The Manufacturing Cannabis Business Operating Permit NEW Application Step-by-Step Checklist is the City of Sacramento's guide to applying for a new cannabis manufacturing business operating permit (BOP). It is not a general Sacramento business license: it covers only the cannabis manufacturing permit and the steps and documents that go with it. Applicants use it to track the zoning, Conditional Use Permit, building, BOP, fee, walk-through, tax and State license steps in order. On this page you can fill out the checklist online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the City publishes the original at cityofsacramento.gov.
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What is Manufacturing Permit – Sacramento, CA?
Manufacturing Cannabis Business Operating Permit NEW Application Step-by-Step Checklist is a City of Sacramento checklist that walks applicants through submitting a new application for a cannabis manufacturing business operating permit (BOP), naming each step, the office responsible for it and the documents the BOP application needs.
The City of Sacramento Finance Department publishes it with its cannabis management forms. The checklist says the City currently allows cannabis manufacturing in specific zones, subject to the Sacramento City Code (SCC) under Title 5 and Title 17. It also says it is not an exhaustive list and does not replace compliance with every applicable requirement.
It has eight steps, each with a blank to check off:
- find a location in a zone that allows cannabis manufacturing;
- apply for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) with the Planning Division;
- apply for building permits, including a Certificate of Occupancy;
- apply for the BOP with the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM);
- pay the BOP application fee;
- complete the OCM walk-through;
- apply for the Business Operating Tax with the Revenue Division;
- apply for a State license from the Department of Cannabis Control.
A closing section lists non-City requirements. The City offers three manufacturing permit types: Type 1 – Extraction (volatile or non-volatile), Type N – Infusion and Type P – Packaging. Each is tiered by annual gross receipts, Class A through Class D.
This checklist is for new manufacturing applications. The City's forms page lists separate new-application checklists for cultivation, delivery, distribution, microbusiness, storefront dispensary, consumption lounge and testing laboratory, and a separate renewal checklist.
Who needs to file Manufacturing Permit – Sacramento, CA?
Anyone preparing a new application for a cannabis manufacturing business operating permit (BOP) in the City of Sacramento uses this checklist. That includes applicants for Type 1 – Extraction, Type N – Infusion and Type P – Packaging permits, in any receipts class.
Some items apply only in certain cases:
- Live Scan (background check): required for individuals with aggregate ownership interest of 20% or more, and for officers, members of the board of directors, limited liability company managers and other persons with similar responsibilities.
- Extraction Plan: Type 1 permits only.
- Shared-use documents: shared-use facilities only.
- Fee waiver: the application fee is waived for CORE businesses (Classifications 1, 2, 3 and 5) and Veterans.
Do not use this checklist for other cannabis business types or for renewals. The City's forms page has separate checklists for cultivation, delivery, distribution, microbusiness, storefront dispensary, consumption lounge and testing laboratory, and a Business Operating Permit Renewal Application Checklist. The City also states that a business holding a testing license cannot hold any other cannabis license, and that cannabis business permits cannot be transferred.
When to file Manufacturing Permit – Sacramento, CA
The checklist has no due date of its own: you work through it whenever you start a new manufacturing BOP application, and its order matters. The BOP application needs the Record of Decision for the Conditional Use Permit and a Certificate of Occupancy, so zoning, the CUP and building permits come first.
Once the BOP application is started, two clocks run. The application is valid for only 180 days and is deemed Abandoned if it is not approved and the extension fee and form are not submitted before 180 days. The application must also be paid for: if no application fee is received within 30 days of submittal, it becomes void.
OCM schedules the walk-through only after the location has been issued a Certificate of Occupancy, and only on Thursdays. The Business Operating Tax application follows the walk-through. A BOP is valid for one year from issue and must be renewed annually, according to the City's cannabis FAQ.
Documents you need
- Conditional Use Permit: a copy of the Record of Decision from the Planning Department.
- Cannabis Business Owner & Interested Parties List: the breakdown of 100% ownership, with name, title, address, phone, email and ownership interest of all owners.
