Statutes

  • § 19011.5 Multiple License Fee Reduction
  • § 19013 Meat Processing Inspection Requirements
  • § 18963 Fallow Deer Slaughter Regulations
  • § 19011 Livestock Slaughterhouse Renewal Fees
  • § 18947 Meat Processing Licensing Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 19010.
View Official Source