Do You Need a Permit to Cook Free Food on the Sidewalk?
<p>I'd like to open a food stand in Los Angeles to cook food for homeless people. Do I need a permit of some sort to cook food and give it away free of charge?</p>

<p>According to the <a href="http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/misc/ehdef.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">LA County Public Health Department</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"Food facility" means an operation that stores, prepares, packages,
  serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption at the
  retail level, including, but not limited to, the following:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>An operation where food is consumed on or off the premises, <strong>regardless of whether there is a charge for the food</strong>.</li>
  <li>Any place used in conjunction with the operations described in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, storage facilities
  for food-related utensils, equipment, and materials.</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>So your food stand is a "food facility" for the purposes of the law.  As such, as far as I can tell, you would be subject to the same permit and inspection requirements as any other similar food facility, like a commercial food stand.</p>

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