- Live Scan (background check): required for individuals with aggregate ownership interest of 20% or more, officers, board members, LLC managers and similar roles.
- Business structure documentation: formation and organizing documents for your LP, LLC or corporation (such as articles, bylaws or operating agreement, signed) and any DBA filing. The Statement of Information must be the most current and less than two years old.
- Business Plan: operating procedures plus cash handling, transportation, product inventory controls, financial management and California Cannabis Track and Trace procedures specific to the business.
- Budget: the most recent annual operations budget, with business name, itemized expenses and projected income for the current year.
- Owner's Statement of Consent: written consent of the site owner or landlord, giving the street address and parcel number, completed, signed and notarized.
- Security and Lighting Plan: prepared by a valid qualified professional (PPO #, ACO#), covering security measures and existing and proposed interior and exterior lights.
- Floor Plan: a scaled plan for each level of each building showing entrances, exits, walls and operating areas, prepared by a licensed civil engineer or architect.
- Odor Control Plan: describes the air treatment system or other methods that keep cannabis odors from being detected outside the buildings.
- Energy Efficiency Plan: documentation that you contacted SMUD Strategic Accounts, including an email showing the date of contact.
- Certificate of Liability Insurance: lists the business name and premises address and meets the minimum coverage the checklist sets for manufacturing.
- Certificate of Occupancy (COO): a copy of the site's COO specific to the business type applied for.
- Extraction Plan (volatile and/or non-volatile): Type 1 permits only; describes the extraction processes, equipment and solvents.
- Shared-use facilities only: a Shared-Use Floor Plan, Shared-Use Agreement(s) between the primary and shared-use permit holders, and a Shared-Use Manufacturing Schedule.
How to fill out Manufacturing Permit – Sacramento, CA
Find a zoned location
Check the blank at step 1 once you have a site in an allowed zone: C2 (under 6,400 sq.ft, non-volatile extraction only), M-1 and M-1S, MIP, M-T (non-volatile extraction only), MRD, M-2 and M-2S, or C4. Confirm the 600-foot buffer from schools and from neighborhood and community parks.
Apply for a Conditional Use Permit
At step 2, apply for a CUP for production through the Planning Division's online portal. You can check whether a property already has an approved CUP using the link on the checklist.
Apply for building permits
At step 3, submit your Building Department applications online and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy specific to the cannabis activity.
Choose your permit type and class
At step 4, select Type 1 – Extraction, Type N – Infusion or Type P – Packaging. Then identify your class, A through D, by annual gross receipts.
Assemble ownership and structure documents
Check off the CUP Record of Decision, the Owner & Interested Parties List, Live Scan for those who need it, and the business structure documents listed for your LP, LLC or corporation. Add a DBA filing if applicable.
Prepare the operating plans
Check off the Business Plan, Budget, Security and Lighting Plan, Floor Plan, Odor Control Plan and Energy Efficiency Plan, each prepared as the checklist describes.
Add consent, insurance and occupancy proof
Check off the notarized Owner's Statement of Consent, the Certificate of Liability Insurance and the Certificate of Occupancy for your business type.
Add documents for your situation
Check the Extraction Plan if you apply for a Type 1 permit. Check the Shared-Use Floor Plan, Shared-Use Agreement(s) and Shared-Use Manufacturing Schedule if you operate a shared-use facility.
Pay the BOP application fee
At step 5, confirm the application has been submitted and paid for so OCM can begin review. Note whether you qualify for the waiver for CORE businesses (Classifications 1, 2, 3 and 5) or Veterans.
Complete the OCM walk-through
At step 6, check the box when OCM has scheduled and held the walk-through. It is scheduled only after the site has a COO and only on Thursdays.
Apply for the Business Operating Tax
At step 7, after the walk-through, apply through the Business Operations Tax Online Application with the Revenue Division.
Apply for the State license
At step 8, apply to the Department of Cannabis Control. The State license must match the BOP type with OCM.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every step and document you have finished is marked and that the dates you track are correct. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and keep it with your application records.
How to submit Manufacturing Permit – Sacramento, CA
This checklist is guidance, not a form you file. It points to several separate applications, each submitted through its own channel:
- BOP application: submit it with the required documentation through OCM's online permitting portal. OCM begins review only when the application has been both submitted and paid for.
- Conditional Use Permit: apply through the Planning Division's online portal.
- Building permits: submit all Building Department applications online through its portal; public counters are open by appointment only.
- Business Operating Tax: after the walk-through, complete the Business Operations Tax Online Application with the Revenue Division.
- State license: apply to the Department of Cannabis Control; its information is at cannabis.ca.gov.
The application fee is non-refundable. The City's cannabis forms page links to the Business Operating Permit fee schedule, so check it for the current amount: Cannabis Forms and Information.
The checklist also lists non-City requirements. For air quality questions, contact the Sac Metro Air District at (279) 207-1122 or [email protected]. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a site outside the listed zones, or in C2 at 6,400 sq.ft or more, or in C2 or M-T for anything other than non-volatile extraction activities.
- Overlooking the 600-foot buffer from schools and from neighborhood and community parks; sites within 600 feet of a park go to the Planning and Design Commission for review.
- Submitting the BOP application without the Conditional Use Permit Record of Decision from the Planning Department.
- Letting the application pass 180 days without approval and without submitting the extension fee and form, which makes it Abandoned.
- Submitting the BOP application but not paying the fee; if no fee is received within 30 days of submittal, the application becomes void.
- Including a Statement of Information that is not the most current or is two years old or more.
- Submitting an Owner's Statement of Consent that is not signed and notarized, or that omits the street address and parcel number.
- Having the floor plan prepared by someone other than a licensed civil engineer or architect, or the security plan by someone who is not a valid qualified professional.
- Expecting a walk-through before the site has a Certificate of Occupancy; OCM schedules walk-throughs only after the COO and only on Thursdays.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sacramento cannabis manufacturing permit checklist?
It is the City of Sacramento's step-by-step checklist for a new cannabis manufacturing business operating permit (BOP). It covers zoning, the Conditional Use Permit, building permits, the BOP application, the fee, the walk-through, the business operating tax and the State license.
Is this a Sacramento business license?
No. This checklist covers only the cannabis manufacturing business operating permit (BOP) issued through the Office of Cannabis Management. It does not describe general business licensing, and the City says the checklist is not an exhaustive list of requirements.
What manufacturing permit types does Sacramento offer?
Three: Type 1 – Extraction (volatile or non-volatile), Type N – Infusion and Type P – Packaging. Each is tiered by annual gross receipts into Class A, B, C and D. The City's FAQ says it allows both volatile and non-volatile manufacturing.
Where is cannabis manufacturing allowed in Sacramento?
In zones C2 (under 6,400 sq.ft, non-volatile extraction only), M-1 and M-1S, MIP, M-T (non-volatile extraction only), MRD, M-2 and M-2S, and C4. A 600-foot buffer from schools and from neighborhood and community parks also applies.
How long is a new BOP application valid?
180 days. If the application is not approved and the extension fee and form are not submitted before 180 days, it is deemed Abandoned. Once issued, a BOP is valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
Is there a fee for the cannabis BOP application, and can it be waived?
Yes. OCM begins review only when the application is submitted and paid for. The fee is waived for CORE businesses (Classifications 1, 2, 3 and 5) and Veterans, is non-refundable, and the application becomes void if no fee arrives within 30 days. See the City's fee schedule for the amount.
When is the OCM walk-through scheduled?
After the location has been issued a Certificate of Occupancy, as part of the secondary review. OCM contacts you to schedule it, and walk-throughs are held only on Thursdays. The City provides a BOP walk-through checklist to help you prepare.
Who needs a Live Scan background check?
Individuals with aggregate ownership interest of 20% or more, and officers, members of the board of directors, limited liability company managers and other persons with similar responsibilities. It is one of the documents required with the BOP application.
Can I fill out this checklist online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the checklist online on FillingPDF and download or print the PDF. FillingPDF is an independent service, is not affiliated with the City of Sacramento and does not submit applications; you apply through the City's portals.
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